City Street Smarts – BMW CE 02 Review
Electrified commuting comes in all shapes and sizes. And while there are brands out there trying to grasp this market with one form factor or another, not many can say they have offerings on two and four wheels. So, enter BMW, who are using their know-how in building bikes and electrified vehicles to offer not […]
Essence of Value – 2024 MG HS Essence Review
MG is showing no signs of slowing down and the new HS SUV certainly is proof of that. With the previous generation HS offering plenty in terms of equipment for the price, it did still feel a tad rough around the edges. Enter the latest and vastly refreshed HS SUV. I was able to spend […]
Sealed In The Middle – BYD Seal Premium Review
Since launch, the BYD Seal hasn’t shied away from leaving those of us in the specialist motoring press rather impressed. With its good looks, strong zero emission poke and the amount of technology you get for the price, it just does everything very well indeed. Having tested the flagship AWD Performance, BYD NZ gave me […]
Working the way up – New MG HS Review
Alongside the hobbies I usually talk about (incessantly) here at TarmacLife, I have yet another one: gaming. And when playing a game that captivates me, I am something the community calls “a completionist”. I won’t put the game down until I’ve explored every single dungeon of an RPG, or bought every last car of a […]
Growth Spurt – MG3 Essence Hybrid+Review
Looking back, the first MG3 was something of an anomaly in the marketplace. Sure, it wasn’t quite as polished around the edges as some of its contemporaries, but it had one major element in its favour, the price. For a long time, it was New Zealand’s most affordable new car and with a hefty warranty […]
Swiftly Going Fourth – 2024 Suzuki Swift RSC Hybrid Review
One simply can’t imagine the small car game without the Suzuki Swift. Such has been the appeal, it has held a firm foothold among its competitors over here for almost a generation and just about anyone out there could think of someone, from a family member to a work colleague, who owns one. The Swift […]
The power of the people(‘s car) – Golf R Line MK8.5 Review
The Golf is one of the definitive hatchbacks in the industry, so whenever a new one hits the roads, everyone pays attention. Volkswagen has recently unveiled the facelifted version of the eight generation of the Golf, or MK8.5 in VW nerd talk (which I’m fluent in), and given the MK8 was appreciated for some things […]
Hot Pursuit – BMW i4 eDrive40 M-Sport Review
When the New Zealand Police announced they would be adding the BMW i4 to their fleet, I was rather impressed. The Holden Commodore was very much the face of the fuzz for generations, but now, with that chapter well and truly closed, our local boys in blue have not only have Skoda to play with, […]
The Famous 5 – Suzuki Jimny 5-Door Review
The Suzuki Jimny has been one of the most charming icons of the off-road world for many a moon. Its reputation as the “little off roader that could” has won it legions of fans. From farmers using them as a work tool to those who wanting something with a bucket of character which will hang […]
MiXing It Up- BMW iX1 xDrive 30 M Sport review
While the hubbub surrounding electric motoring may have diminished slightly, the BMW range still maintains a solid lineup of models which incorporate some form of electric drive, whether they be a PHEV (Plug In Hybrid) or BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle). Either way, many of these variants endowed with BMW’s electric “i” emblem have been proving […]