A corker of an EV – Mazda MX-30 review
Car maker Mazda has come a long way since it first started out producing corks in 1920 (Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd). Over the years it’s created machine tools, rickshaws and three-wheelers, bubble-sized cars, sports cars, SUVs, rotary engines, fuel-efficient petrol and diesel engines, even petrol engines that act like diesel engines! Well now, with […]
Fresh faced and effervescent – 2021 Audi SQ2 review
Launched around 2016, (my how time flies) the compact crossover Q2 brought Audi’s luxury SUV style and pizzaz to the inner city. With strong family ties in terms of exterior design and carrying the brand’s know-how on cabin prestige, the Q2 offered head-turning presence and a flair for fashion. Of course Audi also has a […]
Plugged in to Activity – 2021 BMW X3 30e PHEV review
It’s fair to say that BMW do SAVs (Sports Activity Vehicles) well and on top of that, the heavily sustainable car maker is damn good at producing EVs too. So let’s face it, a PHEV X3 was always going to be on the cards. The X3 30e is the 3rd PHEV in the brand’s current […]
French hospitality – 2021 Renault Koleos Review
The Renault Koleos boasts heaps of space, heaps of comfort and an inimitable sense of French hospitality – well there’s a new model in town and Renault NZ let me take the Intens AWD model for a spin. Admittedly, it’d been a while since I’d been behind the wheel of a Renault Koleos (which was […]
Robust and Rugged Renault – Renault Duster Review
With a nameplate that dates back to the 80s and a previous generation of experience to draw from, the French/Romanian love child that is the Duster is now in New Zealand and we took a closer look. If we were reviewing the new Duster in the Northern Hemisphere then the badge on the nose would […]
2021 Jaguar F-Pace – First Drive
The invitation from Jaguar NZ read ‘launch event 10pm – 12am’ and I assumed it was a typo – but no, thanks to multiple experiences and positive feedback from Hong Kong, a night time launch is apparently the ideal way to experience a Jaguar F-Pace in the environment that it is frequently driven – the […]
One happy mixer – Kia Stonic review
A close friend of mine suggested that I title this piece Super-Stonic and in many ways Kia New Zealand’s plucky new compact hatch fits this label, it’s crammed full of modern tech, handles nicely and is easy on the eye so very super. But I do have some reservations about the engine. Stonic is a […]
Family Favourite – 4th Gen Hyundai Santa Fe review
Whether it’s for Christmas, Easter, special occasions or just ‘because’, when the Cadbury Favourites are broken out there’s a guaranteed treat for the whole family. And that’s exactly what sprung to mind when Hyundai New Zealand gave me the keys to their 4th Generation Santa Fe. Ok, so it’s not ‘bite-sized’ but it’s a treat […]
Citrus Sport: Subaru Forester X Sport Review
When I saw the new Subaru Forester X Sport for the first time, my first thought was something along the lines of “wow, that is a lot of orange.” The Forester in this guise has been with us for some time, so it was inevitable for Subaru to give it a mid-life refresh, though I […]
Hyundai Palisade, a high flying flagship
Hyundai New Zealand already has quite the range of SUVs in their line up, from the small Venue to its segment leading Santa Fe, well we’ve just attended the launch of their new Palisade and it’s big – so was the launch. The Palisade was created in part to appeal to the very critical and […]
