Range and oomph (but not in the same model) – Toyota bZ4X review
A short while ago, I attended the local launch of Toyota’s (almost) first all-electric vehicle (there was an electric RAV in ‘97 and again in 2012), the BZ4X. It was good to test it out for the day, but how would it fare under a week’s scrutiny? Toyota gave me both the 2WD Pure and […]
Easy rider – Toyota bZ4X first drive review
Despite its obvious significance, the NZ launch of the all-electric Toyota bZ4X was less fanfare and more of an ‘ease into it’, which as it turns out, was exactly what the all-new BEV was all about – an exceptional driving experience that feels familiar and intuitive. “Modern Day launches are quite bizarre, compared to how […]
GR8 Expectations – Toyota GR86 Review
I can remember when Toyota first lifted the lid on the Toyota 86. We didn’t get it here until around 2012 but boy was there a lot of hype. Here was a sports car made to bring back the fun to Toyota. Not to mention conjure up flashbacks of classic AE86 Levins and Turenos drifting […]
Rocking ‘rolla – Toyota GR Corolla review
The Toyota Corolla has been a crowd pleaser for the masses ever since it first rolled off the production line in 1966. To me it’s a non-threatening nameplate that’s in many ways ‘satisfyingly vanilla’ in its performance and appearance (this is a good thing) and as such an easy choice when looking for a rental […]
Feeling Cross – Toyota Corolla Cross Limited AWD Review
For some time, Toyota have been getting very cross with their own range. By “cross” of course I don’t mean seething with anger at their own models, but by adding crossover SUV variants of their already immensely popular superminis and family hatchbacks. You only need look at the likes of the C-HR and recent Yaris […]
Great wide open – Toyota Hilux 4WD SR5 Cruiser Wide Track review
Into the great wide open, is a song by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It’s the story of a guy named Eddie who moves to Los Angeles, meets a girl and becomes a rock star. It’s a rune about life’s struggles but that there’s always possibility, as the ‘future is wide open’. Why am I […]
2023 Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival
Attending an event where you watch people thrash their 40+year old vehicle within an inch of its life on the racetrack, to then seeing (often the same people) polish their car’s paintwork with a finish that would outshine the sun, you realise that there is something borderline fanatical, about Toyota’s fan base. Now in its […]
Terrific Toybox – Toyota GR Supra Manual review
It’s fair to say that we’re all pretty impressed with the new GR Supra. It’s got the looks, the power and even the tech to keep us all entertained, but not a manual gearbox, that is until now. Yes my friends, the new ‘beemerfied’ Toyota GR Supra now comes with a 6-speed manual transmission and […]
Toyota’s vision of a cleaner climate for NZ and beyond
According to Toyota New Zealand there has recently been a rewiring of the automotive industry that’s causing both a real challenge and a massive opportunity. Climate change is obviously the main driving force, however Toyota feels that the behaviour of the consumer is still evolving and government policies are ‘mixed’. “The last three years have […]
GR8ty six – new Toyota GR86 review NZ
Brand new, compact 2+2 seater, front-engined, rear wheel drive sportscars are becoming a rarity on NZ roads, especially ones with a manual gearbox, but the second generation of the Hachi-Roku (86) is here, and thankfully, Toyota New Zealand let us give it a blast. The Toyota 86, (or GT86 here in NZ) was originally released […]
