Toyota New Zealand Marks 60 Years as the Country’s Most Enduring Automotive Brand
Toyota New Zealand is celebrating six decades of operation in 2026, having grown from a modest Christchurch assembly plant into the country’s dominant vehicle brand.
The Legend of Sylvester – How a 1994 Hilux Became a Rescue Hero
Not all hero’s wear capes – Sylvester wears a canopy When it comes to volunteer rescue work, there are heroes, and then there’s Anton Romirer, a Taupō-based rescuer who’s spent the last 26 years proving that loyalty, grit, and a well-maintained Toyota Hilux can move mountains (or at least navigate through blizzards that make everyone […]
Dame Lisa Carrington shares her superstitions (and some toast)
There’s something oddly reassuring about meeting one of New Zealand’s greatest-ever athletes over breakfast. No stadium lights, no finish lines, no medals hanging around her neck, just coffee, toast, a room full of motoring media and the launch of the new Toyota RAV4. And yet, even in such a relaxed setting, Dame Lisa Carrington still […]
Quietly Confident: 2026 Toyota Hilux New Zealand Launch
To celebrate 50 years of Hilux in New Zealand, Toyota have launched a new generation and an EV but is it a lugger or a bugger?
Toyota’s GR Yaris Gets Track-Ready Aero Treatment – What is it and how much?
Toyota New Zealand has added a focused, motorsport-derived option to the GR Yaris line-up: the Aero Performance Package, a limited-run set of aerodynamic upgrades and driver-focused tweaks designed to sharpen stability, airflow management and driver feedback on both road and track. Priced from $61,990 driveaway and available to pre-order now in New Zealand, this package […]
Toyota Still New Zealand’s Most Trusted Car Brand – 21 Years Running (and Counting)
Toyota has just secured the top spot in Reader’s Digest New Zealand’s Most Trusted Car Brand for the 21st year in a row, a streak that speaks to more than just marketing, but to long-term reliability, local presence and a clear multi-pathway approach to lower-emission driving. Why Kiwis Keep Picking ToyotaKiwi owners voted in a […]
All-New Toyota RAV4 – NZ Launch and First Drive Review
Here at Tarmac Life, we go out of our way to bring you reviews. Case in point is the all-new Toyota RAV4 NZ launch and first review. Not only did I have to give up my weekend (and leave my loving family at home), but also travel over many kms of Kiwi road surfaces (some […]
Toyota NZ relaunches boat partnership
Toyota New Zealand has just renewed its marathon partnership with Emirates Team New Zealand, recommitting to a relationship that began in 1992 and now stretches across 34 years of high-performance sailing, grassroots development, and tech-first thinking, just in time for the defence of the 38th America’s Cup. This is a full-throttle celebration of Kiwi engineering, […]
Toyota NZ’s RAV4 Claims Crown as Nation’s Top-Selling Vehicle
Record-breaking sales, exciting new models, and a deepening community connection cement Toyota’s 38-year reign as New Zealand’s automotive leader For the 38th consecutive year, Toyota New Zealand has proven why it remains the country’s most trusted automotive brand. With a record-breaking 33,019 unit sales in 2025, the Japanese automotive giant shattered expectations in what was […]
Toyota Reshuffles the Deck – Century Goes Global, Lexus Gets Freedom, and What it Means for Kiwis
Toyota has just played its most significant strategic hand in decades. At the Japan Mobility Show 2025, the automotive giant unveiled a bold evolution, effectively deconstructing its monolithic identity into a powerful portfolio of five distinct marques. It’s a fundamental restructuring designed to sharpen the focus of each brand, from urban runabouts to a new […]