Ute sales in the first four months of 2014 pointed to the Ford Ranger doing the unthinkable – overtaking the Toyota Hilux as New Zealand’s No. 1 workhorse. Won’t happen, said the industry pundits. You watch, they said, Hilux will still be No.1 at the end of the year. But Ranger’s odds of an upset looked good after four months. So good that I penned for these pages back then … [Read more...] about The ballad of Hilux and Ranger – new models add to rivalry
Volkswagen rolls out the ‘Grand’ version of California campervan
If ever there was a perfect time to launch a new range of campervans this is it, says Kevin Richards, the manager of the commercial arm of Volkswagen NZ. Why? Because New Zealanders are being encouraged to shake off the cobwebs of covid-19 confinement and hit the road to help the economy get going again. And, says Richards (pictured below), what better way to do so than … [Read more...] about Volkswagen rolls out the ‘Grand’ version of California campervan
Aston Martin design moves up a gear into luxury houses
Aston Martin might be best known for its luxury sports cars, but, like many of its rival automotive companies, it routinely takes part in third-party projects. Examples are the chronograph watch (pictured) it did with Swiss company TAG Heuer, the ACH130 helicopter with Airbus, the Brough Superior motorcycle, and the single malt whisky with Islay distiller Bowmore. And … [Read more...] about Aston Martin design moves up a gear into luxury houses
Skyactiv-X: 16 years on, Mazda paints another picture of itself
In February 2004 I wrote this in the NZ Herald: ‘In the 1980s and 90s, Mazda pretty much went from one conservative passenger car to another, with the exception of the brilliant MX-5 sports car. ‘Its mainstream models were well built but largely lifeless. An outsider could be forgiven for thinking that Mazda executives wore cardigans, carried cut lunches and sat around … [Read more...] about Skyactiv-X: 16 years on, Mazda paints another picture of itself
Kia lines up seven new EVs as global battery market powers up
The global battery market to power EVs and consumer electronics and to store renewable energy on power grids will be worth about $NZ175 billion a year by 2030, up from around $NZ42 billion now, according to Bloomberg research. South Korea is one of the countries leading the way in developing the technology for the EV era. The others are China and Japan. By 2025 all three … [Read more...] about Kia lines up seven new EVs as global battery market powers up