This time last year Hyundai NZ general manager Andy Sinclair said he expected the company’s new Genesis sedan to be awarded the maximum five stars for safety under the Australiasian New Car Assessment Programme. “Fifty-one per cent of the car has high-tensile steel – we expect its crash test result to be very high,” he said. Sinclair therefore was hardly surprised when the … [Read more...] about Hyundai sets new crash safety benchmark with Genesis sedan
Opening the door to new SUV and something Lexus NZ missed
Luxury Japanese carmaker Lexus is claiming a world-first patent for the design of the door handles on its new SUV, the hybrid NX – but you won’t find a word about it in the New Zealand press release. The Lexus marketing people at parent Toyota’s compound in Palmerston North somehow overlooked the ground-breaking design, which reportedly took engineers in Japan three years to … [Read more...] about Opening the door to new SUV and something Lexus NZ missed
Mitsubishi sales up 20 per cent as market heads for record year
Three results from October sales stand out in what is shaping as a record year for new vehicles: Mitsubishi numbers are running around 20 per cent up on last year and 42 per cent on 2010; Hyundai will finish in the top three for passenger cars for the second year running; and the Ford Ranger will unseat the Toyota Hilux as the country’s long-standing workhorse of … [Read more...] about Mitsubishi sales up 20 per cent as market heads for record year
Golf R wagon on Volkswagen NZ’s wish list
Volkswagen’s Golf R hatchback is to be joined by a Golf R station wagon – but it is not known yet if the new go-fast variant will be available in New Zealand. The pictures here show for the first time the production version of the all-wheel-drive load-lugger testing on the Nurburgring circuit in Germany. It is expected to go public at the Essen motor show in December before … [Read more...] about Golf R wagon on Volkswagen NZ’s wish list
NZ luxury sales market: more cut and thrust as Benz flies high
However you slice and dice the numbers the luxury vehicle segment in New Zealand is at its most competitive for some years, helped by the overall hot sales market and the expanded range of new models. Motor Industry Association figures for September had the main players – Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz – neck-and-neck on sales of passenger vehicles (cars and SUVS): Audi 184, … [Read more...] about NZ luxury sales market: more cut and thrust as Benz flies high