The Beetle, the car that made Volkswagen a household name and carried it through the 20th century, is dead – it is to be killed off after the current generation ends production. The VW distributor in New Zealand is expected to soon announce when the VW factory in Mexico will stop production of right-hand-drive Beetles for the NZ market. The car’s demise was confirmed by … [Read more...] about Volkswagen kills off Beetle, the car that made it famous
Volkswagen's Piech
At long last – Honda NZ to launch hybrid NSX supercar
Honda will launch its NSX supercar in New Zealand in a couple of months – three years after it told prospective buyers to expect the hybrid petrol-electric, all-wheel-drive two-door in 2016. It was January 2015 when Honda NZ managing director Nobuya Sonada opened the order book, saying he would have the NSX “from next year.” He added: “The NSX is part of Honda’s DNA and we … [Read more...] about At long last – Honda NZ to launch hybrid NSX supercar
Nissan reworks Navara ute to kick-start static sales
The sales figures over the past two-and-a-half years tell the story of why Nissan needed to make improvements to its D23 Navara ute, marketed in New Zealand as the NP300. The one-tonner’s sales have been down year-on-year since its launch here in June 2015. Navara registrations in 2016 were down 1.7 per cent on 2015; 2017 were down 1.2 per cent on 2016. It is not a … [Read more...] about Nissan reworks Navara ute to kick-start static sales
New Hyundai SUV warns of cyclists approaching from rear
Pictured here is the fourth-generation Hyundai Santa Fe SUV, due to go on sale in New Zealand this year and with a safety system tailored in the interests of cyclists. ‘Safety exit assist’ (SEA) is bundled in Hyundai’s ‘SmartSense’ system, which includes the familiar autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, radar cruise control and lane assist … [Read more...] about New Hyundai SUV warns of cyclists approaching from rear
New-look Outback, Legacy to benefit from Subaru’s 91% sales hike
Subaru NZ’s sales success in the past five years puts it among the top five nameplates in terms of passenger car growth, behind leader Kia and ahead of Mitsubishi, Mazda, and Honda. In 2013, Subaru registered 1748 new vehicles, according to Motor Industry Association (MIA) figures. Last year it registered 3340 – that’s growth in the years 2013-2017 of 91 per cent. Only … [Read more...] about New-look Outback, Legacy to benefit from Subaru’s 91% sales hike