I didn’t drive all the cars that figured in the numerous car of the year awards in New Zealand late last year, but the ones that left a lasting impression are listed here. They are opinions, that’s all. Like Dirty Harry, aka Clint Eastwood, said, “Everybody’s got one.” Of course he wasn’t just talking about opinions. Elon Musk didn’t invent the EV, but he can be credited … [Read more...] about Memory lane: vehicles that had something about them in 2017
Volkswagen's Piech
Holden NZ’s $50m injection into future with the new Commodore
Holden has used the official unveiling of the new German-built Commodore range to outline its $50 million investment into the future of the brand in New Zealand. The asset boost includes 16 new builds, among them the Auckland-based Holden Training Academy for the carmaker’s 1400 NZ staff, and upgrades to the brand’s 51 outlets around the country. It also includes … [Read more...] about Holden NZ’s $50m injection into future with the new Commodore
A line-up of electric vehicles, some of them for NZ market
The public relations hype claims New Zealanders are buying Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) and Battery-Electric Vehicles (BEVs) at a rate faster than Europeans. Whatever, the electric vehicle (EV) numbers in this country are indeed growing. Here’s a brief look at current and future EVs. Tesla began Model 3 (above) production last August and planned to ramp it up to … [Read more...] about A line-up of electric vehicles, some of them for NZ market
Jeep heads into Aussie bush to give new Wrangler hard time
Jeep has been testing the new JL Wrangler in the harsh Australian Outback, focusing on suspension calibration and hot weather engine performance. The programme follows trials in New Zealand late last year where a handful of US motoring writers put JL Wrangler prototypes over high-country stations near Queenstown. American engineers Bernie Trautmann and John Adams set up … [Read more...] about Jeep heads into Aussie bush to give new Wrangler hard time
Hilux-Ranger rivalry: a new ute here, a new ute there
The cynics will say it’s more than coincidence, Toyota or Ford seemingly coming up with new variants of the Hilux or Ranger utes every time one or the other hogs the headlines. On the same day this week that Ford NZ grabbed all sorts of media attention with the launch of the Ranger Raptor, saying it would land here later this year, Toyota revealed its latest special-edition … [Read more...] about Hilux-Ranger rivalry: a new ute here, a new ute there