Like the US military’s Stinger missile, the Kia Stinger liftback (above) has made a similarly explosive impact on the car market in New Zealand. In all likelihood Kia will register around 100 Stinger models before the end of January. It has reportedly already sold 90. Kia Motors NZ general manager Todd McDonald was his usual reticent self about unofficial sales figures. … [Read more...] about Kia aura – Stinger hits mark as new hybrid SUV appears
Volkswagen's Piech
Mazda rotary engine serves as generator for Toyota EVs
Toyota is to equip its future self-driving electric cars (EV) with Mazda’s rotary engine – as a generator to charge the battery and extend the operating range. Mazda patented the use of the rotary as a generator some time ago and last used the layout in the 2013 Mazda 2 RE prototype. Mazda North America chief Masahiro Moro told news agency Bloomberg the rotary engine was … [Read more...] about Mazda rotary engine serves as generator for Toyota EVs
Numbers game: the real story behind record 2017 sales year
If you believe the public relations guff, every distributor in New Zealand last year sold record numbers of new vehicles. But that wasn’t the case. Okay, it was an overall record year, with 159,871 new vehicle registrations. But quite a few brands didn’t do as well as the PR people claim. Press releases saying this or that distributor is gearing up in 2018 to meet rapidly … [Read more...] about Numbers game: the real story behind record 2017 sales year
SsangYong SUV advertising is ‘misleading’, says Mitsubishi
A complaint by Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand (MMNZ) about a rival distributor’s new vehicle warranty will go before the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). Lawyers for MMNZ wrote to SsangYong importer Great Lake Motor Distributors (GLMD) on December 6 demanding it “immediately cease” by December 8 advertising that the SsangYong G4 Rexton SUV (above) has a “class-leading … [Read more...] about SsangYong SUV advertising is ‘misleading’, says Mitsubishi
Ford Guards colour of Mustang honouring 1968 movie Bullitt
So, Ford has produced a 2018 Mustang in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the classic car chase movie, Bullitt. Same colour as the Mustang GT Fastback used in the 1968 blockbuster, too – Dark Highland Green. A little background here. In March 2016, my partner Janine decided she would like to buy the Ford Mustang that New Zealand motoring drivers were testing. It had … [Read more...] about Ford Guards colour of Mustang honouring 1968 movie Bullitt