When you want one of the best-looking station wagons out there to have a little more pep than the base …full story
It’s a long time since I’ve driven a Nissan Pulsar. It was a second hand version of the hot GTi-R, …full story
The Captiva 7 is Holden’s seven-seat SUV that aims to provide comfortable driving with a smidgen of off-road nous at a competitive price.
While Holden is most widely recognised with its Commodore, the past few years it’s been building up a battalion of Cruze, Barina and Captiva models to flesh out its presence on the roads. The Colorado hasn’t made such an impact around the cities, and the Epica is long gone and best forgotten.
The Captiva is a car that you don’t Read the full story »
The iconic Mazda MX-5 is being upgraded with a number of new stylish features and we’ve got one coming in December (which we’re quite excited about).
Mazda New Zealand Managing Director, Andrew Clearwater says, “The Mazda team have been careful not to change the cars’ DNA that has impressed so many kiwi motorists since the MX-5 was first launched in New Zealand 23 years ago.”
“Its popularity here and abroad has resulted in the MX-5 securing a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for becoming the best-selling two-seater sports car in the world.”
“The changes we have made will make the driving experience even more enjoyable. New Zealanders love to put the top down for the great kiwi road trip and there’s no better car to experience it in than the MX-5,” says Clearwater.
The soft-top, with glass rear windscreen, remains one of the easiest opening and closing convertible roofs. The electric folding hard-top on the coupe takes only 12 seconds to open or close and continues to be one of the fastest in the market. In addition, the roof retracts into a separate area so it does not encroach on any boot space.
From September the MX-5 will see some functional design alterations, which include the reshaping of the front bumper, changes to the fog lamps and bezel surrounds along with a redesigned front grill.
A new exterior colour is added to the range with Dolphin Grey replacing the Metropolitan Grey of the previous MX-5 models. The facelift continues through to the luxury interior which has had a glossy dark grey garnish applied to the dashboard decoration panel, steering wheel and shift lever.
Mechanical upgrades have also been made to the MX-5 six speed manual models which have been fitted with a sportier throttle tuning. The upgrade will deliver more power and smoother handling. Retractable hard top owners will see upgraded dark gun metallic wheels, black headlamp bezel and a glossy dark grey garnish applied to the roll bars.
The new look MX-5 will be available in New Zealand in October 2012.
It’s not often you have the police to thanks for an insanely quick car being made even quicker. In this case it’s the French Gendarmes who requested a rapid response vehicle with a minimum of 265 horsepower. Renault obliged by taking its existing RS250 and squeezing another 15 horsepower out of it. That makes a total of 265hp or 195kW to you new-school hipsters.
So we said ‘merci’ to the Frenchies and took the Megane RS265 for a strop around the more twisty roads just out of Auckland. The fact that this car has done a lap of 8 minutes 8 seconds around Nurburgring will not be lost on you the first time you Read the full story »
Mazda will hold the world premiere of the refreshed Mazda CX-9 crossover SUV at the 2012 Australian International Motor Show.
Held in Sydney, the 2012 Australian International Motor Show begins October 18 and runs through to October 28, 2012. The 2013 CX-9 will be launched in New Zealand later this year.
Mazda CX-9 is an All-Wheel Drive crossover sport-utility SUV featuring a distinctive sporty appearance, a high-quality cabin, the flexibility of three-rows of seating, and Mazda’s exciting “Zoom-Zoom” driving dynamics. The current CX-9 has sold over 210,000 units* in 74 countries, including North America, Australia and New Zealand, as Mazda’s range-topping SUV.
Andrew Clearwater Managing Director Mazda New Zealand believes the new CX-9 will build on the popularity created by the previous model first launched in New Zealand in 2011.
“The CX-9 has proven to be ideal for New Zealand families that require a 7-seater vehicle capable of transporting many people and their associated gear – while still providing a fantastic driving experience. Exciting new features and an extended array of safety features will bring peace of mind for the whole family.
The new Mazda CX-9 carries over the utility and dynamic driving performance of the current model while adopting Mazda’s “KODO – Soul of Motion” design theme at the front and rear for even sportier styling and stronger presence. Enhancements in craftsmanship and interior design further the feeling of quality and refinement. With regard to equipment, the infotainment system features the latest audio, navigation and Bluetooth systems. In addition, advanced active-safety features, such as Forward Obstruction Warning System, Lane Departure Warning System, and High Beam Control System, help drivers recognize and avoid danger.
As with the current model, the new CX-9 features the MZI 3.7-liter V6 engine and a six-speed automatic transmission for powerful and refined driving pleasure.
The all-new Mazda6 will also make its Australasian premiere in Sydney. It is the second of Mazda’s new generation of products that adopt the full range of SKYACTIV technologies and the KODO – Soul of Motion design theme. It is the first model to be equipped with Mazda’s unique brake energy regeneration system, i-ELOOP.
Kia Motors may be planning a surprise for 2013 by unveiling a cabriolet version of its chic Soul urban crossover.
A drop-top Soul, based on the Track’ster concept vehicle that wowed crowds at the Chicago Motor show earlier this year is being tipped to star at the Detroit show in January.
The Track’ster was a sporting three-door styling exercise to indicate what the next generation of the Kia Soul might look like and that body configuration would make an ideal base for a convertible or cabriolet, unlike the current Soul, which is a five-door hatch.
Kia’s Chief Design Officer Peter Schreyer has been keen to explore the performance aspect of the brand, which was a factor behind the creation of the Track’ster, hinting at a possible future three-door Kia Soul GT model.
Schreyer has also made no secret of his dream to see the company build a sporty convertible car, which would make an ideal stablemate to a performance-based Soul. Kia has already created a convertible concept of the Soul, which was shown at the Detroit Motor back in 2009, called the Soul’ster and built on the current platform, but a production cabrio would be likely to go onto the next generation underpinnings.
Todd McDonald, General Manager of Kia Motors New Zealand, says there have been lots of rumours surrounding Soul Cabrio and Soul GT models but time will tell if the company makes them a reality.
“The hints have been there in the concept versions of the Soul over the last three years and it would be great to see the Soul developed further – it is a car with enormous potential,” says Mr McDonald.
The Kia Soul (read road test) made its debut at the Paris Motor Show in 2008 and launched in New Zealand the following year. Currently the Soul is available as a five-door model with 1.6-litre CVVT engine and six-speed automatic transmission, priced from $30,490.
Porsche is introducing a high performance diesel model to its Cayenne range in the form of the Cayenne S Diesel.
The 4.2-litre eight-cylinder engine with twin turbo chargers produces 281 kW of power and maximum torque of 850 Nm. This thrusts the new Cayenne S Diesel to top marks in both dynamic performance and efficiency.
The new diesel completes the 0-100 km/h sprint in 5.7 seconds on its way to a 252 km/h top speed, while fuel consumption is just 8.3 litres per 100 km (CO2: 218 g/km). One factor contributing to this excellent value is the auto start/stop function – the Cayenne S Diesel the only SUV with a diesel V8 to offer this functionality.
The driving experience of the newest addition to the Cayenne range is typically Porsche, combining an emotional V8 engine sound with punchy, smooth performance.
The Cayenne S Diesel features PTM active all-wheel drive, tuned to give the driving qualities of a rear-wheel drive. The front wheels only intervene to provide drive when extra stability and traction are needed. Optional Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus) adds further dynamics to the SUV’s already excellent sporty handling.
The deep reserves of torque of the V8 engine of the Cayenne S Diesel are well suited to towing; the SUV earning a 3.5 tonne towing capacity. It also takes on the role of a long-distance champion: based on its NEDC fuel consumption the Cayenne S Diesel with its 100-litre fuel tank (standard for New Zealand) can be driven a distance of about 1,200 km without having to stop to refuel.
The new top diesel model has the same sporty exterior and hardware as the V8 petrol Cayenne S. The brake system, for example, has been sized to handle the car’s output and is identified by its silver brake calipers. The black fins at the front end emphasise the open air inlets. As on the Cayenne Diesel, the “diesel” badges at the front guards identify the type of V8 power while the model badge at the rear identifies it as a Cayenne S.
New Zealand deliveries will commence around April of 2013 with local specification and pricing to be announced shortly.
There’s a lot of choice in the mid-sized SUV range and you can spend some significant dollars getting what you want. However, Holden has introduced the Captiva 5 Series II which starts at $38,490 for the manual gearbox, 2.4-litre petrol, two-wheel drive model – a price that, on the face of it, seems to represent good value for money.
Our test model, though is the 2.2-litre turbodiesel version which is four-wheel drive. It will set you back a tenner under forty-five grand. This doesn’t seem like such good value. Let me explain why. Read the full story »
The new Fiesta will be on stage tomorrow in Amsterdam at Ford’s special “Go Further” product event hosted by Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally and attended by 2,500 dealers.
New Fiesta delivers an advanced package of technologies including voice-activated in-car connectivity system Ford SYNC. Making its way to the Asia Pacific and Africa region, it will also be equipped with the acclaimed 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine to deliver expected best-in-class fuel economy.
“Fiesta has been one of the world’s best-loved small cars across five decades, and the sporty appeal of the last generation Fiesta inspired real passion among global compact car customers, contributing to its status as the world’s most successful small car,” said Martin Smith, Ford of Europe executive design director. “We had to keep that vital part of Fiesta’s make-up – but we also wanted to give it a more sophisticated look.”
The new Fiesta marks the latest chapter in the journey of the popular small car. Ford launched the first Fiesta in 1976 and has since sold more than 15 million models around the world. New Fiesta features design cues inspired by the latest Ford global design language and concept vehicles.
The Fiesta’s face is dominated by a trapezoidal front grille, bracketed by laser-cut headlamps with daytime running lamps that use LED technology, and features a power-dome bonnet design. The redesigned Fiesta also delivers a harmonious and ergonomically optimised interior.
Fiesta follows Ford’s approach of democratising technology – bringing advanced features to a greater number of drivers.
Ford SYNC in-car connectivity system delivers an unprecedented level of connectivity, enabling owners to voice-activate phone calls and music selection from devices connected via Bluetooth or USB.
The 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine is the 2012 “International Engine of the Year” and is expected to deliver best-in-class fuel economy.
Ford will reveal more details about the new European Fiesta range at the Paris Motor Show in September.