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Favoured ute boasts big fuel savings
With the market for light trucks in New Zealand at around 20% of the total market for new vehicles, it’s no surprise the major vehicle manufacturers have large budgets to get their products in front of...
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Track through 50 countries
We all know it’s easy to make money selling cars: get a clever geek to design something using CAD, build it, sell lots, bank the money and live the life of Riley with a bevy of dusky maidens, or...
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Latest Navara proves old adage of working smarter not harder
No longer able to claim the coveted ‘most powerful in class’ tag for the Navara, Nissan has instead grabbed best-in-class fuel efficiency and power-to-weight ratio for its new NP300 Navara ute. Nissan...
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New Triton will shake things up
As a dedicated SUV driver who likes the elevated seating position to do a little ‘over the hedge’ farming, the thought of picking up a loan Mitsubishi Triton from dealer Piako Motors, Morrinsville, and...
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Hybrid car comes of age
Firstly, in my defence, I’m a 1970s petrolhead who knew his way around Cortina, Capri and Weber carburettors no problem, so a trip to the Toyota dealers to pick up a loan Camry Hybrid shouldn’t have...
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Old favourite hits the mark
We've all got one, whether it’s the old t-shirt from the seventies, the old shoes even after the puppy chewed them, or that favourite spade with the handle taped up. The only problem is ensuring that...
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Still turning many heads
The saying goes “the only good thing to come out of Birmingham (UK) is the M6 motorway”, but just a few miles down the road in the heart of the Industrial Revolution, is Solihull, the home of the Land...
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Kiwis love SUVs
Acronyms Abound: it’s no surprise that sales of SUV’s have risen PDQ in NZ. SUV sales growth has averaged 27% per annum for five years, and industry pundits predict they will account for half of all...
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Staying true to 4WD
With around one third of New Zealand roads unsealed, no surprise that drivers like utes, crossovers and SUV’s. On a trip to a bach or a cross country trek to a favourite fishing spot, these vehicles...
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Thoroughbred ute will cut it in town, country
Large passenger vehicles seem to lost favour in suburbia, giving way to utes as the macho movers and shakers. With this acceptance, car companies have seen a demand for more car-like creature comforts...
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Keeping rivals intrigued
The man from Volvo NZ said "would you like to review our XC 90?", and after driving one for a week the review is pretty straightforward: I want one! The original XC90 sold in large numbers for Volvo,...
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Toyota Hi-Lux shows its hand
The light truck market is 20% of the new car market in New Zealand, and the Toyota Hi-Lux has held top position for 27 years. Come December 1 a range of 21 models will be launched and the prices have...
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Good looking ute suits farm and town
Large passenger vehicles seem to have gone out of favour as the march of the once humble ute seems to move on into suburbia as the macho mover and shaker. With this acceptance, car companies have seen...
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NZ’s favourite ute upgrade worth the wait
It wouldn't be speaking out of turn to call the Toyota Hi-Lux New Zealand's favourite ute. Admittedly some – particularly those who love the blue oval – will claim bragging rights for the last couple...
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Prado proves not all 4WDs have gone soft on the road
When it comes to four wheel drives the ubiquitous Toyota Land Cruiser has been around for 60 years, and the Prado variant for the last twenty. Recently SUV has become the by-word for a new class of...
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Giant grey wolf hunts alone
Utes or pick-ups, as they are known in the northern hemisphere, don't have the following they have in these southern climes... So it's interesting to see a famous European badge appear in the NZ top...
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Bang-up SUV just what they want
As the top selling model for Kia Motors, the arrival of the 2016 Sportage SUV is timely considering New Zealand's current love affair with this type of vehicle. Drawing on a pedigree that saw the...
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Fortuner will find favour with farmers
With SUV sales increasing by 20% in 2015 over 2014 it's no surprise to see Toyota NZ increase its offering from six to seven models with the arrival of the new Fortuner. Aimed at the upper-middle end...
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Bobby dazzler SUV continues to impress
Interestingly, on my first visit to NZ in 2001 my first hire car was a Rav4, picked up at Christchurch for a whistle-stop tour of Canterbury to Southland and back in three days. Fifteen years later the...
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Understated Mitsi makes an impression
The latest Outlander from Mitsubishi has a softer, more conservative look than its predecessor. The panels seem less angular by flowing into one another and the jagged edges seem to have been removed....
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