It’s not new, but it’s a bit understated and flies under the radar, so when you add the trim designation ‘Takami’ after CX-5, you lose most people right there. Which is a bit of a shame really, because when Mazda dropped the Turbocharged 2.5 litre SkyactivT motor into the CX-5, they...
Most times when we get a new vehicle to drive, the first thing we start to think about is where we can take it to get it off the tarseal. Ute, SUV, or full-size 4WD, that’s always the plan. The new Mazda CX30 GTX has been a little different. Doing a bit of advance reading on the CX30, the...
On the weekend of the announcement of the imminent demise of the Pajero, it seemed a bit poignant to be out testing the Pajero Sport that will inherit the title of King of the Mitsubishi SUV Range. It’s not quite a full-size four-wheel drive in today’s terms, but it is bigger than the...
Today is the day. The media blackout has lifted, the all-new Land-Rover Defender is here in New Zealand, and available for test drives. It is just a stunning piece of machinery, and its DNA is obviously Land Rover. Sometimes you just want something so bad it hurts! I had the privilege of...
Let’s just come right out at the beginning, and admit we had a ball with the Outlander PHEV. We went into this test a bit blind, we don’t get to drive many hybrids, possibly because there haven’t been many available here. So, we didn’t have expectations really, more anticipation. That...
I still recall my first experience in an Outlander. We used it as a ‘support car’ at an early Mamaku Winch Challenge, and though it looked wildly out of place, it did its job really well. And that’s what I thought about the latest iteration of Mitsubishi’s mid-size SUV. Not that it looked...
It’s been described as looking a bit like a “transformer” and it’s looks have certainly transformed its personal style, from a meek and mild company vehicle, into a bit of a head turner tough guy. With most of that style change occurring from the cab forward, maybe it’s more like a...
Motoring journalists all around the world have been impressed by the new Suzuki Jimny since its release. And after a weekend using the Jimny as a camera car at the Tararua Winch Challenge, we agree. Sure it gets knocked for its lack of highway sophistication, but that’s almost exclusively...
The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross XLS is a compact crossover that really delivered when we took it out to explore the Orari Gorge just north of Geraldine.
Our first impression of the new Ranger Raptor that Ford supplied for us to use as an arrow recovery vehicle for the 2019 Motu Safari was, well, impressed.
