Mazda’s newest snazzy crossover, the CX-30, is due on New Zealand shores in March so in preparation of the CX-30’s New Zealand launch, Mazda Japan kindly gave me the keys to on in Japan for a few days to get a taste of what it’s like. The variant I got was the 2.0-litre Skyactiv-G petrol with AWD and, wait for it, a...
The all-new Ford Puma will go on sale in New Zealand in the second half of 2020.Sourced from Europe, Ford says the Puma is an all-new urban SUV with fresh design, practicality and technology. Arriving alongside the new-generation 2020 Ford Escape, together the Puma and Escape will bring Kiwi customers greater choice through Ford’s...
We've been a fan of the Impreza here at DriveLife. Priced at $29,990 for an AWD station wagon with Subaru's Eyesight technology, that includes adaptive cruise control? It has always been a bargain.When we last tested it in 2017, we gave it a thumbs up and a 3.5 chevron rating.Now, Subaru’s Impreza has undergone a cosmetic...
A few months ago Fred got to spend time behind the wheel of the Mercedes-Benz GLE 300d. With little to dislike about it, Fred gave it top marks, 5 chevrons. Not long after, I was booked in to review the GLE 400d. I was keen to see if the 400d would rate as well and if the $10,000 difference is worth it?The RangeThe Mercedes-Benz...
DriveLife reviewed the Audi Q8 in February 2019, and liked it a lot, giving it a 4.5-Chevron rating. The Q8 has stunning looks and it reeks of luxury – hence, it won our 2019 Luxury Car of the Year award.With a 210kW/600Nm twin-turbo V6 diesel, it didn’t really seem like the Q8 needed more power or torque. Audi New Zealand...
When the Lexus RC F first burst on to the stage with its thumping old-school 5-litre V8 as a Japanese alternative to the likes of the BMW M4, Mercedes-AMG C63 Coupe, and Audi RS5 it was always seen as a left-field choice. Reviewers said it was a bit of a blunt compared to its Teutonic rivals with its weight being the biggest...
Let’s play an automotive word association game. If I say ‘EV’ what car comes to mind? You probably said Tesla or Leaf. Alright next one, what if I said ‘sports car’? A Porsche 911 perhaps, Mazda MX-5? Easy enough. Right, last one. What about ‘hybrid’? I’m sure 9/10 of you would’ve said Prius and for good reason. Ever...
The V12 Aston Martin DB11 is dead. If you want a DB11 you’re stuck wit the AMG-sourced 4-litre twin-turbo V8. That’s not the worst thing in the world, it’s still a wonderful engine and Aston’s exhaust tuning still makes it sound quintessentially Aston. Except, that’s not entirely true because the DB11 AMR exists....
Cadillac was synonymous with American luxury. For many, mention Cadillac and images of land yachts with tail fins and bright pastel colours come to mind. An icon of post-war Americana and the epitome of Western opulence and excess. It was to America what Mercedes-Benz was to Germany and what Rolls-Royce was to...
Another year, another Tokyo Auto Salon done and dusted. This year was pretty much like every other year, lots of wide body kits, plenty of slammed and stance cars, and a plethora of new Toyota Supras. Suffice to say TAS2020 was the year of the Supra.However, while most of the coverage from TAS was on the glitz and glamour of the...
Trumpeted as the answer to the future of personal transport, the Tesla Model 3 is a car we’ve been waiting for. Customers in New Zealand have had deposits paid for years, and finally production has ramped up, and cars are starting to flow into the country.The Model 3 has made it into the New Zealand Car of the Year top 10, and we...
2019 was another great year, with DriveLife bringing you yet more cars to consider, each with a full-length review. You know we don’t do things in halves; each car gets a solid number of words written about it, so you know if it will be the car for you, or not. We have over 350 reviews currently, and we are looking forward to breaking...
Ford Ranger FX4 Bi-Turbo Special Edition joins MY2020.25 line up with smart, distinctive identity, and offered in either 4WD or 2WDThe return of the Ranger FX4 to the line-up, now with the Bi-Turbo powertrain as standard, brings customers a Ranger that combines upgrades with greater enhancement and individualisation for a more...
Škoda Superb upgraded with new technologies, refined design and new model line-upDrivelife is a fan of the Skoda Superb - a highly-respected car by any standrds. We tested it last in in 2016 in a wagon, and rated it a full five-chevron car. It really is that good.Now, three and a half years after the launch of the third...
DriveLife went to the launch of the 2019 Ford Focus Active, and found it to be an enjoyable extension of the normal Focus. A great chassis, that sweet-sounding 1.5-litre Ecoboost engine, a well finished interior. There wasn’t too much not to like.But that was just for a few days. What happens when you spend a few weeks with the...
A mainstay of Toyota SUVs, the RAV4 has now hit its fifth generation. After 25 years, we get an all-new from the ground-up car.Built on the Toyota New Global Architecture platform, this is the first hybrid Toyota SUV, although we got sent a 2.5-litre non-hybrid to test out. Hopefully we’ll get a hybrid at a later date.Toyota...
Back in 2016, we got a chance to test the bonkers A45 AMG, 2016 Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG – Car Review – Track Focused Breeding. To say that hot hatch was a hardcore vehicle was putting it lightly. In light of this and hearing the news that the A45 would be replaced with the A35, I was keen to see what it would be like. It was hard to...
We tested the Hyundai i30N this year and loved it. Not quite as raw as the Honda Civic Type R, but still a barrel of fun.Now Hyundai New Zealand has extended its N range with the all-new Hyundai i30 Fastback N. This new design of the i30 Fastback combines the performance and fun-to-drive features of the i30 N five-door.“The...
We loved the Hyundai i30N when we tested it. A little raw, exciting, 202kW of power, and a manual gearbox – there wasn’t much not to love.At $54,990, the i30N is hot on the heels of the Honda Type R, which retails at $59,990. Is there a market for a less-powered, i30N wannabe? Hyundai thinks so, and has launched the $43,990...
The Q2 is Audi’s crossover SUV, which I reviewed a couple of years ago and said it was good, but not great. Now Audi have given it the S treatment, adding more luxury, more toys, and of course more power. Would the SQ2 improve my opinion of Audi’s smallest SUV? I drove one for a weekend to find out.The...
