Audi New Zealand general manager Dean Sheed says he’d be silly not to take the new RS3 sedan. “I haven’t been offered it yet, but it’s a no-brainer,” he said. He expects it to land late next year and to add to an impressive statistic: New Zealand has the highest percentage of Audi RS sales in the world. “It’s 12 per cent – we sell 100 cars and 12 will have an RS badge on … [Read more...] about Audi RS3 sedan: it’s a no-brainer for NZ
Volkswagen's Piech
SUV headlights leave safety watchdog in the dark
The headlights on many popular SUVs are inadequate, says American motoring watchdog the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). It tested 21 models and only four received an ‘acceptable’ rating. The headlights in the other 17 were either ‘poor’ or ‘marginable.’ See the video below. The best performing headlights belonged to the Mazda CX-3, said the IIHS. The SUV … [Read more...] about SUV headlights leave safety watchdog in the dark
Citroen’s pillowy suspension system gone but not forgotten
It’s the end of the line in New Zealand for the mid-sized Citroen C5 range – and with it goes one of the motoring world’s best innovations, the hydro-pneumatic suspension system. The slow-selling C5 and Peugeot 508 sedan and wagon have been discontinued and will be replaced next year by altogether new models. “We’ve run out of C5 – same with 508,” said Peugeot-Citroen NZ … [Read more...] about Citroen’s pillowy suspension system gone but not forgotten
Hyundai’s go-faster N range heads towards fuel-cell powertrains
Hyundai is counting down to its first N car, a sub-brand along the lines of the high-performance Mercedes-AMG and the BMW M divisions. But, like the high-end Germans, it admits hybrid and fuel-cell technology will ultimately become the powertrains of choice. Hyundai has the components it needs for a hybrid with its Ioniq model, a range of hatchbacks offering … [Read more...] about Hyundai’s go-faster N range heads towards fuel-cell powertrains
June sales best since 1984 and the end of Muldoon’s reign as PM
Registrations of new vehicles in New Zealand have averaged just over 11,500 a month so far in 2016 – up almost 500 vehicles a month on the all-time record year in 2015, according to Motor Industry Association figures (MIA). At the end of June, 69,057 new vehicles – passenger cars, light commercials and trucks – had been registered, compared to the 65,653 for the same … [Read more...] about June sales best since 1984 and the end of Muldoon’s reign as PM