A Jeep ute based on the next-generation Wrangler Unlimited platform will almost certainly go on sale in New Zealand from 2018, powered by an updated version of the 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine used in the Grand Cherokee and Ram 1500 pick-up. It will be a four-door, not as big but similar in concept to the oversized Brute ute (above) built on a stretched Unlimited chassis by … [Read more...] about Jeep Wrangler ute for NZ with V6 diesel engine
Latest news
All-electric cars will change design rules forever, says Jaguar stylist
Battery-electric powertrains will change forever the way cars are designed, says Jaguar design chief Ian Callum. “Electrification will kickstart the biggest change in automotive design in history,” he told British media. “Car design will change more in the next 15 years than it has in the past 100.” Electric powertrains offer huge opportunities for designers and stylists, … [Read more...] about All-electric cars will change design rules forever, says Jaguar stylist
The Kiwi engineer who helped steer Tesla EVs towards the big time
A convoy of electric cars (EVs) will make its way from North Cape to the Bluff over the next couple of weeks, stopping at selected points to talk up the environmental benefits of emission-free motoring. Not that all the cars will be emission free – some in the convoy, like the BMW i3 and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, will rely on their back-up petrol engines to keep the … [Read more...] about The Kiwi engineer who helped steer Tesla EVs towards the big time
Mazda MX-5 gets the nod – but Toyota Mirai is the real world car winner
The brilliant Mazda MX-5 roadster might have won an unprecedented double at the 2016 World Car of the Year awards, but the Toyota Mirai’s ‘green’ gong was the most significant. The MX-5 won both the COTY and the design COTY, the first time in the award’s 13-year history that a carmaker has won both trophies. It has won countless other awards. It was the Automotive News … [Read more...] about Mazda MX-5 gets the nod – but Toyota Mirai is the real world car winner
Cars are ballooning is size, but bigger isn’t always better
Gear Patrol magazine’s Bryan Campbell says that when it comes to cars, size matters The car market of 20-years ago is almost unrecognisable when you consider today’s automotive landscape. Compare the illustration above of the original Fiat 500 with the current one. The race to fill even the smallest gap in the market is being led by the Germans, creating cars no one … [Read more...] about Cars are ballooning is size, but bigger isn’t always better