Car Reviews

Once it ruled with a 5-litre V8; for a long time now the mainstay engine has been a 4-litre six - and now it's coming out strong as a 2-litre four.

Though Mazda promised power plants would be the star turns of SkyActiv, the diesel that has gone into the new CX-5 still comes as a beautiful surprise.

Three and six: in BMW-land those numbers once went hand in hand. But the world is an ever-changing place and the counts have altered accordingly. Now it's three and four.

The arrival of two new variants - each with a fresh engine - provides David Thomson with a reason to revisit the Volvo S60 saloon and its V60 wagon counterpart.

Always wondered if the relatively high cost of buying into petrol-electric opportunities has been the biggest off-putting factor with hybrid cars?

The brand that sets the petite premium pace is at it again, this time in teensy two-seater form.

Can you believe it's 40 years since the first Civic, the one that landed with perfect timing during the first global oil shock?

Remove the badge and would you imagine the i40 was a Hyundai?

The Corolla put Toyota on the map, but the Camry is right behind in build count and equally important at keeping the business going. Actually, make that keeping a heap of businesses going.

Surprising news from Suzuki at the release of the latest generation of the best sub-$30,000 hot hatch ever: they reckon at least 60% of its clientele for this machine - the new Swift Sport - will prefer an impending version with a seven-speed constantly variable transmission over the six-speed manual that is available now.

Small to medium-sized cars are selling well at the moment, so the Hyundai Accent may prove a handy additional sales tool for a brand that is
setting the pace for New Zealand sales growth.

Holden will join the hybrid pack later this year when it launches the Volt in New Zealand. Richard Bosselman takes a first look at the new machine, which differs significantly from the current hybrid crop.

Four years after the original broke cover in New Zealand, Jeep has given its Patriot mid-sized SUV a major refit.

It's an invented descriptive that encapsulates Mazda's push toward downsized, more efficient (petrol and diesel) engines, redeveloped transmissions, exotic exhaust designs and a greater use of lightweight construction materials for improved safety, agility and, above all else, economy.

Weird days. Just as other makers of small cars are starting to become adventurous with their designs, the brand that has already "been there, done that" has gone straight again.

Ford has plugged an obvious gap in its otherwise comprehensive New Zealand range by introducing the European-designed and built Kuga crossover SUV.

The arrival of the BT-50, Mazda's sister to Ford's recently launched Ranger, raises an obvious question: beyond taking the Ranger to a different tailor, how much input did Mazda have into the vehicle's design?

The DS, XM, CX, Traction Avant and Deux Chevaux - there's no shortage of examples to remind that creative and/or quirky cars are what Citroen does.

Take the blueprint for the outgoing 1-Series, place in copier and hit "enlarge to 120%" : a quick visual assessment would suggest this is how Munich developed the second generation of its smallest BMW-badged model.

Performance car "purists" might quibble for years to come about where the Lexus LFA fits in the overall scheme of things, but here's what I know.