NZ Company Vehicle February 2013

February 2013

New Cruze wagon $8.20 incl. GST

ADRENALIN PUBLISHING

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peugeot.co.nz

The New Peugeot 508 does nothing by halves.

Thirds however...

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*Vehicle shown is the Peugeot 508 GT Sedan. The cost of $15,663 is based on the RRP of $46,990 for the Peugeot Active Sedan. Finance offer based on 1/3 deposit, 1/3 in 12 months and 1/3 in 24 months. An interest rate of 0% applies and On Road Costs of $1350 plus a $250 booking fee are additional. Offer subject to normal Alphera Finance Services lending criteria, see your Peugeot Dealer for full details. Offer expires 28.02.13.

You’ll love every moment you spend in Peugeot’s beautifully appointed touring car. Even more so with this incredible finance offer. For a very limited time, you can take one away from just $15,663* deposit and begin to enjoy the award winning 508’s outstanding range of features and impressive fuel economy. Arrange some quality time for yourself, contact Peugeot for a test drive on 0800 PEUGEOT or visit peugeot.co.nz

NEW PEUGEOT 508

4

CONTENTS

18

Cover Story 4 Holden Cruze wagon New models 6 Mazda CX-9 8 Holden Barina 10 Subaru Forester XT 12 Holden Colorado 7 Briefings 13 Mercedes fights back News 14 Old fleet worries MTA 16 Euro Ncap tests vans Volvo plug-in 17 New Turtle Wax range Golf 7’s 5 stars

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Features 18 Driver training 22 Fleet procurement FLEET BUYERS GUIDE 29 Compact cars 36 Small cars 46 Medium cars 54 Large cars 56 Utilities 64 SUVs 75 Vans and light trucks

For more news this issue, check out www.companyvehicle.co.nz

1

www.companyvehicle.co.nz

February 2013 Managing Editor John Oxley john@adrenalin.co.nz Editor-at-large Robert Barry robert@adrenalin.co.nz Associate Editor Damien O’Carroll damien@adrenalin.co.nz Automotive Group Sales Manager Dan Prestige dan@companyvehicle.co.nz Advertising Manager Dave Nicholson dave@adrenalin.co.nz Publisher Cathy Parker cathy@adrenalin.co.nz Subscription Manager/Enquiries Sarah Holyoake subs@companyvehicle.co.nz Circulation Manager Cathy Parker cathy@adrenalin.co.nz Proof Reading - George Ward Adrenalin Publishing Ltd 14C Vega Place, Mairangi Bay, PO Box 65092 Mairangi Bay, Auckland 0754 Phone: 09 478 4771

NZ Company Vehicle magazine is magazine is a bi-monthly - six issue annual subscription in New Zealand is $48 (incl GST). Call us for overseas rates.

NZ Company Vehicle is copyright and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher. Neither editorial opinions expressed nor facts stated in advertisements are necessarily agreed to by the editor or publisher of NZ Company Vehicle and, whilst all efforts are made to ensure accuracy, no responsibility will be taken by the publishers for inaccurate information, or for any consequences of reliance on this information.

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New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

Is profiling the answer?

Our feature on driver training on p 18, and its ultimate aim, safer driving looks at much of the thinking being employed in the New Zealand business environment towards this much-debated subject. However, one area which has not yet been openly explored here, and yet one which it is claimed has achieved some success overseas, is the psychometric profiling of drivers.

Psychometric profiling encourages drivers to reflect on their thoughts, and change their driving behaviour. UK police say it delivers behavioural and attitudinal change, and by coaching and mentoring, improvements can be benchmarked that are recognised by the courts.

Psychometric testing is viewed in some quarters as superior to online assessments, driver, vehicle and journey management programmes, and telematics (electronic monitoring by wireless systems).

But just what is psychometric profiling?

Broadly speaking, psychometric tests are structured personality questionnaires which require an employee to respond to a number of questions or statements.

The responses give an indication of such things as attitudes to work, ability to get on with others, motivation, determination, perseverance, social skills, and preferred working styles. Or in this case, the attitude towards driving on the road.

However, I see a weakness in using this as the only means of trying to change driver behaviour and attitudes. There is no “right” or “wrong” answer in psychometric testing, so a canny employee may be able to work out what sort of answer will put him in a good light and thus probably avoid any further action.

My take is that a driver’s record in terms of traffic fines, licence demerit points, accident damage (including while parked, which is often used as a cover-up for the driver’s own driving errors), plus fuel consumption and tyre wear, should all be collated, and used in conjunction with the psychometric test.

Employers need to take a more active role in monitoring, assessing, and improving their drivers if we are to achieve meaningful change to an accident record which it is estimated sees a third of all fatal road accidents in New Zealand wiping out drivers who are on company business.

There is no shortcut to safer driving, and if we want to get this appalling record sorted, we all need to roll up our sleeves and get involved.

After-party Another big debate among overseas fleet specialists is the subject of drink-driving. We are all aware of the legal limits, and most company vehicle drivers act responsibly most of the time. But what happens after the Friday afternoon sales meeting, or the end-of-week get together in the workshop, or the meeting in the pub after work?

How much alcohol is consumed, and how many company vehicles are then driven by people who may not pass a breathalyser test?

More to the point, do you have a drinkdriving policy in your company? Do you discourage it, or in fact tacitly encourage it by allowing your staff to have a couple of toots after work at the end of the week?

And what happens on Monday morning, when someone comes in obviously under-theweather after a well-lubricated barbeque on Sunday? Do you test your staff to see if they’re still legally drunk from the night before?

Do you do anything? Or do you just hope that “she’ll be right, mate,” and move on to something less contentious?

Moving one step further, but on a similar tack, what is your attitude towards illegal drugs in the workplace? Do you even have a policy?

Not lecturing – just giving you something to think about!

20

Celebrating

John Oxley

years

I T ’S BEEN N EW Z EALAND’S FAVOURI T E SUV FOR YEARS.

Now it’s even better.

NEW OUTLANDER Introducing the all-new Mitsubishi Outlander. It’s more advanced and more refined than ever. There are new 2.0L and 2.4L Smart MIVEC Petrol engines, which are up to 20% more efficient, as well as a new 2.2L Diesel option. You’ll drive even more cleanly and greenly with the new Eco Mode system. You’re kept very safe, thanks to ABS with EBD, Active Stability and Traction Control. VRX models feature e-Assist, which incorporates Adaptive Cruise Control and Forward

Collision Mitigation. Choose from 2 or 4 wheel drive for even more grip. The interior has been redesigned completely, with distinctly European styling, seven seats and a seven-inch touch screen with Satellite Navigation and audio controls on VRX models. The only things you’ll recognise from the previous model are the superb ride and the unbeatable Diamond Advantage Warranty. This all-new and rather smart package can be yours from $39,990 + ORC*.

VISIT MMNZ.CO.NZ OR CALL 0800 54 53 52 NOW TO EXPERIENCE IT ALL AT YOUR MITSUBISHI MOTORS DEALER.

MIT 2652

Specifications vary between models. Price listed is for 2.0L 2WD LS model – 4WD VRX model shown. Visit www.mmnz.co.nz for Diamond Advantage Warranty terms and conditions. Price excludes On Road Costs of up to $750 for Petrol models and $950 for Diesel models, which includes Registration, WoF and a full tank of fuel.

cover story

Plugging the gaps Holden will continue to plug the gaps in its vehicle line-up in 2013. Robert Barry recently drove the new Cruze CDX wagon in Australia and summarises his first impressions.

Holden says the local small car wagon segment is currently dominated by the Toyota Corolla and Hyundai i30 which account for more than 70 percent of sales in the segment, and the majority go to private and business buyers with the government and rental buyers taking a much smaller percentage.

While wagon sales in the small car segment only account for more than eight percent of the segment we suspect this will continue to grow as buyers continue the trend to downsize from the large and medium vehicle segments, and as more small wagons become available.

In New Zealand, Holden is specifically targeting the fleet and business buyer with the Korean-built Cruze wagon so it will only be offered with a 2-litre turbo-diesel engine in CD specification and a 1.8-Litre petrol engine in CD and CDX specification and all

4

New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

have six-speed automatic transmissions.

Sadly we don’t expect to see Holden offering its 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine in this variant nor do we expect to see the sport orientated SR and SR-V specification models which are offered in the Australia-built Cruze sedan and hatch models.

The Korean-built Cruze wagon also does without the electro-mechanical steering and watts-link bars for the rear suspension which improved the sharpness and comfort of the Aussie-built cars.

However the Cruze CD wagon does mirror the Cruze CD sedan and hatch for standard equipment which includes six airbags, air-conditioning, cruise control, Bluetooth with voice recognition, iPod integration, rear park assist, auto-headlamps, cloth upholstery and 16-inch steel wheels.

Additionally the wagon gets roof rails as standard too.

The Cruze CDX wagon also matches its premium-feel sedan and hatch siblings with leather upholstery, climate control, heated front seats, chrome highlights, front fog lamps, leather wrapped steering wheel and gear shift handle and 17-inch alloy wheels. Roof rails are again standard on this model too.

In terms of space in the cargo area the Cruze wagon is almost a mid-size vehicle being only 19 litres shy of the current Mazda6 wagon. There are 500 litres with the seats up (versus 519 in the Mazda6) and 1478 litres with the seats folded down.

There is plenty of head and leg space for 180cm tall people in the rear seats, and throughout the cabin the car feels spacious and comfortable.

Thanks to the geometry of the torsion beam rear suspension the new Cruze Wagon is blessed with a flat cargo floor and a practical low loading lip which allows large and heavy items to be easily stowed without the need to strain your back unnecessarily.

Naturally being the biggest variant in the Cruze line the customer pays a bit more for the additional 80 litres of space of the wagon over the hatch, but pricing is still

competitive, the 1.8-litre CD petrol auto retails from $33,400, the 2-litre CD diesel auto retails from $38,400 and the more luxuriously appointed 1.8-litre CDX petrol retails from $36,000.

On the road the Cruze wagon provides a quiet and comfortable ride but the inline 103kW 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine often struggles with the weight of the car on steep inclines, however the six-speed automatic does its best to keep the car torqueing along. Performance from the engine overall is adequate rather than overtly sporting, but this is all in keeping with the cars function as a practical load carrier.

In summary the new Cruze wagon is a comfortable and competent vehicle that nicely plugs the gap in Holden’s small car line up and further strengthens the companies offer to the fleet and private market.

Prices: 2013 Holden Cruze wagon Petrol 1.8-Litre CD $33,400 Petrol 1.8-Litre CDX $36,000 Diesel 2-Litre CD $38,400

New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

5

NewMODELS

One size fits all Mazda recently introduced its newly facelifted CX-9 to the motoring media and Robert Barry discovered the changes are more than skin deep.

Large seven-seat all-wheel-drive crossover vehicles such as the 3.7-litre V6 Mazda CX-9 continue to grow in popularity among fleet and private buyers because of their versatility, commanding road presence and luxury appointments.

Unlike other markets, Mazda New Zealand has restricted its CX-9 model line-up to just one vehicle in leather-clad Limited specification with 4WD as standard from $65,490. It also says that the CX-9 will comfortably sit two adults in the third row of seats, which some of its competitors do not.

While Mazda New Zealand says it could have also offered a cheaper CX-9 in a GSX specification with cloth upholstery for around $60,000, but at that price point a $5,000 increment is inconsequential to the buyer and tlarge SUV customers prefer AWD and they also want all the bells and whistles available to them.

The 2013 model year CX-9 certainly delivers more bells and whistles than the previous generation, with an upgraded Infotainment system featuring Bluetooth

and iPod connectivity, 10-speaker 277 watt Bose audio, MP3/WMA-compatible six-disc audio, steering wheel mounted audio controls, TomTom satellite navigation, a colour touchscreen with reverse camera display and speechrecognition systems based on an intuitive HMI (Human Machine Interface).

The most striking change for the new vehicle is that the front and rear adopts the Kodo – Soul of Motion – exterior design which first appeared on its smaller sibling the CX-5, and is soon to appear on the allnew Mazda6 sedan and station wagon later this year..

The broad chrome-plated Kodo wing that has become the new family face of Mazda has been introduced to the front of the CX-9., with redesigned with front xenon headlights and new rear combination lamps.

Front fog-amps with chrome-plated bezels and LED daytime running lamps with a halo ring light guide around the headlamp are standard in the New Zealand model. The door mirrors feature side indicators, heater

and reverse tilt-down function for added safety when reversing, in addition to the reversing camera. The rear-tailgate now opens or closes electrically.

On the safety front there’s a range of active safety technology, including forward obstruction warning (FOW), lane departure warning (LDW), and high beam control system (HBCS).

The FOW system uses a camera to detect and alert the driver to the possibility of an imminent collision, while the LDW uses a camera to “see” lane markings and warns the driver of an unintentional lane departure.

HBCS automatically switches between high and low beams based on surroundings, while blind spot monitoring (BSM) uses radar to monitor and alert the driver to vehicles approaching from behind on either side of the car.

Mazda has carried over the 204kW MZI 3.7-Litre V6 engine with no changes, allied to a six-speed automatic transmission with manual override.

Once you’ve climbed into the driver’s seat of CX-9 and shut the barn-like doors, you immediately feel at home in the spacious interior, as the instrumentation is clearly laid out in the usual Mazda-fashion and all the controls are easily found and used.

There’s three-zone climate air conditioning with independent control for the rear occupants and power sliding and tilt glass sunroof directly overhead the driver and front occupant, so ventilation is not an issue.

The CX-9 is no sports car; it’s a large comfortable cruiser that prefers to travel in a straight line, but the AWD system provides assurance when you are faced with a winding road, and there is surprisingly little body roll, which will please the rearmost occupants.

At more than five metres long and almost two metres wide the CX-9 is a large vehicle and feels it even from behind the wheel, so the newly introduced land departure warning and blind spot monitoring systems aren’t just gimmicks, they are actually very helpful features when you are travelling down the motorway.

In summary the changes to the onesize-fits-all CX-9 are certainly more than skin deep and will no doubt surprise and delight those buyers who are looking for comfort, value and amenity in a luxury seven seat vehicle.

Prices Price:$65,490 (including Mazdacare package)

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New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

TOB0121/F/CV

SUPERB HANDLING AND PERFORMANCE INCREASED LUGGAGE AREA FUR WINDSCREEN SHIELD NOT INCLUDED ENHANCED SAFETY FEATURES

PREMIUM COMFORT INTERIOR IMPROVED FUEL EFFICIENCY

SPORTY, AERODYNAMIC DESIGN

corolla.co.nz

NewMODELS package, and the retuned suspension, has transformed the Barina from being a bland but competent pool car into a surprisingly decent and fun-to-drive light hatchback.

The new automatic is much better than the previous models; shifts are much slicker, and there is far less of a tendency to “hunt” for the appropriate ratio when driving up or down an incline.

Local development on the Barina’s suspension by Holden’s Australian engineers in conjunction with the global team in Korea has produced a more sure-footed vehicle in the CDX. It felt very taut and composed as we crisscrossed some Victorian switchack roads, and there was noticeably less body roll. Compliance over corrugations and lumpy chip sealed road is also much improved.

Barinas with more Spark

Barina Spark CD automatic

The Barina Spark has always been a nippy, Theurban-orientated Volkswagen Amarok Ute is h easy-to-park, runabout, and whileThe it may only have a four-speed much-anticipated Amarok has arrived. And tru automatic, the addition of thisoftwo-pedal Available in a range reliable, hi-performance TD transmission transformed thean CDimpressive into a TDIhas which thumps out 400Nms of to much more option. engine technology, combin Its user-friendly highly fuel-efficient The model year Spark CDfuel stops. With the ro go up to 2013 1,000Barina kms# between has also gained the benefit of Bluetooth enough space for the family, or for the boys. Along connectivity and steering-wheel mounted Double Cab Highline is the first Double Cab 4WD u phone controls, electric power 5-star ANCAP safety steering, rating. It also boasts the larges 1.15 tonnes - soassist equipment like quads and dirt bike remote flip key, hill start and a fueltonneidle towing capacity means saving neutral feature.

It’s also had a you’ll bit never have to in either two-wheel drive or 4Motion high/low rat of a cosmetic makeover including a new look different features to suitand your front grille, side skirts, headlamps taillifestyle. We could go to driving So call us on to arrange a lamps in addition to it. a body colour rear spoiler.

We felt the two-pedal Barina Spark The new Amarok. actually works better than the Priced manual from $43,000* version; the engine power seems to be well matched to the gear ratios, and the small vehicle had no problem keeping up with the bigger vehicles on the launch drive programme, even with two decent-sized Kiwi blokes and their luggage on board.

the Barina Spark automatic are much improved for the 2013 model year, says Robert Barry after a brief drive in Melbourne.

The well-specified new Holden Barina CDX brings a raft of engineering improvements and refinements to the small car class which should translate into more fleet and private sales.

At the end of October 2012 the segment was led by the Suzuki Swift, in second place was the Toyota Yaris, with the Ford Fiesta in third and the Mazda2 fourth overall. At this time the Barina was in fifth place overall, so Holden hopes that the addition of the improved CDX hatch will attract more buyers into the showroom and improve its ranking in the sales figures.

In terms of specification, for an incremental $2,000 over the CD, the Barina CDX offers buyers more kit and amenities, including the new Holden MyLink infotainment system.

MyLink integrates the Barina’s radio with a compatible Smartphone or stored media through Bluetooth, auxiliary jack or USB. Holden says this allows drivers to enjoy simple, safe and personalised connectivity while their Smartphone is stowed.

Holden will launch the MyLink system with the Stitcher Smart Radio embedded application. Additional applications that the system is compatible with include Pandora Internet radio, TuneIn radio and the BringGo navigation app which will run through the Smartphone’s 3G or 4G service.

Expect to see Pandora, TuneIn and BringGo launched locally during the first two quarters of 2013.

As part of the $2,000 price increment 8

New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

from the CD hatch, the Barina CDX also receives front fog lamps, reverse park sensors, 7-inch colour touch screen, leather wrapped steering wheel and transmission shifter, Sportec seat trim, heated front seats, trip computer, storage tray under the front passenger seat, sunglasses holder, and chrome exterior accents.

But more importantly from a fleet buying perspective, Holden has introduced a new six-speed automatic gearbox in the Barina CDX which it says offers an improvement of 10 percent fuel economy over the previous model year Barina, and it is available as an option on the entry level Barina CD. While I couldn’t confirm the fuel economy on our brief test drive around the rural roads of northern Melbourne, I can confirm that the new electric power steering combined with the new 17-inch alloy wheel and tyre

VOL2872_URBAN

Barina CDX hatch

#

Based on a combined fuel consumption of 7.3litres/100kms in an 8

Prices Spark CD manual $16,990 Spark CD auto $18,490 CD manual hatch $22,990 CD auto hatchm $24,990 CD auto sedanm $24,990 CDX auto hatchm $26,990

CG17706 VOL2872_URBAN VOL2872_URBAN

Thanks to some engineering refinements, the new Holden Barina CDX and

is here. Test drive it now.

nd true to its badge, it sets the standard in its class. ce TDI Diesel engines, including the Twin Turbo s of torque from 1,500 rpm, making towing a cinch. ombined with an 80-litre fuel tank means you can much-anticipated Amarok has arrived. And true to its badge, it sets the standard in its class. the roomiest cabinThe in the market, there’s more than Along with impressive performance, Amarok Available in a the range of reliable, hi-performance TDI Diesel engines, including the Twin Turbo 4WD ute in the New Zealand market to receive a TDIa which thumps out largest load area, with payload capacity of up to an impressive 400Nms of torque from 1,500 rpm, making towing a cinch.

Tough.

And smart. t bikes can be loaded and out easily.

And its 2.8 engine technology, combined with an 80-litre fuel tank means you can Its in highly fuel-efficient

The Volkswagen Amarok Ute is here. Test drive it now.

An intelligent ute for a life with challenges.

The is complete.

Now Amarok everyone.

The range Volkswagen Amarok Utethere's is here.anTest drive itfor now.

ve to leave the boat behind. The Amarok is available # Where other utes get stuck,

thehas Amarok gets unites cross-country mobility, between fuel stops.

With thegoing. roomiest cabin initthe market, more than go upmuch-anticipated toin1,000 Available a rangekms of reliable, hi-performance TDI Diesel engines, including the Twin Turbo TDI, 2WD standard andthere’s 4Motionin high/low 4X4 The Amarok arrived.

And true toItits badge, sets the its class. enough space for theoffamily, for the boys.

Along with impressive Amarok flexibility and efficiency likeorno other pickup.

You won’t believe itincluding until you’ve driven it.

Available in a range reliable, hi-performance TDI Diesel engines,performance, thethe Twin Turbo uld go on. But talking about it will never compare The Amarok Double Cab Highline and Standard models are the firstute 4WDin utes in the New Zealand market to receive a 5-star a Cab Highline is the first Double Cab 4WD the New Zealand market to receive ange a test drive Double .

TDI which thumps out an impressive torque from 1,500 making a cinch.

ANCAP safety rating.

The Double Cab enables you to400Nms carry up toof 5 people comfortably, with arpm, payload capacitytowing of up to 1.15 tonnes.

Available in either two-wheel drive or 4Motion high/low ratio 4X4 drive variants with a range of features to suit your lifestyle.

5-star ANCAP safety rating.

It also boasts the largest load area, with a payload capacity of up to Call Continental Car Services Volkswagencombined on 0800 AMAROK to book drive today, Its highly fuel-efficient engine technology, with an 80-litre fuelyour tanktest means you can * # 1.15 tonnes - so equipment like quads and dirt bikes can beleading loaded in and out And its 2.8 between fuel With the roomiest cabin incabin the market, there’s more than go Amarok up towhy 1,000 kms The Super Single Cab is considered tostops. be the classic 'workhorse'.

Class in room andeasily. tray space while and see we are New Zealand’s number one Volkswagen Commercial Dealership.

w ratio all-wheel drive a range of cab, Manual and Auto. drivevariants, variants,with Double or Single

boastingtowing an extremely low fuel means consumption fromnever only 7.5have litres per kms. tonne you’ll to100 leave boat behind.

The Amarok is available enough spacecapacity for the family, or for the boys. Along with the impressive performance, the Amarok The much anticipated Amarok 8-speed Automatic is class-leading, not only does it improve drivability on and off road, but it in eitherCab two-wheel drive or first 4Motion ratio all-wheel drive variants, withto a range ofalso Double Highline is the Double Cab2008, 4WD ute in the New Zealand market receive a Commercial Dealer of the Year for high/low 2007, 2009, 2010 & 2011. provides the optimum in fuel economy.

Combined with our high performance Twin Turbo TDI engine with 4Motion permanent different features to suit your lifestyle.

Wefrom could go on. about it& will never compare 4X4 drive, it thumps out an impressive torque 1,750 rpm, andBut itsarea, 3 talking tonne towing capacity means you never 5-star ANCAP rating.

It420Nm also of boasts the largest load with a2010, payload capacity ofhave up to to Sold the mostsafety commercial vehicles in NZ for 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011 leave the boat behind. to driving it.-So us on like quads and to arrange a test 1.15 tonnes so call equipment dirt bikes candrive be loaded in and out easily. And its 2.8.

We can gotowing on, but talking aboutmeans it them will never never comparehave to driving one. Which do behind. you want toThe test drive? tonne capacity you’ll to leave the one boat Amarok is available Call Poll or Bernie on: 0800 AMAROK

The newtwo-wheel Amarok. drive Priced $43,000* in either or from 4Motion high/low ratio all-wheel drive variants, with a range of The Amarok range. Priced from $41,990*

in an 80 litre fuel tank. **Excludes Excludes on-road costs. different features toshown suit may your lifestyle.

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to driving it. So call us on

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The new Amarok. Priced from $43,000* A Passion for Fine Automobiles

CG17706 VOL2872_URBAN VOL2872_URBAN

38 Great South Road, Road, Newmarket, Newmarket,Auckland Auckland•• 0800 0800 AMAROK AMAROK 09 526 526 6968 6968 ••Email Email:poll.oosthuizen@ccs.co.nz bradley.carrick@ccs.co.nz••www.ccs.co.nz www.ccs.co.nz

#

Based on a combined fuel consumption of 7.3litres/100kms in an 80 litre fuel tank. * Excludes on-road costs.

#

Based on a combined fuel consumption of 7.3litres/100kms in an 80 litre fuel tank. * Excludes on-road costs.

.

NewMODELS

Forester gets EyeSight For 2013 the new Subaru Forester XT Premium receives a new turbocharged 2-litre boxer engine, Subaru’s EyeSight system, the SI-drive system and a plethora of luxury specification. While people may like or loathe the front grille design of the Subaru Forester XT Premium, the rest of the vehicle will meet their expectations, because it’s a luxuriously appointed sports crossover wagon that blends comfort and performance into a user-friendly package.

For 2013, the Forester XT Premium receives a new direct injection technology

(DIT) 2-litre turbocharged boxer engine which is a development of the naturally aspirated unit found in the new BRZ Coupe which was launched late in 2012.

Subaru says the DIT engine produces 177kW at 5,600rpm and torque of 350Nm at 2,400rpm.

Another change of tack for the entire 2013 Forester range being launched this month is that the old automatic transmissions have been deleted in favour of the more fuel efficient Subaru Lineartronic continuously variable transmission (CVT).

Using the SI-Drive system with intelligent, sport and sport # (sharp) driving modes we found that the new Lineartronic CVT makes good use of the turbocharged power available from the DIT engine.

Whether you’re pottering quietly around the city or having a play around a back country road, the Lineartronic CVT provides seamless instantly acceleration and it isn’t unduly noisy or flarey as other transmissions of this type, drivers can also opt to manually control the gearbox through its eight manual “steps”.

The Lineartronic CVT equipped Forester models also come with the new X-Mode function which the company says makes it easier for drivers to safely navigate badly kept roads, slippery surfaces and steep hills, with just one switch which is located in front of the transmission selector.

When X-Mode is engaged, at 40km/h or less, status information is displayed on the multifunction display, including hill descent control and vehicle dynamics control.

Subaru says that X-Mode centralises control of the engine, all-wheel drive, brakes and other critical components to help ensure safe driving even on poor surfaces.

The hill descent control system helps maintain a constant speed.

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10 New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

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1. 5.95 (cu.m) without bulkhead. 5.36 (cu.m) with bulkhead.

NewMODELS rows benefit from roof-mounted air conditioning controls with four air vents, a nice touch which allows them to choose a temperature suited to their needs, rather than being controlled from up front by the driver and front seat occupant.

Driving impressions

The Colorado 7 offers a well specified off-roader for family and fleet users.

Holden Colorado 7 It’s been a decade since Holden had a body-on-frame 4x4 wagon in its product line-up. Robert Barry sampled the new Colorado on-road and off-road recently in Melbourne.

Ten years is a long time between drinks, and when the last of the 4WD Holden Jackaroo and Monterey wagons rolled off the dealers’ yards in 2003, no-one at GM could have foreseen the explosion in SUV sales almost a decade later.

Holden is now running very hard to plug the model gaps in its SUV offer, and the “tough truck” Colorado 7, which was designed in Brazil for international markets, will be joined later this year by the compact Korean-built Holden Trax SUV.All New Zealand bound Colorado 7 models have a 5-star NCap safety rating, and are sourced from GM Thailand, where they are built in the same Rayong factory as the Colorado Ute. The new Colorado 7 ventures into popular territory currently occupied by other ute-based wagons such as the Nissan Pathfinder, which is heavily related to the Navara, and the Mitsubishi Challenger which is all-Triton underneath.

Two grades of trim are on offer, the Colorado 7 LT with 16-inch alloy wheels and cloth upholstery, and the Colorado 7 LTZ with 18-inch alloy wheels and leather upholstery. Hill descent control, rear park assistance, Bluetooth connectivity, and a reversing camera are standard on both models as is a six-speed automatic transmission. The towing capacity with a braked trailer is three tons.

Interestingly, the difference in alloy wheel size correlates to a difference in minimum ground clearance. Holden quotes the LT at 219mm of ground clearance while the LTZ said to have 231mm of ground clearance! Both have a 30 degree approach angle, a 22 degree

12 New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

departure angle and a 22 degree ramp breakover angle.

All Colorado 7 models are equipped with the same four-cylinder 132kW/470Nm Duramax 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine as the Ute, but it feels and sounds a great deal quieter and more refined in this application.

Although it’s clearly based on the Colorado utility, the chassis of the new 7 has been engineered independently with a bias towards passenger comfort. Up front is an independent double wishbone suspension while at the rear there is a five-link live axle suspension setup.

Inside the cabin the Colorado 7 offers a flexible seven-seat layout, with as many as 30 storage spaces located throughout.

The dashboard set up is very similar to the Colorado Ute but has a nicer tactile and quality feel to it, and we found the electrically adjustable leather seats in the LTZ are firm but comfortable for long journeys on- road and off-road. No seat heaters though – a minor minus point.

For maximum flexibility the Colorado 7’s second row has 60/40 split folding seats which can be stowed in a forward tumble motion with a single latch in the seat back. The second row seat backs also recline by up to six degrees, while the third row has a 50/50 split configuration.

Both rows fold to create a flat load space.

There’s a 235-litre rear cargo area with the third row in use, which increases to 878 litres with the third row folded into the floor. Additional storage is available with the second row tumbled (1,780-litres) and folded (1,830-litres).

Passengers in the second and third

On the tarmac at low and higher speeds the cabin of the Colorado 7 is noticeably quieter to travel in than the Colorado ute on all types of road surfaces, and the levels of noise, harshness and vibration from the engine and suspension are noticeably improved over the Pickup, too.

The ride quality and handling of the 7 are also more car-like than the ute’s, but occasionally over corrugations and bumps, a mild pitching from the rear suspension still subtly reminds you that this is a tough truck and not a large all-wheel-drive crossover such as the Ford Territory or Mazda CX-9.

From urban Melbourne the media party headed northeast to the Toolangi State Forest for a brief off-road excursion to test out the low range gearbox and the hill descent control systems.

Recent rain had turned the normally dry and sandy forestry roads into a slippery challenge, particularly on one steep incline, where mud and rocks almost defeated one driver who had managed to gum up his road tyres with muck and debris.

As we were the second-to-last vehicle to cross this particular incline, I selected low ratio second gear and squeezed the accelerator gently. The Colorado 7 responded perfectly and we bounced steadily over the rocky muddy patches and up to the crest of the hill without any drama.

Though the off-road drive was short, it provided enough difficult terrain and fording conditions to suggest that the Colorado 7 is equally capable off the beaten track as its ute sibling.

Where the more luxury-orientated Colorado 7 will score more Brownie points over the workaday Colorado ute for private and fleet buyers, will be its ability to carry seven passengers in comfort or five occupants and a considerable amount of luggage with greater ease and efficiency.

Prices LT $62,900 LTZ $66,900

NewMODELS

The Mercedes A-Class

MB fighting back Mercedes-Benz is determined to get back into pole position in the luxury market in New Zealand, says new Australia and NZ CEO Jurgen Sauer, fresh from an eight-year stint as the head of Mercedes-Benz in Russia.

“We want to bring forward our business in New Zealand , and what we show today will help a lot,” he said at a preview of new products due to be released this year.

“New Zealand is important for us. It’s not the biggest, but it’s an important market. We are behind BMW and Audi in New Zealand, but we are working hard to change that.”

Ben Griffin, general manager of MercedesBenz New Zealand, introduced a whole raft of new models which were scheduled to go on a road show to Mercedes dealers across the country, and which will come on sale during the year.

The new A-Class, which goes on sale here in March, is probably the most important model in the Mercedes armoury for 2013, with keen pricing that takes the A-Class head-on against its German luxury opponents, especially with its design change from the “sit-up-and-beg” appearance of the previous model to a low-

slung sporty four-door coupe look.

Engines range engines from 90kW to 155kW, with emissions from 135g/km and a best-inclass drag coefficient of 0.27. The standard specification includes, amongst other things, the radar-based collision prevention assistance system and reversing camera. Starting at $46,900 for the A 180 BlueEfficiency with automatic transmission.

All feature a start/stop function as standard, as well as the 7G-DCT dual clutch automatic transmission with paddle shift as standard.

The top-of-the-range 2-litre A 250 Sport gets 18-inch AMG alloy wheels with 235/40 R 18 tyres all round, together with red brake callipers, as well as an a AMG-developed front axle and a suspension that has been configured to match.

Models: A 180 BE, 1,595cc, 90 kW, 5.8L/100km,$46,900; A 200 BE 1,595cc, 115kW, 6.1L/100km, $54,900; A 200 CDI BE, 1,796cc, 100kW, 4.6L/100km, $54,900; A 250 Sport, 1,991cc, 155kW, 6.6L/100km, $64,900.

Less important, but interesting nevertheless, is a blinged-up version of the standard C250 coupe, the AMG Sports

Package Plus, which features an AMG sports suspension, more-direct speed-sensitive sports steering, a sports exhaust system, and a more sporty transmission configuration, as well as a matt paint finish exclusively available for these models.

Most important, they have a power upgrade to 150kW/350Nm, as well as 18-inch wheels, AMG body styling to the front apron, side sill panels, rear apron, and an AMG spoiler, while insidfe there are sports seats and steering wheel, red stitching, and AMG floor mates.

This package became available from midNovember.

We also saw a rare CLS 63 AMG Shooting Brake Edition 1, a limited edition model of which only five have been allocated to Australia and New Zealand, and which will be delivered to customers at least three months before the official New Zealand launch of the AMG model.

The CLS 63 AMG Shooting Brake Edition 1 comes with a 24kW increase in power to 410 kW and 100Nm more torque, to 800 Nm, over the standard AMG variant.

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New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013 13

NEWS

Old fleet worries MTA and Wellington – not surprising, as this is where the majority of company-owned vehicles are based.

“This isn’t just about driving a new car with all the mod-cons – the increasing number of old, often poorly-maintained, vehicles has serious safety implications for anyone who travels on the roads of New Zealand,” MTA spokesman Ian Stronach says.

Features such as airbags and ABS braking, once only installed on high-end luxury models, have become standard on newer vehicles. Vehicle construction technology has got much better, too. These factors drastically increase the chances of survival for vehicle occupants in serious crashes.

“The world was very different in 1996, but the majority of our vehicle fleet was built then or before,” says Stronach.

MoT data shows that, in 2000, NZ-new vehicles were being scrapped at 18 years (on average), and used imports scrapped at 15 years (on average).

However, as more modern vehicles are increasingly reliable and durable, and many New Zealanders are feeling the economic squeeze, they are holding onto their cars longer. In 2011, NZ-new cars were still being

scrapped after 18 years, but the average scrapping age of imported used vehicles had climbed to 19 years.

Added to the unique New Zealand driving environment, many New Zealanders adopt a casual approach to vehicle servicing.

An MTA survey carried out in July this year found 51 percent of vehicles needed work done on the day they were booked in for a warrant of fitness, so they could pass the minimum test for road safety. The most common faults picked up were bald tyres, non-functioning windscreen wipers, and broken indicator, stop and headlights – easily noticeable, fundamental and worryingly overlooked requirements for safe driving.

Old cars, poor maintenance and challenging roads add up to make driving in New Zealand more dangerous than it needs to be. MTA considers this is even more reason to keep the current vehicle inspection system – the best time to consider changing the frequency of warrant of fitness inspection is when the average vehicle on the road is 10 years old.

MOB1388_FISH

New Zealand’s average vehicle age belies huge regional variations, and many of the vehicles outside of the main cities are much older and have many fewer modern safety features, MTA says.

The commonly-accepted average age of vehicles on New Zealand roads is 13 years – which is still old, compared to those we benchmark ourselves against.

However, Ministry of Transport (MoT) figures obtained by MTA also show startling variation across the country, with a significantly older fleet outside of the three main population centres. As an “average” is effectively an arithmetic midpoint, says the MTA, for every brand new vehicle you see, its 26-year-old counterpart is still operating, somewhere in New Zealand.

MTA has found the average registered vehicle age also generally gets older the further south you travel, with huge regional variation.

By region, Waimate has the oldest fleet in the country, at an average age of 17 years, followed by Tasman and Waimakariri.

The newest cars in the country, by region, are registered in Auckland, North Shore

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NEWS

Euro Ncap tests vans

Euro Ncap has crash tested some of Europe’s best-selling business and family vans using protocols that are more true-tolife than the current legal tests for these van-based vehicles.

The safety organisation is calling on manufacturers to offer these vehicles with higher levels of safety equipment and for legislators to review their lenient legal safety requirements.

In the tests, the Ford Transit Custom was the only vehicle to score five stars. The Hyundai H1 scored three stars. The Fiat Scudo also scored three stars, while the Renault Trafic scored two

stars. Some of these vehicles are also rebadged and sold by other manufacturers. The Fiat Scudo is available as the Peugeot Expert and Citroën Jumpy. The Renault Trafic also sells as the Vauxhall/ Opel Vivaro and Nissan Primastar.

Dr Michiel van Ratingen, secretary general of Euro Ncap, said: “This time around Euro Ncap has focused on van variants that offer eight to nine seats. These vehicles are often used for business or considered by families as alternatives to large MPVs. Being derived from commercial van platforms, these people-carriers are updated less

regularly and are generally less equipped for safety than normal passenger cars.”

Some manufacturers are responding to Euro Ncap’s call and have committed to better equip light commercial vehicles when sold as family cars. The Ford Transit Custom, designed with Euro Ncap’s protocol in mind, features among other items curtain airbags that improve protection in the severe pole side impact test.

The vehicle also received recognition in Euro Ncap’s Advanced rewards scheme for offering Lane Keep Assist, an important accident prevention technology, as an option to customers.

Fiat has also responded to Euro Ncap’s assessment. The manufacturer is making safety features such as the front passenger airbag and a speed limitation device standard in more markets. The Scudo’s Peugeot and

Citroën sister models are doing the same.

“We are optimistic that the safety of these vehicles will advance significantly in the next few years,” said van Ratingen. “By and large this is a neglected vehicle category that from a safety perspective is still immature. Per legislation, these vehicles have never had to be well-equipped with safety technologies. Not all offer electronic stability control as standard and most provide poor protection for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians in the event of a collision.”

The protocols used by Euro Ncap to test family and business vans are slightly adapted from those used for passenger cars.

The car safety organisation has designed its protocol to encourage greater fitment of safety equipment and to promote all-round protection to car occupants and other road users.

Volvo plug-in Volvo Car Corporation is now ramping up production of the new Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid ahead of first customer deliveries in early 2013. After the initial batch of 1,000 model year 2013 cars, production will increase to 4,000-6,000 cars from model year 2014.

The assembly of the world’s first diesel plug-in hybrid has been successfully integrated on the same production line as the regular powered V60, V70, XC70, S80 and XC90 models at the Torslanda plant in Gothenburg, Sweden.

The integration in the standard production flow gives the plug-in hybrid buyer the possibility to choose in principle all options available for the standard V60.

The Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid is the synthesis of close cooperation between Volvo Car Corporation and Swedish electricity supplier Vattenfall. The two companies have financed the development project jointly.

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116 Hewletts Road, Mt Maunganui, Tauranga City. Tel: 07 578 6017 www.farmerautovillage.co.nz 16 New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

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NEWS

New range from Turtle Wax For those who like to look after their company vehicle, Turtle Wax has introduced its new Ice Premium Care range with a new formulation which is said to give a longer-lasting shine and better protection.

The new formula consists of synthetic polymers blended with carnuba waxes, and the product requires just a single application.

Turtle Wax says the new product repels dirt, dust and road grime, and makes it easier to remove bugs, tree sap and bird droppings.

In addition it fills in surface swirl marks and can be applied in direct sunlight, while protecting against UV rays.

Unlike many conventional waxes that leave a white residue, Ice Premium Care can be applied to virtually all exterior surfaces of the vehicle, including flat paint, rubber mouldings, plastic trim, glass and chrome without staining or leaving a residue. However it is not for use on oxidised finishes.

The prime product in the range is Ice Premium Care Liquid Wax, but other products in the range include Ice Premium Care Wash 2 in 1, which removes dirt and grime with thick, lubricating suds and rinses clean so as not to leave water spots; Ice Premium Care Spray Wax, which not only shines but also hides minor scratches and swirl marks, and contains anti-static properties to help keep the car finish cleaner and for longer; and Ice Premium Care Interior, which cleans, shines and protects interior surfaces, neutralises odours, and leaves a clean scent.

Golf 7’s five stars The Volkswagen Golf 7, which is to be launched here soon, has received a top five-star rating by Euro Ncap safety testers, and also won the award for innovations in the area of integral safety at the Euro Ncap Advanced Awards.

Along with Lane Assist and Front Assist, the key systems proactive occupant protection, and the standard multi-collision brake, were recognised as pioneering safety innovations.

The overall safety package of the new Golf - consisting of occupant protection, child protection, pedestrian protection and driver assistance systems - was recognised by the Euro Ncap for its top results.

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New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013 17

DRIVER TRAINING

Time for a change in attitude You wouldn’t let an employee handle a chainsaw without proper training. Yet there are many more deaths while driving on the job in New Zealand than there are from chainsaw accidents – as many as one in three of total road fatalities – and not enough driver training.

Company managements have a responsibility to ensure their employees have a safe and healthy workplace, but how many realise that for many of their workers this extends to the motor vehicles they drive while on the job?

Driver training has been proven to save lives, and on a financial level, fewer accidents save downtime, cut repair costs, save on unnecessary duplication of staff (as in employing temporary staff to stand in for employees off work as a result of an accident), while proper training programmes can result in lower insurance premiums.

But it has to be the right sort of driver training.

According to Britain’s Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA): “There is evidence that some driver training courses tend to concentrate on vehicle control skills and place too little emphasis on attitudes, behaviour, risk assessment, and hazard perception skills.”

And from a study done at the University of Turku in Finland (where they really understand the need for car control): “Efforts to make novice drivers drive more safely on slippery roads by means of special courses have mainly failed. In order to understand why the courses have failed, the views of instructors and students on the goals of skid training courses were compared.

“The importance given to anticipating vs manoeuvring skills was analysed. After completing a skid training course, students in four Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden) assessed manoeuvring skills to be equally important to anticipating skills in the courses.

“However, instructors assessed anticipating skills to be more important than manoeuvring skills. The differences between the assessments of instructors and students were the same in all four countries.

“Manoeuvring exercises are widely used in the courses, although the main purpose of these courses is to develop anticipating skills.

The exercises may give students the impression that manoeuvring skills are more important than anticipating skills.

“Manoeuvring exercises also increase their self-confidence and may lead to underestimation of the risks involved, resulting in, for example, driving at higher speed.”

So what’s the answer?

Well, it’s highlighted in the Finnish study: 18 New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

the main purpose of a driving course should be to develop anticipating skills.

And the latest safe driving bulletin from Australia’s fleet services Innovation Group which is circulated to fleet managers here and in Australia – points to the driver’s attitude as a problem area.

“When an employee is required to drive due to the nature of their role, a lax management attitude on driver safety can have a profound impact on their driving behaviour,” says the bulletin.

And Mary Williams, director of road safety organisation Brake, and a leading UK spokesperson on fleet driver safety, sums up the approach of management towards the safety of their drivers as: “A growing mood of intolerance that is developing towards ‘sloppy management’ of fleets which risks the lives of employees through a complacent attitude to safety.”

And she says it’s time for a change to the lack of interest many fleets show towards safety issues, including driver training.

The underlining theme of a recent presentation Mary made to the Institute of Mechanical Engineers in London, suggests that businesses need to reach a balance between emphasising the financial imperatives to their

employees (who require the use of motor vehicle as part of their employment), and the importance of road safety.

“Successful businesses owe a lot of their success to how well their management communicates information to their employees when it comes to financial goals, and the same should apply to the road safety attitudes their employees should adopt,” she says.

“The message needs to be supported by an appropriate policy and mandated, conveying a mind-set which aims to minimise risks at all times, through the appropriate attitude.”

Ms Williams has worked with Dr Will Murray, research director at leading road safety company Interactive Driving Systems.

Dr Murray has been involved in a number of studies of driving conditions and safety in New Zealand.

There are three main areas of driver training currently in place – behind the wheel (BTW) training, computer-based programmes, including online, and simulators.

Dr Murray questions the effectiveness of BTW training when used exclusively to improve car control skills, and says practical training needs to be focused on developing the desirable attitudes and behaviour of drivers who are at risk.

“In light of such criticism from researchers, and because of industry feedback, many BTW trainers have expanded their programmes to focus on wider issues such as fleet reviews, risk assessment, management policy and driver handbooks,” he says.

However, he concedes that training to cope with difficult conditions, such as mud or ice, remains important for drivers who have to deal with such conditions on a regular basis, such as forestry workers, first responders, and the like.

Although there has been some criticism of computer-based systems, Dr Murray favours this area of driver training, and has been involved with research and development of such a system in New Zealand, Interactive Driving Systems’ Virtual Risk Manager.

See www.virtualriskmanager.net/ nzacc for more details.

However he stresses that these systems should be used as the

basis for an holistic approach to risk assessment, management and training.

The third area of training, the use of simulators, is constantly growing, particularly in highly specialised, expensive, or dangerous training.

Simulators also have potential for more basic training, says Dr Murray, but there are limitations – on the number of people who can be trained at a time, high capital and fixed costs, and the need for trainees to have to go to a static simulator (although some simulators can be taken to the workplace).

He says that no matter what programmes a company finally chooses, it is important for organisations considering driver training to have an effective risk management process in place, shaped by a detailed understanding of the costs and risks involved.

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The school has a three-course programme, with the bulk of its business being centred about its core level one course.

The level two course isdesigned as a refresher and to be a bit more challenging, as is the three, the latter as a refresher course for those who have maybe completed both the level one and two courses but adds a few more variations.

This course has also been designed to be used for team building.

The school also offers on request corporate drive days, product launches for motor vehicle manufacturers, and performance days, and is also willing to tailor courses to meet specific requirements.

The school has a team of well-trained and highly experienced instructors, some of whom have been with the school for more than 15 years.

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New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013 19

DRIVER TRAINING

Hit while parked – or not?

Driver training is not just about safety in the marketplace. It’s also about limiting insurance claims and repair downtime. But what happens if your company vehicle drivers are not telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? Will Murray reports.

In all the motor claims data, and at several fleet client meetings, as well as in our day-to-day discussions with motor fleet insurers and other industry suppliers recently, a recurring theme has been the on-going incidence of “Damage caused to vehicles while parked”.

This is not a new issue.

Research analysing fleet claims data from around the world over the past 20 years has continually shown that a high percentage of fleet vehicle insurance claims happen at low speed, and that parking and manoeuvring is a perennial issue worthy of more attention by the fleet industry.

Based on the work of Interactive Driving Systems across the global motor fleet industry, “Hit while parked” incidents are invariably one of the top five collision types encountered by most organisations, particularly car and small commercial vehicle

fleet, and especially when telephone-based reporting is in place.

Most recently, we undertook the following detailed analysis

based on 100,000+ motor fleet insurance claims, of which 22 percent overall, and 25 percent for cars, were classified as “Damage while parked”.

Figure 1 – Hit while parked incidents Description

Car

% Commercial

%

Total

%

Damaged while parked - known third party

842

2

3

2,702

3

1,860

Damaged while parked - unknown third party

8,275

24

10,730

16

19,005

19

All other types

26,126

74

52,929

81

79,055

78

Total

35,243

20 New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

65,519

100,762

Although relatively minor in nature, “Hit while parked” events are a serious issue for the fleet sector – with the 100,00 plus events in Figure 1 representing more than £13-m (NZ$25-m) in direct damage costs, at an average of £600£700 (NZ$1,140-1,330) per event to repair.

Given the extent and cost of the problem, the following guidance focuses on three case studies and provides information on likely causes and potential solutions. Some key issues discussed are: • Obtaining the facts to get good data, to allow targeted policies, procedures, coaching, appropriate vehicle selection and journey/site risk assessment.

• The financial and other implications of “Hit while parked” claims.

• Accurate data, which is vital for selecting the correct type of management, driver, vehicle or site-based interventions.

DRIVER TRAINING • Policies that allow for genuine cases, but ensure drivers are not better off by being selective with the truth when reporting events.

Our experience in three specific claims analysis projects with major clients in the US, UK and Australia (Figure 2) can shed a great deal of light on the issue of “dents” inflicted on vehicles by drivers called “damaged or hit while parked”, “damage found”, “driver unknown”, “unreported”, “it wasn”t me”, “driver other” or “properly parked vehicle”. These types of incidents are also sometimes called “justs” - oh boss I’ve “just” noticed some damage on my vehicle but I’m not sure how it go there!

Figure 2 Australian fleet data Claim type

claims

costs ($)

Damage while parked

18%

11%

Reversing

16%

11%

Hit rear

15%

21%

Hit object

14%

11%

Other (23 cat)

11%

11%

Right of way

9%

14%

Undetected

7%

6%

Animals

5%

6%

Hit stationary vehicle

3%

3%

Lost control

2%

6%

The data in Figure 2 helps confirm the view that slow speed maneouvring, including “Hit while parked” incidents are a major problem in terms of the number of incidents, if not quite so in terms of the proportion of costs or cost per incident.

In the Australian data in Figure 2, “Damage while parked” incidents was the most common claim type (18 percent of all events), but only made up 11percent of the total costs and had a relatively low cost per claim of $1,080. Typically, higher speed incidents, particularly those involving more than one vehicle, will cost more than a slow speed parking related incident.

Further analysis of the data

provides a great deal of insight into the “Hit while parked” type of incident. In the Australian case in Figure 2, when the data was analysed further, the project sponsor in the client company was identified as having made such a claim himself.

In the discussions that followed he admitted “off the record” that the incident had actually involved his wife crashing his company car as she was manoeuvring in their own driveway. He told us that the easiest way for him to get a “no questions asked repair” was to report it as a “Damage while parked” event. Interestingly, the project sponsor has since won a major safety award for helping the company to implement the much more rigorous Internetenabled incident reporting, investigation and recording programme developed as part of the project.

In the UK case in Figure 3, there are two types of “Hit while parked” data, those where

the third party is know (3.4% of all claims) and those where the third party is not (14.6% of claims). Our research suggests that these should be treated separately, because the first figure is more certain than the second – as third party evidence is available.

Countermeasures we would recommend: • Implementation of detailed procedures, coaching, guidance, rules and work instructions for drivers, supervisors, managers, workshop staff and claims handlers.

• Ensuring that when “Damage while parked” incidents are reported by drivers they give complete information, particularly on the exact time, location address and type.

• Better reporting, recording, investigation and analysis of incident types and locations to identify at-risk staff and particular hotspots. “Hit while parked” incidents should be investigated with as much rigour and depth as all other event types – so that it is not seen as an easy way to report incidents despite what actually happened.

• Developing a campaign and “blitz” on “Hit while parked” incidents.

Review of vehicle selection and scheduling policies to ensure that the correct vehicles are being allocated to the correct jobs.

• Using plug and play or mobile phone based telemetry data to monitor vehicles and drivers involved in repeated “Hit while parked” or “damage found”

type incidents.

• Encouraging honesty in reporting and better memory retention, with strong consequences for drivers found to be not reporting truthfully.

• Targeted coaching interventions aimed at parking and manoeuvring, and the importance of honest and accurate claims reporting by drivers.

• Making “Hit while parked” an at-fault incident type when there is no known third party or witness; or changing the name to “Inappropriate parking”.

Detailed analysis of parking offences by drivers.

• Improved risk assessment of locations, such as car parks and company or customer sites, where there are recurring problems.

• Improved communications and guidance for drivers on safe parking.

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New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013 21

Fleet procurement feature

What lies ahead?

Last year, 2012 saw a surprisingly buoyant market with more than 100,000 new vehicles sold and no doubt the majority were purchased by private and public fleets. Robert Barry talks to the leasing and fleet management industry about what lies ahead for 2013.

Procurement trends A recent newcomer to the New Zealand market, Auckland-based Maxxia Asset Management, says it received more TransTasman tenders in 2012 than in previous years.

“There seems to be a concerted move towards Trans-Tasman tenders to maximise buying power,” says Maxxia’s Kerry Rice.

“Previously companies with operations on both sides of the Tasman often worked independently of each other, or with minimal co-operation. However the number of RFP (request for proposal) and those currently pending mean we may see a lot more Trans-Tasman tenders in the coming year.”

“For SG Fleet the main procurement trend has been sourcing vehicles that are fit for purpose,” says managing director Geoff Tipene. “Our client base has very specific needs and as a result we work very closely with the client and third party suppliers.

“We try to deliver a vehicle that will reliably perform the duties required by the client while maintaining all health and safety requirements but a commercially competitive price.”

Optifleet director Jack Gordon-Crosby says his company has seen an increase in the number of clients entering into long term agreements with vehicle distributors for the supply and ongoing servicing of motor vehicles. He says there is a greater tendency towards long term relationships rather than one-off purchases.

“Value for money (considering whole of life costs) is almost always the most important consideration in procurement,” says Jack.

“Every organisation has their own unique preferences and as a result weightings in the evaluation process. To some it may be important to have a green fleet, and therefore sustainability credentials will be weighted higher than in other fleets. Generally though, it comes down to total costs.”

“The dramatic downsizing (in category of vehicle) of fleet vehicles experienced over the last few years has probably reached its practical limit, with clients now looking to enhance ‘fit for purpose’ characteristics within the fleet,” says ORIX fleet sales manager Nigel Bell-Booth.

“Coupled with a renewed interest in a vehicles environmental footprint, along with a degree of push back from drivers

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22 New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

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Fleet procurement feature Navara pickups instead.”

Finance options Nigel Bell-Booth says that Sale and Lease back is still a very popular option as it offers business owners the opportunity to realise the equity in an owned fleet, as well as benefiting immediately from the inherent advantages of leasing.

“Of particular note has been the interest expressed in this product by many SOE’s and public sector organisations, primarily as a result of the Government’s restriction on funding over the next few years,” says Nigel.

“These organisations have seen sale and leaseback as a variable way to free up capital and continue to meet their budgetary targets under the new funding regime.”

Disposal trends

who have seen their company supplied vehicle drop several category sizes, companies are now looking for innovative vehicle choices that will achieve multiple competing fleet targets.

“In particular, the growth of the compact SUV sector has been noticeable and ORIX expect this category to become the predominant vehicle choice in tool of trade fleets over the next few years.

Supply chain According to Nigel Bell-Booth, supply on passenger vehicles is generally back up to speed following the Japanese Earthquake, however the legacy of the Thai floods continues to have a dramatic impact on the

availability of many of the major ute brands.

“While production is now back up to speed, the backlog of orders internationally has resulted in significant lead / delivery time delays across the market,” he says. “This is expected to continue into the near future and requires lease companies to carefully plan and pre-order stock, along with realistic management of client expectations.”

“Our clients have certainly had to look at alternative vehicles this year due to shortages of preferred light commercial vehicles with a prime example being the Ford Ranger,” says Kerry Rice.

“We have been lucky that in many cases we have been able to source suitable alternatives such as Mazda BT-50 and Nissan

The buoyancy of the used vehicle market has been the real trend for 2012 according to Geoff Tipene.

“SG Fleet finds the best results come from disposing our vehicles through trade and public auctions. Using this process allows for full transparency and gives us real and accurate data for both forecasting residuals and assisting with client reviews,” he says.

Jack Gordon-Crosby agrees with these sentiments: “The auction houses are still the most efficient and effective means to dispose of motor vehicles and the bulk of the clients we work with continue to see the value in using this channel.”

Residual values “We have seen residual values holding firm in 2012, however there are still a number of aging fleet vehicles which need

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24 New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

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to be rolled over in the first half of 2013,” says Kerry Rice. “But even with the number of larger fleets being replaced we expect that residual values will continue to hold firm through this period.”

“This area has been and always will be, a tricky one,” says Geoff Tipene.

“When a used market is strong and the fleet management operators (FMO) are not incurring losses you tend to see confidence and increased residual values, but unfortunately history shows that eventually the markets or vehicle segments will reset for whatever reason. As quickly as used prices drop so do the residual values with adverse effects on customer rentals.

It is my opinion that apart from a downward decline in future values on ‘end of line’ or ‘run out’ models residuals have remained fairly stable with increases in the more popular and safe segments.”

The legacy of the de-fleeting during the 2008-2009 years of the GFC have meant that quality ex-lease stock availability is currently very low, says Nigel Bell-Booth.

“Coupled with the downturn in the importation of Japanese second-hand vehicles and the general low levels of quality stock in the market, second-hand values have been pushed up across all disposal channels,” he says.

“Of particular note is the significant fall in popularity of large six cylinder vehicles, and the increase in customer interest in SUV’s, which have resulted in a significant respective decrease and increase in secondhand values.”

Benchmarking and utilisation Benchmarking is still very much a relevant practise within the fleet industry, according to Geoff Tipene.

“At SG we are fortunate to have nationally-based clients that have like for-like vehicles in their fleet. This fleet structure allows us at a client’s quarterly

review to benchmark cost centre to cost centre, business unit to business unit, region to region and industry to industry, he says.

“Benchmarking this way highlights the exceptions in a fleet and gives the internal manager reason to raise questions regarding the cost performance of a vehicle(s), business unit or even reward if running costs are below industry standards.”

“Too many organisations are still leaving value and/or cost savings on the table when purchasing, running and disposing of their fleets, because they don’t have an accurate handle on the lifecycle costs of their existing assets,” says Jack Gordon-Crosby.

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New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013 25

Fleet procurement feature

“Often they don’t have technology and tools to capture and report on actual fleet running costs, and true utilisation.

Fleet procurement specialists are well placed to help organisations identify all opportunities to reduce total fleet costs.”

Sales forecast Kerry Rice says that all indications are that growth will continue in the first half of 2013 but albeit at a slower pace than 2012, however in the second half of 2013 he feels there will be a levelling off

as most of the larger fleets will have been replaced by then.

Jack Gordon-Crosby is bullish about the prospects for new vehicle sales in 2013: “Based on what we are seeing, we predict a growth in new vehicle sales of a minimum of 10 percent in the coming year.”

Geoff Tipene says that he personally feels new vehicle sales in 2013 will hit the high 90,000 mark rather than cracking the 100,000 unit sales as there was a great deal of rental car purchasing in 2012 which in his opinion contributed to artificial growth in the new vehicle market.

There are more than 240,000 cars on New Zealand roads aged 16 years and over which are clearly nearing the end of their economic life, which is one contributing factor to the strength of residual values for newer vehicles, as well as the restriction on second hand imports to vehicles which meet emission and safety standards.

Annually New Zealand also scraps more than 190,000 vehicles through deregistration, accidents, and vehicles which are permanently taken off the road.

So fleet buyers can remain fairly confident that regardless of whether they buy or lease a new vehicle this year, particularly a small car or SUV, they can be assured that the prospects of a strong residual and a strong demand for the vehicle in 36 to 48 month time are positive.

You asked. We delivered.

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26 New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

Alliance boosts FleetPartners

Dennis Kelly A recent global strategic alliance with Paris-based ALD Automotive and Chicagobased Wheels Inc., has allowed FleetPartners NZ to offer greater ecionomies of scale, says MD Dennis Kelly, with the alliance creating a network covering 43 countries, and with 1.3-million vehicles under management, of which FleetPartners has more than 50,000 vehicles across Australia and New Zealand.

Says Dennis: ”When FleetPartners became a key part of the international alliance with ALD Automotive and Wheels, it was seen that the combined alliance would strengthen our ability to provide a unique international perspective for New Zealand-based companies and those international companies that have

operations based here.

“This international approach, when combined with our sister company in Australia, allows FleetPartners to offer greater economies of scale, a wider range of services and underlines our individual approach to our customers here in New Zealand.

“Since the alliance we have seen evidence of increasing co-operation between the alliance members in our region, allowing FleetPartners to move to both pan-Tasman and globalised service provisions.

“In addition the experience around the globe allows FleetPartners to be truly innovative in an ever-changing fleet market.

By recognising the trends around the world we are able to develop solutions for our customers that will reduce cost and business risk for their fleet operations.

“We have seen examples of international alliance customers seeking FleetPartners’ support both here in New Zealand and in Australia. Due to the opportunity and the work being generated by the Alliance FleetPartners has invested in a dedicated International Alliance Manager who coordinates the Alliance in the Pan Tasman area.

He said much of the success of the international alliance can be attributed to the levels of communication between the three companies, including global teleconference meetings to exchange ideas and opportunities for all regions.

“This level of co-operation is unique in the fleet industry and the blend of ideas provides clear direction for fleet both here in New Zealand and other markets. New Zealand customers are seeing increased service levels and for their sister companies in Australia and around the world, which allows for true fleet accountability and cost reduction for our customers.”

Wheels, Inc., which pioneered the concept of auto leasing in 1939, provides a full range of specialised services to help corporations manage their vehicle fleets, while its holding company, Frank Consolidated Enterprises, is a $2-billion company that currently ranks as the largest privately held fleet management company in North America.

ALD Automotive is the operational leasing and fleet management business line of the Societe Generale group and is one of the largest providers in Europe, operating in 37 countries.

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New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013 27

FLEET Buyers Guide

New Zealand Company Vehicle Buyer’s Guide for 2013 Last year saw an overall rationalisation of most manufacturer’s ranges in New Zealand, with a number of them quietly dropping slow-selling models. However, a surprising number of all new models introduced has taken up the space.

This is particularly noticeable in the medium segment and the SUV segment, both of which have expanded this year, while the rapid reduction of models across the large car segment of the last few years has largely levelled off now.

You will no doubt notice a few key vehicles missing from the guide this year namely the Toyota RAV4, Volkswagen Golf and Subaru Forester. This is because as we go to print new models of each are due to be

launched, so having the old prices and specs in this Buyer’s Guide was largely irrelevant.

The respective manufacturer’s websites will have details and prices of the new vehicles as they are released, and we will publish details and road tests of them over the coming months as we get our hands on them.

Because we can’t include literally everything, there have to be limits. As such we have excluded anything overtly sporty, as well as convertibles and coupes

and any car or SUV that is priced over our “executive” cut-off of $75,000.

This year we have redesigned the pages to include more information, so there are no special codes you have to worry abaout.

However, as far as automatic transmission is concerned, this can mean either a conventional automatic, a CVT (continuously variable transmission), an automated dual clutch transmission or any variation of these types.

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28 New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

TOWING SOLUTIONS & AUTO ACCESSORIES

COMPACT CARS

FLEET Buyers Guide

Compact Cars

Alfa Romeo Mito Small and perfectly formed, the undeniably stylish three-door Mito is the perfect antidote to the ubiquitousness of the Mini. Except it isn’t as much fun to drive and isn’t built to BMW quality standards.

Pros: looks great; has strong, economical engines.Cons: ride is a bit grim; Italian build quality; expensive for what it offers.

Alfa Romeo Mito

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

Multiair Sport Multiair Sport Multiair QV

$39,990 $42,990 $42,990

3/hatch 3/hatch 3/hatch

Manual Auto Manual

Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1368 I4/1368 I4/1368

99 99 125

230 230 250

5.6 5.6 6.0

126 126 139

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Audi A1 The A1 disguises its VW roots impressively with a fantastic interior, strong engines and top-notch build quality. You do pay a hefty premium for it though. The five-door Sportback works better than the original three-door both in terms of looks and as a concept – it just makes more sense, for some reason.

Pros: incredible build quality; well equipped; brilliant engines; great handling.

Cons: expensive; pop-up screen in dash is utterly pointless.

Audi A1

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

1.4 TFSI 1.4 TFSI Sport 1.4 TFSI Sport Plus

$39,800 $42,800 $47,500

5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch

Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1390 I4/1390 I4/1390

90 90 136

200 200 250

5.3 5.3 5.9

122 122 139

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Chery J1 If price is your biggest concern, then you will struggle to get cheaper than the J1. But with a spartan interior, no stability control and only two airbags, there is very little else to get excited about with the J1.

Pros: price, price, price. And a good warranty.

Cons: only two airbags, no stability control, seems to be thirstier than something this small should be.

Chery J1

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

1.3 5 Door

$12,990

5/hatch

Manual

Petrol

I4/1297

62

122

6.7

n/a

3 Star

Citroen C3 Where Citroen’s DS cars are all stylish and quirky, the ordinary C cars have gone for a far more conservative approach. And the C3 is no exception to this rule. A competent small car that offers nothing above the pack.

Pros: a bit different; good looking; comfortable; practical.

Cons: unrefined four-speed auto; expensive.

Citroen C3

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

VTR

$27,990

5/hatch

Auto

Petrol

I4/1598

88

160

6.9

122

5 Star

Citroen DS3 Distinctive, quirky and massive fun to drive, the DS3 is everything the car it is based on – the C3 – isn’t. A fantastic interior layout adds to the fun, but the DS3 even manages to be slightly practical. The EGS transmission in the base 70kW model is a love-it-or-hate-it affair, while the manual 115kW turbo range-topper is an absolute firecracker.

Pros: fantastic, distinctive looks; great handling and ride; surprisingly practical for a three-door.

Cons: only auto is a four-speeder; looks may be a bit too distinctive for some.

Citroen DS3

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

DSPORT EGS DSTYLE DSPORT

$29,990 $37,990 $39,990

3/hatch 3/hatch 3/hatch

Auto Auto Manual

Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1397 I4/1598 I4/1598

70 88 115

136 160 240

5.5 7.0 6.7

127 160 155

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

30 New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

Compact Cars

Daihatsu Sirion Cheap and cheerful, but owned by Toyota – what more do you want? The Sirion has been around for a while now, but still manages to represent good value for money and still looks good, even if it does lack the cheeky retro knowing wink of its predecessor.

Pros: great build quality; good engines; surprising fun to throw around.

Cons: starting to show its age; upper-spec SX model is getting a bit pricey.

Daihatsu Sirion

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

1.3 5 Door 1.3 5 Door 1.5 SX

$18,990 $19,990 $23,490

5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch

Manual Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1298 I4/1298 I4/1495

64 64 76

120 120 138

5.8 6.4 6.7

137 151 157

4 Star 4 Star 4 Star

Fiat 500 Utterly cheerful, but not THAT cheap, the 500 is a surprisingly good car once you learn how to drive it. Like an Italian, that is; flat out everywhere. Extraordinarily impractical, but it still attracts the looks, so makes a good promotional opportunity.

Pros: look at it! You just want to hug it; surprisingly good build quality; great dynamics.

Cons: slightly grim ride; awful seating position for taller drivers; no room anywhere.

Fiat 500

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

Lounge Lounge

$26,990 $29,490

3/hatch 3/hatch

Manual Auto

Petrol Petrol

I4/1368 I4/1368

64 64

131 131

6.3 n/a

149 n/a

5 Star 5 Star

Ford Fiesta There is only one car in the segment that is more enjoyable than the Fiesta – the Suzuki Swift Sport. The difference is the Fiesta offers the same level of enjoyment across the entire range. High spec and massive fun, but also impressively practical and comfortable, the Fiesta is a hard one to go past.

Pros: great dynamics, fizzy engines and brilliant transmissions; looks good; well-specced at every price point; very comfortable.

Cons: built down to a price.

Ford Fiesta

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

LX LX LX Zetec Zetec

$23,990 $25,490 $26,990 $25,990 $27,490

5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch

Manual Auto Manual Manual Auto

Petrol Petrol Diesel Petrol Petrol

I4/1596 I4/1596 I4/1560 I4/1596 I4/1596

89 89 66 89 89

151 151 200 151 151

6.1 6.1 4.4 6.1 6.1

146 146 117 146 146

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Holden Barina Spark Funky, fantastic looks and a unique interior hide a decidedly average attempt at a compact city car underneath. Still, it is remarkably cheap for what is on offer, although it desperately needs more power.

Pros: funky looks; inspired interior design; perky around town.

Cons: desperately needs more power; cheap materials.

Holden Barina Spark

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

CD CD

$16,990 $18,490

5/hatch 5/hatch

Manual Auto

Petrol Petrol

I4/1206 I4/1206

59 59

107 107

5.6 5.6

128 128

4 Star 4 Star

Holden Barina A good-looking, well-specced contender that suffers from cheap materials and poor build quality. Looks great inside and out, but inside it suffered from cheap materials. Frugal and zippy around town, it needs more power to be a decent open road cruiser.

Pros: frugal; looks great; well-priced.

Cons: underpowered; poor auto transmission; cheap interior.

Holden Barina

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

CD hatch CD hatch CD sedan CDX hatch

$22,990 $24,990 $24,990 $26,990

5/hatch 5/hatch 4/sedan 5/hatch

Manual Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1598 I4/1598 I4/1598 I4/1598

85 85 85 85

155 155 155 155

6.8 6.7 6.7 6.4

155 153 154 146

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013 31

FLEET Buyers Guide

Compact Cars

Honda Jazz Easily the most intelligent packaging of any small car, just wrapped up in an extremely conservative package. The “magic seats” in the rear of the Jazz are a folding masterpiece to be applauded, but the rest of it is a car that does what it is supposed to do, but nothing more.

Pros: swallows a remarkable amount of cargo thanks to its genius packaging; open and airy; ridiculously easy to park.

Cons: dull and dreary engines; ordinary handling; a bit expensive.

Honda Jazz

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

S 1.3S S 1.3S Sport IMA

$24,700 $24,700 $27,500 $27,500 $29,500 TBA

5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch

Manual Manual Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1496 I4/1339 I4/1496 I4/1339 I4/1496 I4/1339

88 73 88 73 88 72

145 127 145 127 145 167

6.4 5.8 6.7 6.6 6.7 4.5

151 137 159 156 159 107

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Honda City Basically a Jazz sedan, the City comes across as less than the sum of its parts. Without the magic seats and resulting incredibly loadswallowing ability, you are left with a fairly ordinary, uninspiring small sedan. Not terrible, just lacking in much to elevate it above the pack.

Pros: easy to manoeuvre; well-built.

Cons: dull and dreary engines; ordinary handling; expensive.

Honda City

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

S L

$29,500 $32,875

4/sedan 4/sedan

Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol

I4/1496 I4/1496

88 88

145 145

6.6 6.6

156 156

5 Star 5 Star

Hyundai i20 The last i20 was an underdone facelift that didn’t live up to Hyundai’s increasingly high standards. And the new one is, unfortunately, much the same. While it packs in an incredible amount of kit for the price, the woolly handling, weird steering and underpowered engine do it no favours.

Pros: looks great; packs a remarkable amount of kit for the price; practical and roomy.

Cons: extraordinarily strange steering; needs more power.

Hyundai i20

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

GL GL GLS GLS

$25,490 $25,990 $25,990 $26,990

5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch

Manual Auto Manual Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1396 I4/1396 I4/1396 I4/1396

74 74 74 74

136 136 136 136

5.3 5.9 5.3 5.9

126 140 126 140

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Kia Picanto The new Picanto may have shed its cute looks and bargain-basement pricing appeal, but it has more than made up for it by becoming an attractive, well-equipped and remarkably manoeuvrable, grown-up city car.

Pros: looks great; characterful, fuel-sipping engine; good levels of spec across range.

Cons: clunky four-speed auto ‘gearbox robs power and ruins performance; ISG auto stop-start function has a mind of its own.

Kia Picanto

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

LX ISG LX EX

$18,590 $18,990 $20,990

5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch

Manual Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1248 I4/1248 I4/1248

64 64 64

123 123 123

4.3 5.3 5.6

100 125 130

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Kia Rio On paper the Kia Rio has all the indications that it will be a fabulous car, but unfortunately a low-tech four-speed auto trans, lethargic petrol engines, and poor handling dull what is otherwise a great-looking, well-equipped, comfortable little car.

Pros: well-built; well-specced; looks fantastic; great pricing; diesel manual well worth considering.

Cons: lacklustre handling, most unimpressive in the wet; four-speed auto.

Kia Rio

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

LX ISG LX LX EX

$22,990 $23,490 $24,990 $25,790

5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch

Manual Auto Manual Auto

Petrol Petrol Diesel Petrol

I4/1396 I4/1396 I4/1396 I4/1396

80 80 66 80

137 137 220 137

5.3 6.4 4.3 6.4

124 150 113 150

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

32 New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

Compact Cars

Mazda2 While it may be getting on in years, the little Mazda2 still more than holds its own in the super-competitive super-mini segment. Great looks, strong engines and tenacious handling mark it out as a good pick, but the old four-speed auto gearbox lets it down a little.

Pros: attractive; fun to drive; spacious; comfortable.

Cons: been around for a while; four-speed auto saps performance; plasticky interior.

Mazda2

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

Classic Classic Sport Sport

$23,245 $24,645 $25,155 $26,555

5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch

Manual Auto Manual Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1498 I4/1498 I4/1498 I4/1498

76 76 76 76

137 137 137 137

6.4 6.8 6.4 6.8

n/a n/a n/a n/a

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Mini Starting to get a bit long in the tooth now, the Mini is still a fantastic car to drive. While the hatch is largely impractical, the Clubman does add a bit of useful load space. Strong engines, great transmissions and brilliant handling are the Mini’s strong points. Lack of usable space, the overly retro interior and age its weak points.

Pros: massive fun to drive, even the lower-powered models; still looks cool; brilliant diesel.

Cons: impractical; getting on now.

Mini

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

Ray Ray Cooper Cooper Cooper D Cooper D Clubman Cooper Clubman Cooper Cooper S Clubman Cooper D Cooper S Clubman Cooper D Clubman Cooper S Clubman Cooper S

$29,200 $31,900 $36,200 $39,200 $40,600 $43,600 $41,200 $44,200 $44,200 $45,600 $47,200 $48,600 $49,200 $52,200

3/hatch 3/hatch 3/hatch 3/hatch 3/hatch 3/hatch 3/wagon 3/wagon 3/hatch 3/wagon 3/hatch 3/wagon 3/wagon 3/wagon

Manual Auto Manual Auto Manual Auto Manual Auto Manual Manual Auto Auto Manual Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Diesel Diesel Petrol Petrol Petrol Diesel Petrol Diesel Petrol Petrol

I4/1598 I4/1598 I4/1598 I4/1598 I4/1560 I4/1560 I4/1598 I4/1598 I4/1598 I4/1560 I4/1598 I4/1560 I4/1598 I4/1598

72 72 90 90 82 82 90 90 135 82 135 82 135 135

153 153 160 160 270 270 160 160 240 270 240 270 240 240

5.4 6.7 5.8 6.7 3.8 4.1 5.9 6.8 6.3 3.9 6.7 4.2 6.3 6.7

127 156 136 156 99 110 138 158 146 103 155 115 146 156

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Nissan Micra Despite a new body and new platform, the littlest Nissan still relies on “proven technology” under the bonnet, with the retention of the previous model’s engine and transmission. While this no doubt helps makes the Micra cheaper than the likes of a Ford Fiesta, it does make it feel older as well.

Pros: looks a lot more normal than old one; lighter and more fuel efficient; great around town.

Cons: looks a lot more ordinary than the old one; sluggish auto; out of its depth on the open road.

Nissan Micra

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

ST Ti

$22,600 $24,100

5/hatch 5/hatch

Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol

I4/1498 I4/1498

75 75

136 136

6.6 6.6

156 156

4 Star 4 Star

Peugeot 208 Great fun to drive, great looking, sharply-priced and remarkably easy to live with, the 208 would be the complete package. Except Peugeot has seen fit to saddle it with the quirky old four-speed auto transmission. Everything else is brilliant, though.

Pros: great engines; clever, well-laid out interior; perky handling.

Cons: four-speed auto; dash-dominating touch screen is a bit useless without sat nav (which is on its way).

Peugeot 208

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

Active Active Allure Allure

$23,990 $25,990 $28,990 $29,990

5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 3/hatch

Manual Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol

I3/1199 I4/1598 I4/1598 I4/1598

60 88 88 88

118 160 160 160

4.5 6.7 6.7 6.7

104 154 154 154

n/a n/a n/a n/a

New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013 33

FLEET Buyers Guide

Compact Cars

Skoda Fabia Brilliant VW Polo-based supermini brings cute, quirky looks and crisp handling to the party. Strangely, not quite as cohesive a package as its German sibling, the Fabia still makes for a compelling and convincing option.

Pros: great engines and transmissions; sharp handling; individual looking.

Cons: firm ride; plasticky interior; individual looking.

Skoda Fabia

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

1.6 TSI 77 vRS

$23,900 $30,500 $35,500

5/hatch 5/wagon 5/hatch

Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1598 I4/1197 I4/1390

77 77 132

153 175 250

7.5 5.3 6.2

180 124 148

4 Star 4 Star 4 Star

Suzuki Alto Small, cheap and basic, the Alto is transport at its barest form. Except it isn’t actually all that cheap for what it is. The tiny 996cc threecylinder engine is enthusiastic and the highlight of the package. Cheap build quality is the lowlight.

Pros: perky engine; cheap to run.

Cons: poor build quality; cheap materials; not actually that cheap.

Suzuki Alto

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

GLX GLX

$17,250 $19,550

5/hatch 5/hatch

Manual Auto

Petrol Petrol

I3/996 I3/996

50 50

90 90

4.5 5.2

107 124

4 Star 4 Star

Suzuki Splash Not as good as a Swift sums up the Splash nicely. Built down to a price, the Splash fails to impress dynamically, but also in terms of packaging and build quality. A cheap car at a price not much cheaper than the Swift.

Pros: looks good; eager engine.

Cons: poor auto trans; poor handling; low-rent interior; poor finishing.

Suzuki Splash

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

GLX GLX LTD

$18,500 $19,990 $21,500

5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch

Manual Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1199 I4/1199 I4/1199

69 69 69

118 118 118

5.1 5.7 5.7

118 131 131

4 Star 4 Star 4 Star

Suzuki Swift A blistering success since the last model was launched, and it is easy to see why. The new Swift improves on the last car’s woeful rear legroom, but pretty much leaves the good bits alone, making it a strong contender in the compact segment. The manual Sport is still the most fun you can buy for under $100,000.

Pros: usable rear seats now; practical and fun; cheap to run.

Cons: looks too much like the old one; price creeping up.

Suzuki Swift

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

GL GLX GLX LTD LTD RS RS Diesel Sport Sport

$20,500 $22,500 $23,990 $23,500 $24,990 $24,990 $26,500 $25,990 $27,500 $28,990

5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch

Manual Manual Auto Manual Auto Manual Auto Manual Manual Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Diesel Petrol Petrol

I4/1372 I4/1372 I4/1372 I4/1372 I4/1372 I4/1372 I4/1372 I4/1297 I4/1586 I4/1586

70 70 70 70 70 70 70 55 100 100

130 130 130 130 130 130 130 190 160 160

5.5 5.5 6.2 5.5 6.2 5.5 6.2 4.2 6.1 6.5

132 132 147 132 147 132 147 109 144 153

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

34 New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

Compact Cars

Toyota Yaris A cheerful, almost characterful small Toyota that does pretty much everything well and very little wrong. It’s not the most exciting compact car on the market, but it’s not exactly as boring as it might have been either.

Pros: decent handling; 1.3 manual surprisingly fun; very practical and roomy; easy to live with.

Cons: a bit bland; four-speed auto nothing special; interior attractive but very plasticky.

Toyota Yaris

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

YR YR YR YRS Sedan

$23,580 $24,080 $25,580 $27,780 $30,830

3/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 4/sedan

Auto Manual Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1299 I4/1299 I4/1299 I4/1497 I4/1496

63 63 63 80 80

121 121 121 141 141

6.3 5.7 6.3 6.3 6.7

147 134 147 147 160

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Toyota Prius C Using last-generation Prius hatch technology, the Prius C downsizes (and downprices) into the compact segment, with remarkably good results. Less demanding that you change your driving style than the larger Prius, remarkable fuel consumption figures can be coaxed out of the C with very little effort.

Pros: great looking; surprisingly decent handler; good value for money; loads of kit.

Cons: cheap for a hybrid, but still quite expensive for a compact; plastic interior.

Toyota Prius C

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

L1 L2 S-Tech

$31,280 $32,280 $35,280

5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch

Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1497 I4/1497 I4/1497

74 74 74

111 111 111

3.9 3.9 3.9

90 90 90

n/a n/a n/a

Volkswagen Polo A brilliant little car with huge presence, massive character and fantastic dynamics. Practical, economical and nippy, the Polo is a true class leader, with the GTi making a thoroughly wonderful (if expensive by segment standards) hot hatch.

Pros: wonderful dynamics; great interior; surprisingly roomy.

Cons: CrossPolo pretty redundant; 7-speed DSG a few gears too many for the 63kW.

Volkswagen Polo

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

63kW 63kW 66kW CrossPolo GTi

$22,500 $25,750 $29,750 $35,500 $38,250

5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch

Manual Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1390 I4/1390 I4/1197 I4/1197 I4/1390

63 63 66 77 132

132 132 160 175 250

5.8 5.8 5.3 5.5 5.9

135 135 124 128 139

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

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New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013 35

Small Cars

Business confidence.

The Holden Cruze range. There’s a lot to feel good about. Right now, the road ahead couldn’t be smoother than behind the wheel of a stylish, new Holden Cruze. In a choice of body styles, including the all-new Sportwagon, as well as a selection of engines and powertrains, Cruze offers value you’ll find hard to beat. On the top-of-the-range SRi-V model you can expect driver-friendly technology, including touch-screen satellite navigation and a premium DVD audio system.

Across the range, Bluetooth® with voice recognition and the highest possible, 5-star ANCAP safety features come as standard. Holden Cruze. From as little as $450 per month* for the Cruze Sedan CD 1.8L Manual. It’s one good reason to approach 2013 with confidence.

holden.co.nz *Lease offer available from 8 February 2013 to 30 April 2013. Monthly lease price based on 36 months/45,000 kms non-maintained operating lease and includes GST but excludes on-road costs and any accessories.

Offer not available in conjunction with any other offer or discount and is available to GST-registered companies only. Offer is subject to Holden Financial Services standard financial terms and lending criteria. Holden Financial Services is a division of MARAC Finance Limited.

Small Cars

Alfa Romeo Giulietta Yet again stunning looks tug at the heart, while the rational side screams “NO!” Just not anywhere near as loudly as with other Alfas.

Looks great, has strong engines, and is a blast to drive.

Pros: sporty, sexy looks in a practical package; good engines, Cons: it IS quite expensive for what it is; still the lingering spectre of long-term Alfa reliability. Or lack of it?

Alfa Romeo Giulietta

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

Multiair Multiair JTD QV

$46,990 $49,990 $52,990 $54,990

5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch

Manual Auto Auto Manual

Petrol Petrol Diesel Petrol

I4/1368 I4/1368 I4/1956 I4/1742

125 125 125 173

250 250 350 340

5.8 5.2 4.5 7.6

134 121 119 177

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Audi A3 With a new model due imminently, the current A3 is starting to show its age. It does still hold up relatively well though, especially with the current range of engines. Keep an eye on www.audi.co.nz for details of the new model.

Pros: great handler; strong, modern engines; excellent packaging.

Cons: due for replacement.

Audi A3

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

1.4 TFSI 1.4 TFSI Sport 2.0 TDI 2.0 TDI Sport 1.8 TFSI Sport

$47,400 $51,900 $54,900 $59,400 $59,400

5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch

Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Diesel Diesel Petrol

I4/1390 I4/1390 I4/1968 I4/1968 I4/1798

92 92 103 103 118

200 200 320 320 250

5.8 5.8 5.4 5.4 6.7

137 137 143 143 158

4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star

BMW 1 Series MX-5-style RWD dynamics in a practical five-door package and a range of fantastically strong, ridiculously economical engines make the 1 Series a truly compelling prospect. Packaging woes and stripped-out nature of the last car largely resolved now, too.

Pros: perfect blend of ride comfort and handling; well-priced for what comes standard now; not a bad engine in the range.

Cons: while the looks have been improved, it is still a bit crook from some angles.

BMW 1 Series

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

116i 118i 118d 125i M Sport

$49,700 $55,500 $56,600 $64,600

5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch

Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Diesel Petrol

I4/1598 I4/1598 I4/1995 I4/1995

100 125 105 160

220 250 320 310

5.7 5.9 4.5 6.6

132 137 118 154

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Chery J3 More impressive than its smaller sibling, the J1, the Chery J3 offers remarkable value for money, providing the purchaser is willing to travel back in time about 10 years and likes Korean cars of that era – as that is exactly what it feels like.

Pros: like the J1, price and warranty; an impressive level of standard spec for the price; six airbags.

Cons: thirstier than it should be; still no stability control.

Chery J3

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

1.6 5 Door

$16,990

5/hatch

Manual

Petrol

I4/1597

87

147

8.9

n/a

3 Star

Citroen C4 Stuck in a deeply competitive segment, the C4 struggles to offer anything to really make it stand out. Bland styling and conservative spec mask a decent car, but oddball transmissions make life more difficult than they should.

Pros: comfortable; frugal engines.

Cons: bland styling; strange EGS transmission not to all tastes.

Citroen C4

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

VTI Turbo EGS Turbo EGS

$29,990 $39,990 $39,990

5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch

Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Diesel

I4/1598 I4/1598 I4/1560

88 115 82

160 240 270

7.0 6.4 4.2

165 148 109

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013 37

FLEET Buyers Guide Small Cars

Citroen DS4 A strange blend of SUV ride height and sports car handling makes the DS4 a slightly confused proposition that is fantastic to drive, but hard to understand. Impractical rear doors with windows that don’t wind down are quirky, but pointless as rear legroom is woeful.

Strange, but great fun.

Pros: fantastic handling; great ride; turbo Sport Chic is very quick.

Cons: high seating position at odds with sporty handling; stupid model names; it’s just weird.

Citroen DS4

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

So Chic So Chic So Chic Sport Chic

$44,990 $45,990 $46,990 $48,990

5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch

Auto Auto Auto Manual

Petrol Petrol Diesel Petrol

I4/1598 I4/1598 I4/1560 I4/1598

115 120 82 147

240 240 270 275

6.4 7.7 4.2 6.4

148 178 109 149

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Ford Focus When this generation of Focus was launched, it was a brilliant car that did very little wrong, except it was too expensive. Ford has fixed that now, so it is merely a brilliant car that does very little wrong. Well specced, supremely comfortable and dynamically brilliant, the Focus takes it right up to the VW Golf, and then some.

Pros: hatch looks great; fantastic quality materials used; Titanium model packed with spec; fantastic dynamics and comfort; well equipped.

Cons: sedan and wagon look a bit boring though; hard plastics well hidden, but still present.

Ford Focus

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

Ambiente Ambiente Trend Trend Trend Sport Titanium Titanium

$32,990 $34,490 $35,990 $38,990 $40,490 $41,990 $46,990 $46,990

5/hatch 5/wagon 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/wagon 5/hatch 5/hatch 4/sedan

Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Diesel Diesel Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1596 I4/1596 I4/1999 I4/1997 I4/1997 I4/1999 I4/1999 I4/1999

92 92 125 120 120 125 125 125

159 159 202 340 340 202 202 202

6.4 6.4 6.6 5.4 5.3 6.7 6.7 6.7

149 149 154 142 139 156 156 156

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Holden Cruze The little car that just keeps getting better and finally proves that Holden CAN make something other than a Commodore. Series II facelift bought a number of improvements that completed the Cruze package nicely, and the new 1.4-litre petrol engine is an absolute cracker.

Pros: ride, performance and handling vastly improved; slick looks; very well equipped.Cons: some interior surfaces are cheap; old 1.8-litre petrol is a waste of time.

Holden Cruze

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

CD CD CD CD CD CD Turbo CD Turbo CDX CDX SRI Turbo CD CD SRI Turbo CD SRI-V Turbo SRI-V Turbo SRI-V Turbo SRI-V Turbo

$30,400 $30,900 $31,900 $32,400 $33,400 $33,900 $34,400 $35,400 $36,000 $36,400 $36,900 $37,400 $37,900 $38,400 $38,900 $39,400 $40,400 $40,900

4/sedan 5/hatch 4/sedan 5/hatch 5/wagon 4/sedan 5/hatch 4/sedan 5/wagon 5/hatch 4/sedan 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/wagon 4/sedan 5/hatch 4/sedan 5/hatch

Manual Manual Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Manual Auto Auto Auto Auto Manual Manual Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Diesel Diesel Petrol Diesel Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1796 I4/1796 I4/1796 I4/1796 I4/1796 I4/1364 I4/1364 I4/1796 I4/1796 I4/1364 I4/1998 I4/1998 I4/1364 I4/1998 I4/1364 I4/1364 I4/1364 I4/1364

104 104 104 104 104 103 103 104 104 103 120 120 103 120 103 103 103 103

176 176 176 176 176 200 200 176 176 200 360 360 200 360 200 200 200 200

7.0 7.0 7.4 7.4 7.5 6.9 6.9 7.4 7.5 6.6 6.7 6.7 6.9 6.8 6.4 6.4 6.9 6.9

160 160 169 169 174 158 158 169 174 151 125 125 158 127 146 146 158 158

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

38 New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

Small Cars

Honda Civic A car of two halves, which is probably why Honda insists that the dreary sedan and the brilliant Euro hatch are two different cars – they certainly feel it. Ignore the sedan and head straight for the hatch if you care for great handling, impressive ride comfort, sexy styling and remarkable practicality.

Pros: the hatch – it looks great, handles great and is brilliant around town.Cons: the sedan – cheap materials, lethargic engines and woolly handling; the hatch’s engine is a bit underpowered, too Honda Civic

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

1.8S Euro S 1.8S Euro S 2.0S Euro L 2.0N IMA

$32,900 $32,900 $34,900 $34,900 $38,500 $38,900 $39,990 $39,990

4/sedan 5/hatch 4/sedan 5/hatch 4/sedan 5/hatch 4/sedan 4/sedan

Manual Manual Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1798 I4/1798 I4/1798 I4/1798 I4.1997 I4/1798 I4/1997 I4/1498

104 104 104 104 114 104 114 82

174 174 174 174 190 174 190 172

6.8 6.1 6.7 6.5 7.5 6.5 7.5 4.4

161 148 159 155 178 155 178 104

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Honda Insight Cheaper hybrid technology for the masses is what Honda was aiming for with the Insight. And it kind of works, too. Think of the Insight as a good-looking small hatch that just happens to have Honda’s IMA technology, and you will be very happy with it. Think of it as a fuel-miser eco-warrior and you will undoubtedly be disappointed.

Pros: looks great, with a hint of retro-charm; very practical; stylish interior; decent handling.

Cons: quite hard to coax decent fuel economy out of around town; a bit plasticky inside.

Honda Insight

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

SX E N

$35,600 $38,800 $40,000

5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch

Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1339 I4/1339 I4/1339

72 72 72

167 167 167

4.6 4.6 4.6

106 106 106

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Hyundai Accent One of the many cars Hyundai has seen fit to jam in the segment, the Accent is a thoroughly competent entrant. It does nothing particularly wrong, but neither does it excel in any particular area. Effectively replacing the 1.6-litre petrol i30, you would probably be better off spending a little bit more and buying a 1.8-litre i30 instead.

Pros: looks good, like all current Hyundais; well priced.

Cons: by being just ordinary, it fails to reach the impressive heights of a lot of the current Hyundai range.

Hyundai Accent

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

1.6 1.6 1.6 CRDi 1.6 CRDi 1.6 Elite 1.6 Elite 1.6 CRDi 1.6 CRDi

$31,990 $31,990 $34,490 $34,490 $35,990 $35,990 $34,490 $35,990

5/hatch 4/sedan 5/hatch 4/sedan 5/hatch 4/sedan 5/hatch 4/sedan

Auto Auto Manual Manual Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Diesel Diesel Petrol Petrol Diesel Diesel

I4/1591 I4/1591 I4/1582 I4/1582 I4/1591 I4/1591 I4/1582 I4/1582

91 91 94 94 91 91 94 94

156 156 260 260 156 156 260 260

6.4 6.4 4.4 4.4 6.4 6.4 5.6 5.6

151 151 119 119 151 151 148 148

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Hyundai Elantra Think of the Elantra as a sedan version of the i30, just not quite as good. Which does basically sum it up. Not a bad car in any respect, but unless you REALLY need a sedan, then the i30 is a far superior car in every regard.

Pros: good looks; well equipped; well-priced.

Cons: largely pointless next to the i30.

Hyundai Elantra

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

1.8 1.8 Elite 1.8 Elite Ltd

$35,990 $39,990 $41,990

4/sedan 4/sedan 4/sedan

Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1797 I4/1797 I4/1797

110 110 110

176 176 176

7.1 7.1 7.1

170 170 170

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013 39

FLEET Buyers Guide Small Cars

Hyundai i30 The i30 was a benchmark car for Hyundai when it was first released, and the new version simply threw all that away and started again, with equally impressive results. No “for a Korean car” qualifiers are necessary for the i30, as it easily holds its own against cars such as the Ford Focus and VW Golf, if not in terms of ultimate quality, certainly in terms of value for money.

Pros: great looking; impressively equipped; high quality interior; great engines.

Cons: interior lighting a bit garish; that’s about it really!

Hyundai i30

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

1.8 1.8 1.6 CRDi 1.6 CRDi 1.8 Elite 1.6 CRDi Elite

$34,490 $35,990 $38,490 $39,990 $39,990 $43,990

5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch

Manual Auto Manual Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Diesel Diesel Petrol Diesel

I4/1797 I4/1797 I4/1582 I4/1582 I4/1797 I4/1582

110 110 94 94 110 94

178 178 260 260 178 260

6.5 6.9 4.5 5.6 6.9 5.6

156 164 119 147 164 147

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Hyundai i30 wagon (old model) The previous-generation i30 wagon is doing stand-in duty until the new one is ready. But that is still no bad thing, as the previous model was – and still is – a brilliant little car. That said, it IS still starting to show its age, and waiting for the new one would probably be advised, if you can.

Pros: still a great little wagon; very well-priced and equipped; diesel engine is a highlight.

Cons: ageing, and showing it; four-speed auto is a very blunt instrument.

Hyundai i30 wagon

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

1.6 1.6 CRDi 2.0 Elite 1.6 CRDi Elite

$33,990 $38,990 $40,490 $42,990

5/wagon 5/wagon 5/wagon 5/wagon

Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Diesel Petrol Diesel

I4/1591 I4/1582 I4/1975 I4/1582

90 85 105 85

154 260 186 260

6.9 5.8 7.7 5.8

165 154 183 154

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Kia Cerato A classy, attractive little car, the Cerato’s biggest stumbling point was previously the old four-speed auto ‘gearbox. Now it has a sixspeeder, it is the engine that struggles to keep up to the high-levels set by the rest of the car. Still a very worth Corolla competitor that deserves far more sales than it actually gets.

Pros: looks great as a sedan or hatch; highly-equipped; remarkably well-priced; comfortable and fun.

Cons: engine showing its age now.

Kia Cerato

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

LX EX EX SX SX

$28,990 $30,990 $30,990 $34,990 $34,990

5/hatch 5/hatch 4/sedan 5/hatch 4/sedan

Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1998 I4/1998 I4/1998 I4/1998 I4/1998

115 115 115 115 115

194 194 194 194 194

7.7 7.7 7.7 7.7 7.7

183 183 183 183 183

4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star

Kia Soul The Soul was supposed to sell in truckloads to young people. Except young people don’t buy new cars in New Zealand. So old people bought them instead. Now the brightly coloured, silly-named models have gone, replaced by a single model that actually shows the Soul for what it is: a practical, comfortable, sensible hatch that is remarkable value for money.

Pros: price; practicality and flexibility; great driving position.

Cons: quite a bit of body roll; very plasticky interior.

Kia Soul

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

1.6

$30,490

5/hatch

Auto

Petrol

I4/1591

95

157

7.3

170

5 Star

Lexus CT200h A Toyota Prius in a fancy – if rather dated – suit is pretty much what the CT200h is. Not that that is a bad thing, but we were expecting more from Lexus. The ‘90s Mazda3 looks aside, the CT200h is still all Lexus inside the cabin, which means superb fit and finish and high quality materials.

Pros: Prius fuel consumption with Lexus luxury; great interior; amazing fit and finish.

Cons: Prius performance with a Lexus price tag; strangely dated styling.

Lexus CT200h

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

1.8 1.8 Limited 1.8 F Sport

$55,000 $71,100 $72,500

5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch

Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1798 I4/1798 I4/1798

73 73 73

142 142 142

4.1 4.1 4.1

94 94 94

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

40 New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

Small Cars

Mazda3 Easily the best of the Japanese entrants in the small segment, the Mazda3 has always been brilliant in every regard, except one: it has always been quite thirsty. Expect that to change now with the introduction of Mazda’s new Skyactiv engines into the range. Only in one model for now, but that is the key; for now. Just wait.

Pros: aggressive looks; great interiors; spacious and airy; fantastic handling; well-equipped.

Cons: non-Skyactiv engines thirsty, particularly the 2.5.

Mazda3

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

GLX GLX GLX GSX GSX GSE Skyactiv SP25 SP25 SP25 SP25 Limited SP25 Limited

$31,695 $32,795 $32,795 $32,295 $32,295 $37,395 $39,695 $41,195 $41,195 $44,195 $44,195

5/hatch 5/hatch 4/sedan 5/hatch 4/sedan 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 4/sedan 5/hatch 4/sedan

Manual Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Manual Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1999 I4/1999 I4/1999 I4/1999 I4/1999 I4/1998 I4/2488 I4/2488 I4/2488 I4/2488 I4/2488

108 108 108 108 108 113 122 122 122 122 122

182 182 182 182 182 194 227 227 227 227 227

7.9 8.2 8.2 8.2 8.2 6.2 8.6 8.6 8.6 8.6 8.6

n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Mercedes-Benz A-Class The new-generation A-Class has been something of a rethink for Mercedes; gone is the tall mini-people mover look, and in its place is, well, something more like a BMW 1 Series. Good-looking small hatch bodies will be followed by a range of body styles and engines, but the ones in there so far are very good indeed.

Pros: less like a mini-people mover; strong engines.

Cons: Slightly weird ergonomics Mercedes-Benz A-Class

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

A 180 A 200 A 200 CDI A 250 Sport

$46,900 $54,900 $54,900 $64,900

5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch

Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Diesel Petrol

I4/1595 I4/1595 I4/1796 I4/1991

90 115 100 155

200 250 300 350

5.8 6.1 4.6 6.6

135 141 121 152

n/a n/a n/a n/a

Mercedes-Benz B-Class Thinking of the B-Class as part of the wider A-Class family is the easiest way to get a handle on its place in the Mercedes range.

Essentially the mini-people mover of the range (see what they did there?) the B-Class brings huge improvements in interior quality, enjoyable dynamics and strong engines.

Pros: great interior quality; strong engines; B 250 is a surprising performance nana-car.

Cons: the mini-people mover shape is awkward; the transmission lever positioning is confusing.

Mercedes-Benz B-Class

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

B 180 B 200 B 200 CDI B 250

$49,900 $56,900 $56,900 $64,900

5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch

Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Diesel Petrol

I4/1595 I4/1595 I4/1796 I4/1991

90 115 100 155

200 250 300 350

5.8 5.9 4.6 6.5

136 137 122 151

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

MG6 A resurrected British/Chinese MG based on the old Rover 75 platform sounds a bit dodgy, but the results are far better than you might imagine. Build quality is good, while performance and dynamics are more than acceptable. Being only available with a manual will no doubt limit its appeal for now, but dual-clutch transmissions and new engines are coming.

Pros: surprisingly good build quality; well equipped; very well priced.

Cons: feels a bit dated, which isn’t surprising; manual only.

MG6

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

GT S Magnette S GT SE magnette SE GT TSE Magnette TSE

$29,990 $29,990 $31,990 $31,990 $34,990 $34,990

5/hatch 4/sedan 5/hatch 4/sedan 5/hatch 4/sedan

Manual Manual Manual Manual Manual Manual

Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1796 I4/1796 I4/1796 I4/1796 I4/1796 I4/1796

118 118 118 118 118 118

215 215 215 215 215 215

7.9 7.9 7.9 7.9 7.9 7.9

184 184 184 184 184 184

n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a

New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013 41

FLEET Buyers Guide Small Cars

Mitsubishi Lancer Strong pricing, good looks and great equipment levels save the Lancer from sinking without a second look from anyone in the small segment. Cheap interiors, questionable build quality and noise hurt the Lancer, but most issues have been addressed now. Still saddled with a noisy engine and a CVT transmission, the price and equipment make up for a lot.

Pros: very well priced; impressive levels of equipment, especially SEi; up-spec sedans particularly good looking.

Cons: hatch just looks wrong; unrefined ride and handling; CVT transmission.

Mitsubishi Lancer

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

ES ES ES ES SEi SEi VRX VRX

$28,590 $28,590 $30,690 $30,690 $36,990 $36,990 $40,890 $40,890

4/sedan 5/hatch 4/sedan 5/hatch 4/sedan 5/hatch 4/sedan 5/hatch

Manual Manual Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1998 I4/1998 I4/1998 I4/1998 I4/1998 I4/1998 I4/2360 I4/2360

115 115 115 115 115 115 127 127

201 201 201 201 201 201 230 230

6.9 6.9 7.2 7.3 7.3 7.3 8.5 8.9

158 158 165 168 168 168 195 204

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Nissan Leaf Whether you consider electric cars to be the future of motoring or not, the Leaf is a fascinating glimpse at what might be. Remarkably like a “normal” car to drive, the only real difference is the lack of engine noise. And the massive lump of torque available everywhere.

High quality and slightly space-age interior.

Pros: cheap to run; unique; surprisingly quick.

Cons: the future or a technological dead end? Expensive; slightly odd-looking.

Nissan Leaf

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

Leaf

$69,700

5/hatch

Auto

Electric

n/a

80

n/a

0

0

5 Star

Nissan Tiida The forgotten child of the Nissan range, the Tiida probably isn’t long for this market with the revival of the Pulsar sedan. Or it may see a second wind. In the meantime, it represents decent motoring at a good price.

Pros: Nissan quality; price; quality interior.

Cons: strange name and odd proportions; very ordinary engine.

Nissan Tiida

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

ST ST

$31,300 $31,300

5/hatch 4/sedan

Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol

I4/1797 I4/1797

93 93

174 174

7.8 7.8

178 178

4 Star 4 Star

Nissan Juke Concept car looks mark the Juke out as something very different in the small car segment. A unique interior matches up with the exterior, promising exciting things. Which the driving experience doesn’t really deliver, the fresh appearance and unique approach still make it one worth considering.

Pros: unique looks; great interior; excellent build quality.

Cons: harsh ride; needs more power; looks won’t appeal to all.

Nissan Juke

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

ST Ti

$31,990 $33,990

5/hatch 5/hatch

Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol

I4/1598 I4/1598

86 86

158 158

6.3 6.3

147 147

5 Star 5 Star

Nissan Wingroad The even-more-forgotten child of the Nissan range. Extraordinarily Japanese domestic market-looking, the Wingroad fills a gap in the Nissan line-up and does it at a very impressive price.

Pros: a quality wagon at a low price.

Cons: unconventional looks.

Nissan Wingroad

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

ST-L

$34,400

5/wagon

Auto

Petrol

I4/1797

94

176

6.2

142

4 Star

42 New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

Small Cars

Nissan Qashqai A massive success for Nissan both here and internationally, the Qashqai overcomes its odd name by being handsome, stylish, incredibly practical and a joy to drive. It has its downsides, but not very many of them.

Pros: High quality interior; remarkably comfortable; incredibly versatile.

Cons: CVT trans not the best; +2 seven-seater model needs more grunt.

Nissan Qashqai

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

ST Ti +2 ST

$37,700 $40,800 $40,800

5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch

Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1997 I4/1997 I4/1997

104 104 104

196 196 196

7.6 7.6 8.0

179 179 189

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Peugeot 308 Ever so slightly quirky and still very good, the 308 continues to be the mainstay of the Peugeot line-up. Extreme comfort takes priority over ultimate handling prowess, but as a daily driver, the 308 is hard to ignore.

Pros: very comfortable and remarkably easy to live with; excellent quality.

Cons: auto transmissions are erratic in a way that only the French can manage.

Peugeot 308

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

Access Active Active Allure Allure Active SW

$29,990 $37,990 $41,990 $41,990 $45,990 $45,990

5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/wagon

Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Diesel Petrol Diesel Diesel

I4/1598 I4/1598 I4/1997 I4/1598 I4/1997 I4/1997

88 115 120 115 120 120

160 240 340 240 340 340

7.2 6.7 6.1 6.7 6.1 6.7

166 155 159 155 159 174

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Peugeot 3008 A true “crossover,� the 3008 attempts to take the best bits of an SUV and a car and combine the two. It comes very close to working, but instead of creating a brilliant new style of car it simply becomes neither one thing nor the other. Great build quality and impressive ride comfort save the day though.

Pros: massively practical; roomy and comfortable; lots of quirky, original touches inside.

Cons: looks a bit awkward from some angles; the answer to a question nobody asked?

Peugeot 3008

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

Sport

$49,990

5/hatch

Auto

Diesel

I4/1997

120

340

6.6

176

5 Star

Renault Megane Euro style at an incredibly cheap price. While the Megane may not be quite as stylish as some of its Euro counterparts, neither is it as expensive. Capable and competent, the Megane is a thoroughly recommendable Corolla competitor.

Pros: confident on the open road; nimble around town; attractive cabin.

Cons: dated styling; cheap interior.

Renault Megane

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

2.0 2.0

$31,990 $34,990

5/hatch 5/hatch

Manual Auto

Petrol Petrol

I4/1997 I4/1997

102 102

195 195

8.2 7.9

n/a n/a

5 Star 5 Star

Renault Fluence Basically a sedan version of the Megane, the Fluence echoes everything good (and not so good) about its hatch sibling, goes even more conservative with the styling, and adds a boot.

Pros: confident on the open road; nimble around town; attractive cabin.

Cons: bland styling; cheap interior.

Renault Fluence

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

2.0

$34,990

4/sedan

Auto

Petrol

I4/1997

103

195

7.8

185

5 Star

New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013 43

FLEET Buyers Guide Small Cars

Subaru Impreza With a history of being a great little car with an awful interior, the last few generations of Impeza have worked to fix that particular issue. Now the newest seems to have it cracked. While there are a few areas of hard plastics, the new Impreza is a vast interior improvement over its predecessors. It is also a great little car as well.

Pros: great engine; well specced; very well priced; good interior quality, AWD standard.

Cons: looks like a smaller Legacy; not exactly over-endowed with power.

Subaru Impreza

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

2.0i 2.0i 2.0i 2.0i 2.0i-L 2.0i-L 2.0i-L 2.0i-L 2.0i-S 2.0i-S 2.0i-S 2.0i-S 2.0i-SL 2.0i-SL 2.0i-SL 2.0i-SL

$34,990 $34,990 $36,990 $36,990 $37,990 $37,990 $39,990 $39,990 $39,990 $39,990 $41,990 $41,990 $44,990 $44,990 $46,990 $46,990

4/sedan 5/hatch 4/sedan 5/hatch 4/sedan 5/hatch 4/sedan 5/hatch 4/sedan 5/hatch 4/sedan 5/hatch 4/sedan 5/hatch 4/sedan 5/hatch

Manual Manual Auto Auto Manual Manual Auto Auto Manual Manual Auto Auto Manual Manual Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol

H4/1995 H4/1995 H4/1995 H4/1995 H4/1995 H4/1995 H4/1995 H4/1995 H4/1995 H4/1995 H4/1995 H4/1995 H4/1995 H4/1995 H4/1995 H4/1995

110 110 110 110 110 110 110 110 110 110 110 110 110 110 110 110

196 196 196 196 196 196 196 196 196 196 196 196 196 196 196 196

7.1 7.1 6.8 6.8 7.1 7.1 6.8 6.8 7.1 7.1 6.8 6.8 7.1 7.1 6.8 6.8

164 164 157 157 164 164 157 157 164 164 157 157 164 164 157 157

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Subaru XV Basically an Impreza with slightly increased ride height and a black plastic body kit, the XV brings everything that is good about Impreza and adds height and plastic.

Pros: great engine; well specced; very well priced; good interior quality, AWD standard.

Cons: Not exactly an off-roader.

Subaru XV

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

2.0i 2.0i 2.0i-L 2.0i-S

$38,990 $40,990 $44,990 $48,990

5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch

Manual Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol

H4/1995 H4/1995 H4/1995 H4/1995

110 110 110 110

196 196 196 196

7.3 7.0 7.0 7.0

168 162 162 162

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Suzuki SX4 As a small hatch/SUV/crossover, the SX4 has a lot going for it indeed. Pleasant looks, a great interior, a good ride and decent handling, it may be starting to look a bit dated (even after a facelift), but it is still a convincing package. Except for the dull, unconvincing sedan.

Pros: the upper-spec AWD models are great; good engines; well equipped.

Cons: sedan is underdone; starting to show its age.

Suzuki SX4

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

GLX Sedan GLX GLX i-AWD GLX i-AWD LTD LTD i-AWD

$25,990 $26,990 $27,990 $27,990 $29,990 $29,990 $31,990

5/hatch 4/sedan 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch

Manual Auto Auto Manual Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1995 I4/1995 I4/1995 I4/1995 I4/1995 I4/1995 I4/1995

112 112 112 112 112 112 112

190 190 190 190 190 190 190

7.3 7.6 7.6 7.6 8.0 7.6 8.0

170 178 178 178 188 178 188

4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star

Toyota Corolla

The world’s best-selling car to date, and a constant topper of the local sales charts, the Corolla recently entered its 11th generation – and keeps on selling. Sticking with the same basic concept (and the exact same engine), the Corolla has improved in several key areas. It is more fuel-efficient, better looking, handles better, and carries more standard kit. Can’t go wrong, really.

Pros: it’s a Corolla; surprisingly chuckable; great seats; attractive interior.

Cons: CVT transmission keeps the excitement down; old engine is old.

Toyota Corolla

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

GX

$30,780

5/wagon

Manual

Petrol

I4/1496

80

138

5.7

132

n/a

44 New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013





Small Cars GX GX GX GX GLX Levin SX GLX Levin ZR

$32,780 $33,490 $34,990 $36,180 $37,490 $38,990 $39,280 $43,690

5/wagon 5/hatch 5/hatch 4/sedan 5/hatch 5/hatch 4/sedan 5/hatch

Auto Manual Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1496 I4/1798 I4/1798 I4/1798 I4/1798 I4/1798 I4/1798 I4/1798

80 103 103 100 103 103 100 103

138 173 173 175 173 173 175 173

5.1 7.1 6.6 7.4 6.6 6.6 7.4 6.6

118 166 152 173 152 152 173 152

n/a 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Toyota Prius The high-tech flag-bearer for everything fuel efficient, the Prius recently grew into a family of cars with the addition of the smaller C and the larger V wagon. The current hatch and Prius V are the tech-leaders, with the V even boasting lithium-ion batteries. Not a driver’s car though.

Pros: miserly fuel economy; V is massively roomy and practical; spaceage array of high-tech toys in i-Techs Cons: literally no steering or brake feel; expensive.

Toyota Prius

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

Prius Prius V Prius V s-Tech Prius i-Tech

$50,280 $51,280 $55,780 $61,280

5/hatch 5/wagon 5/wagon 5/hatch

Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1798 I4/1798 I4/1798 I4/1798

73 73 73 73

142 142 142 142

3.9 4.1 4.1 3.9

89 99 99 89

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Volkswagen Beetle The second incarnation of the “new” Beetle takes a lower, tougher stance and is (thankfully) based on a far newer Golf platform. Spec levels are up, as is engine power, and the range of engines available overseas look exciting. Limited numbers here now, more coming.

Pros: looks far less cartoonish; strong engine; brilliant interior.

Cons: a bit too retro?

Volkswagen Beetle

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

118kW TSI

$46,500

3/hatch

Auto

Petrol

I4/1390

118

240

6.2

143

n/a

Volkswagen Golf Volkswagen will launch the seventh-generation Golf hatch in the New Zealand market this month. With familiar, but more angular styling, the new car will be larger, roomier and lighter than the 6th-gen car.

In Europe the new Golf comes with a range of engines including 63kW and 77kW versions of Volkswagen’s 1.2-litre petrol fourcylinder, as well as a 103kW 1.4-litre four. Diesel engines are either a 77kW 1.6 or a 110kW 2.0-litre.

While the popular five-door hatch will appear first, variants to be introduced later include a three-door hatch, taller five-door Golf Plus, a wagon, a five-door liftback CC, a cabriolet and high-performance GTi and Golf R models.

Go to www.volkswagen.co.nz for details and prices.

Volvo V40 The last Volvo to be based on a Ford platform, apparently. But then being based on a Focus platform is certainly no bad thing, and the V40 takes the utmost advantage of this. Great dynamics, exceptional ride quality and strong engines are a highlight, as are the great looks and good equipment levels.

Pros: looks great; nimble and very comfortable; brilliant dash readout.

Cons: not exactly cheap; all the clever safety toys are optional.

Volvo V40

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

D4 D4 T4 T5 R-Design

$49,990 $54,990 $52,990 $64,990

5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch

Manual Auto Auto Auto

Diesel Diesel Petrol Petrol

I5/1984 I5/1984 I5/1984 I5/2497

130 130 132 187

400 400 300 360

4.3 5.2 n/a 7.9

114 136 n/a 185

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013 45

FLEET Buyers Guide

Medium Cars

Alfa Romeo 159 The sexiest mid-sizer around is starting to age now, but you wouldn’t know it to look at it – or to drive it, for that matter. But while the looks are hard to go past, the reliability is still suspect, and the traditionally Italian ergonomics are “challenging” Pros: stunning looks; fantastic interior; convincing sporty feel from a mid-size sedan.

Cons: suspect reliability; dismal resale value; poor ergonomics.

Alfa Romeo 159

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

JTD Ti Sportwagen Ti

$59,990 $62,990

4/sedan 5/wagon

Auto Auto

Diesel Diesel

I5/2387 I5/2387

147 147

400 400

8.0 8.1

210 215

5 Star 5 Star

Audi A4 Sensational-looking and well-equipped, the A4 is a very powerful entrant in the mid-size segment. New 1.8-litre petrol engine is a strong, impressive and frugal performer, but the fact it is attached to a CVT transmission is a disappointment. Still, the levels of refinement and quality on display more than make up for that.

Pros: sensational looks; remarkable quality inside and out; great engines.

Cons: fwd only at this price point; CVT dulls performance; dead steering.

Audi A4

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

1.8 TFSI 2.0 TDI 1.8 TFSI

$69,900 $71,900 $73,900

4/sedan 4/sedan 5/wagon

Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Diesel Petrol

I4/1798 I4/1968 I4/1798

125 105 125

320 320 320

5.8 4.8 6.0

134 127 138

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

BMW 3 Series The car that just keeps getting better. While only just sneaking under our $75k cut-off makes it a lot of money for a mid-sizer, the quality and ability on show in the 3 Series is simply startling, for any price.

Pros: great looks, great engines, an amazing transmission, and a perfect balance between ride and handling.

Cons: interior quality not quite as high as previous model; a lot of options still frighteningly expensive.

BMW 3 Series

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

320i 320d

$74,300 $74,700

4/sedan 4/sedan

Auto Auto

Petrol Diesel

I4/1997 I4/1995

135 135

270 380

6.0 4.5

144 117

5 Star 5 Star

Citroen C5 A mid-size car that feels remarkably bigger and more luxurious that its segment would suggest, the C5 carries on the tradition of wonderfully cosseting bigger Citroens. Strong engines and a remarkably good six-speed automatic transmission round out an impressive package.

Pros: fantastic ride quality; surprisingly good handling too; well specced; subtly quirky, but still very classy.

Cons: expensive; getting on a bit now.

Citroen C5

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

Comfort Comfort Comfort Exclusive Exclusive

$46,990 $49,990 $52,990 $59,990 $74,990

4/sedan 4/sedan 5/wagon 4/sedan 4/sedan

Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel

I4/1997 I4/1997 I4/1997 I4/1997 V6/2993

115 120 120 120 177

240 340 340 340 450

n/a 6.8 6.8 6.8 7.4

n/a 179 179 179 189

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Citroen DS5 Another remarkably good looking, quirky member of Citroen’s DS range, the DS5 takes everything that is good about the DS3 and everything sensible about the DS4 and makes them bigger and better.

Pros: looks great; fantastic interior; lots of kit.

Cons: expensive; frustrating transmission; we don’t get the really interesting diesel hybrid version.

Citroen DS5

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

Sport Chic

$59,990

5/hatch

Auto

Petrol

I4/1598

115

240

7.3

169

n/a

46 New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

Medium Cars

Ford Mondeo Much-loved and highly praised the world over – and rightfully so – this generation of Mondeo has taken Ford’s mid-size offering to new levels of impressiveness. Offering more interior space than the big Aussie Falcon, the Mondeo is also fantastically comfortable, stunningly good to throw around, and remarkably well-equipped.

Pros: the ride quality/handling balance is simply perfect; diesel and EcoBoost petrol engines are incredible; top-level Titanium is getting up in price, but is amazingly well equipped.

Cons: base petrol engine a bit old and wheezy; base level cars a bit stripped out.

Ford Mondeo

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

LX LX LX LX Zetec Zetec Zetec Titanium Titanium

$42,990 $44,490 $45,990 $47,490 $47,990 $49,990 $51,490 $52,990 $54,990

5/hatch 5/wagon 5/hatch 5/wagon 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/wagon 5/hatch 5/hatch

Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Diesel Diesel Petrol Diesel Diesel Petrol Diesel

I4/2261 I4/2261 I4/1997 I4/1997 I4/1999 I4/1997 I4/1997 I4/1999 I4/1997

118 118 120 120 149 120 120 149 120

208 208 340 340 300 340 340 300 340

9.3 9.3 5.6 5.6 8.0 5.6 5.6 8.0 5.6

223 223 149 149 187 149 149 187 149

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Honda Accord Euro Although it is getting on a bit now, the Accord Euro is still a remarkably strong contender in the mid-size arena. The engine is the biggest give-away to the car’s age, but dynamically the Euro is still able to foot it with the best. It is quite expensive, though.

Pros: dynamically brilliant, yet still comfortable; brilliant interior layout; looks great still.

Cons: engine not up to opposition anymore.

Honda Accord Euro

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

SN SN LN LN Tourer

$43,700 $47,200 $51,000 $53,200

4/sedan 4/sedan 4/sedan 4/wagon

Manual Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/2354 I4/2354 I4/2354 I4/2354

148 148 148 148

234 234 234 234

8.7 8.5 8.5 8.6

206 202 202 204

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Hyundai i40 Everything that is good about Hyundai is summed up in the startlingly sexy i40 wagon. Getting past the looks, the interior quality is remarkable, the engines – particularly the diesel – are fantastic, and the ride quality/handling are sublime. A sexy, euro-designed wagon with very little wrong with it.

Pros: Sweet handling and fantastic comfort; huge amounts of space; fantastic quality; looks stunning in the right colour.

Cons: steering is a bit distant.

Hyundai i40

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

2.0 GDi 1.7 1.7 2.0 Gdi Elite 1.7 Elite 1.7 Elite Limited

$44,990 $47,490 $48,990 $49,990 $53,990 $59,990

5/wagon 5/wagon 5/wagon 5/wagon 5/wagon 5/wagon

Auto Manual Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Diesel Diesel Petrol Diesel Diesel

I4/1999 I4/1685 I4/1685 I4/1999 I4/1685 I4/1685

130 100 100 130 100 100

213 330 320 213 320 320

7.5 4.5 5.6 7.7 6.0 6.0

176 119 149 179 159 159

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Hyundai i45 If the taut and impressive i40 wagon is clearly designed for the Euro market, then the big, shiny, soft i45 can only be for the American market. Highly specced and supremely comfortable, the i45 is hard to go past in a bang-for-your-buck sense, but the excessive chrome and uninspiring handling may put some off.

Pros: Lots of kit; lots of chrome (if you like that); very comfortable and spacious.

Cons: floppy handling; lots of chrome (if you don’t like that); mute steering.

Hyundai i45

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

2.0 2.4 2.4 Elite 2.4 Elite Limited

$42,990 $45,490 $49,990 $52,990

4/sedan 4/sedan 4/sedan 4/sedan

Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1998 I4/2359 I4/2359 I4/2359

122 148 148 148

198 250 250 250

7.6 7.9 7.9 7.9

180 188 188 188

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013 47

FLEET Buyers Guide

Medium Cars

Kia Optima The biggest car in the Kia range is also the best looking. Remarkably handsome, the Optima carries this through into an attractive wellbuilt interior and tops it off with a high level of standard spec across the range. Handling isn’t a strong point, but it isn’t terrible, and it does everything else well enough.

Pros: looks great; well-equipped; comfortable ride.

Cons: vague steering; nose-heavy handling.

Kia Optima

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

LX EX LTD

$41,990 $46,990 $50,990

4/sedan 4/sedan 4/sedan

Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/2359 I4/2359 I4/2359

148 148 148

250 250 250

7.9 7.9 7.9

189 189 189

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Lexus IS Superb build quality, good looks and an engine that sounds the business, can’t disguise the fact that the IS is getting very old now.

While the engine sounds great, it is a couple of generations behind the competition, as is the rest of the car. A new one isn’t far away, so recommending anything other than waiting for that is a hard call.

Pros: still looks great; great engine note; fantastic build quality.

Cons: not terribly well-equipped for the money; showing its age now; engine needs more power.

Lexus IS

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

IS250

$63,790

4/sedan

Auto

Petrol

V6/2500

153

252

9.1

214

5 Star

Mazda6 The Mazda6 and Ford Mondeo have pretty much locked out the top rung of the medium segment for a while now. But where the Mondeo is a great all-rounder, the 6 has always had a sharper, sportier bent to it. For bringing a bit of sports car zing to the serious, practical medium sedan/hatch/wagon segment, the 6 is hard to go past. New model due soon is larger and, possibly, more expensive.

Pros: sportiest drive of the mid-sizers; fantastic steering; great interiors; well-equipped.

Cons: engines can be thirsty when pushed but new models will get SkyActiv eco units.

Mazda6

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

GLX GLX GSX GSX GSX Limited Limited Limited

$41,945 $43,795 $43,945 $45,695 $45,895 $49,595 $50,345 $51,095

4/sedan 5/wagon 4/sedan 5/wagon 5/hatch 5/hatch 4/sedan 5/hatch

Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Manual Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1998 I4/1998 I4/2488 I4/2488 I4/2488 I4/2488 I4/2488 I4/2488

108 108 125 125 125 125 125 125

184 184 226 226 226 226 226 226

8.2 8.5 8.7 8.9 8.8 8.5 8.7 8.8

194 201 206 211 208 201 206 208

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Mercedes-Benz C-Class Startlingly complete when it first appeared, the latest C-Class has only got better as it has gone on. Superb build quality gives the feel of Mercedes of old that felt carved from a solid block of steel, while modern technology has swarmed through the interior. Lithe, sporty and still luxurious, the C-Class is a leader still.

Pros: solid, massive quality; lithe and responsive; brilliant engines.

Cons: a bit conservative looking; muddled control layout.

Mercedes-Benz C-Class

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

C 200 C 200 CDI C 200

$69,900 $72,500 $72,900

4/sedan 4/sedan 5/wagon

Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Diesel Petrol

I4/1796 I4/2143 I4/1796

135 100 135

270 330 270

7.2 5.4 7.3

167 143 170

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

48 New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

Medium Cars

Peugeot 508 Slick, smooth and massively well-finished, the 508 is a very impressive (if strangely anonymous) executive express. Well-equipped and supremely capable, whatever engine you go for, it will impress. Fantastic ride quality and slick handling.

Pros: well-equipped; great cabin; brilliant engines.

Cons: handsome, but tends to disappear in the traffic.

Peugeot 508

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

Active Allure Allure GT GT

$46,990 $54,990 $57,990 $65,990 $68,990

4/sedan 4/sedan 5/wagon 4/sedan 5/wagon

Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel

I4/1598 I4/1997 I4/1997 I4/2179 I4/2179

115 120 120 135 135

240 340 340 450 450

7.1 4.9 5.0 5.7 5.7

164 129 130 150 150

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Skoda Octavia While it is starting to age a bit now, the Octavia is still a remarkably compelling mid-size car. Strong looks, a great ride and impressive dynamics mark it out as a good option in the segment, even though it is now considerable smaller than the likes of a Ford Mondeo.

Pros: strong, economical engines; great transmissions; fluent handling; vRS models are firecrackers.

Cons: getting on a bit.

Skoda Octavia

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

TSI 90 TDI 77 TSI 90 TSI 90 TDI 77 TDI 77 TSI 90 TDI 77 TSI 118 TSI 118 Scout TDI vRS TSI Scout TDI vRS TDI vRS TSI vRS TSI vRS TDI vRS TDI vRS TSI vRS TDI

$34,500 $36,500 $37,000 $37,000 $39,000 $39,000 $39,500 $41,500 $41,500 $44,000 $49,000 $49,500 $51,500 $51,500 $52,000 $52,000 $54,000 $54,000 $54,500 $56,500

5/hatch 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/wagon 5/hatch 5/wagon 5/wagon 5/wagon 5/hatch 5/wagon 5/wagon 5/hatch 5/wagon 5/hatch 5/hatch 5/wagon 5/hatch 5/wagon 5/wagon 5/wagon

Manual Manual Auto Manual Auto Manual Auto Auto Auto Auto Manual Manual Auto Manual Auto Manual Auto Manual Auto Auto

Petrol Diesel Petrol Petrol Diesel Diesel Petrol Diesel Petrol Petrol Diesel Petrol Diesel Diesel Petrol Petrol Diesel Diesel Petrol Diesel

I4/1390 I4/1598 I4/1390 I4/1390 I4/1598 I4/1598 I4/1390 I4/1598 I4/1798 I4/1798 I4/1968 I4/1984 I4/1968 I4/1968 I4/1984 I4/1984 I4/1968 I4/1968 I4/1984 I4/1968

90 77 90 90 77 77 90 77 118 118 103 147 103 125 147 147 125 125 147 125

200 250 200 200 250 250 200 250 250 250 320 280 320 350 280 280 350 350 280 350

6.3 4.5 6.3 6.3 4.7 4.5 6.3 4.7 6.6 6.6 5.9 7.5 6.2 5.7 7.7 7.5 6.0 5.7 7.7 6.0

148 119 147 148 123 119 147 123 155 155 155 175 162 150 180 175 159 150 180 159

4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star

Subaru Legacy The Legacy sits at the very top end of the medium segment, getting very close to being a large car. Always a quality entrant, the Legacy has upped its game in recent incarnations by adding massively improved fuel consumption and higher quality interiors to the mix. 3.6X is an interesting concept (a raised sedan) packed with tech and a ferocious price.

Pros: roomy; comfortable; powerful; great build quality.

Cons: still a bit plasticky inside; 3.6 six is thirsty; slightly odd looking.

Subaru Legacy

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

2.5i Sport 2.5i Sport 2.5i Premium 2.5i Premium 3.6X 2.5 GT Spec. B Premuim 2.5 GT Spec. B Premuim

$48,990 $48,990 $53,990 $53,990 $67,990 $69,990 $69,990

4/sedan 5/wagon 4/sedan 5/wagon 4/sedan 4/sedan 5/wagon

Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol

H4/2498 H4/2498 H4/2498 H4/2498 H6/3630 H4/2457 H4/2457

127 127 127 127 191 195 195

235 235 235 235 350 350 350

7.9 8.0 7.9 8.0 10.3 9.7 9.7

182 185 182 185 242 228 228

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013 49

FLEET Buyers Guide

Medium Cars

Subaru Outback Essentially a Legacy wagon with a raised ride height, the Outback has always been popular on these shores. Big, roomy and comfortable, it is an ideal wagon for the Kiwi lifestyle. Vastly improved fuel consumption and quality have helped the latest incarnations.

Pros: heaps of room; comfortable; practical; looks work better on a tall wagon.

Cons: pricey; can be thirsty still.

Subaru Outback

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

2.5i 2.5i Premium 2.0 Diesel 3.6R 3.6R Premium

$49,990 $54,990 $57,990 $61,990 $69,990

5/wagon 5/wagon 5/wagon 5/wagon 5/wagon

Auto Auto Manual Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Diesel Petrol Petrol

H4/2498 H4/2498 H4/1998 H6/3630 H6/3630

127 127 110 191 191

235 235 350 350 350

8.0 8.4 6.0 10.3 10.3

185 185 158 242 242

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Suzuki Kizashi Suzuki’s first attempt at a mid-size car is an impressive first go, and an impressive car in general. Smaller than the average in the segment, the Kizashi is a sporty, confident handler that is also comfortable and well-specced. The only real downside is its prodigious thirst.

Pros: great looker; sharp handling; well equipped.

Cons: CVT transmission; thirstier than it should be.

Suzuki Kizashi

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

GLX GLX LTD LTD Sport

$35,990 $37,990 $41,990 $43,990 $48,990

4/sedan 4/sedan 4/sedan 4/sedan 4/sedan

Manual Auto Manual Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/2393 I4/2393 I4/2393 I4/2393 I4/2393

131 131 131 131 131

230 230 230 230 230

7.9 7.9 7.9 7.9 8.4

186 186 186 186 198

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Toyota Camry Recently injected with a bit more soul, the Camry has actually added “interesting” to its arsenal of good points. Sort of. Still a solid mid-size performer, the Camry will never be a sizzler, but the hybrid is a very good, interesting car, while the Atara models add a dose of sporting pretension. GL actually remains the driver’s pick though, with its better-sorted suspension.

Pros: well-priced and equipped; comfortable and roomy; strong engines; hybrid is quick.

Cons: Atara suspension far too firm; leather colour combinations on SX horrifying; GL a bit bland-looking.

Toyota Camry

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

GL Atara S Hybrid Atara SX Hybrid i-Tech

$44,990 $48,990 $50,990 $51,490 $56,890

4/sedan 4/sedan 4/sedan 4/sedan 4/sedan

Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/2494 I4/2494 I4/2494 I4/2494 I4/2494

133 133 118 135 118

231 231 213 235 213

7.8 7.8 5.2 7.8 5.2

183 183 121 183 121

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Toyota Avensis The Avensis is a wonderfully European wagon that is every bit as competent as the similar-sized (and brilliant) Hyundai i40. European ride and handling put it a notch above the rest, while even the CVT transmission works well with the engine.

Pros: looks good; drives good; loads of space.

Cons: one-size-fits-all spec.

Toyota Avensis

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

Tourer

$47,990

5/wagon

Auto

Petrol

I4/1987

112

196

7.1

165

5 Star

50 New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

Medium Cars

Volkswagen Passat Brilliant engines and great dynamics mark the Passat out as a star of the mid-size sector, but bland styling manages to keep it largely invisible in the crowd. Class-leading interiors and impressive equipment levels all help keep the package top-notch.

Pros: strong engines; good levels of standard spec.

Cons: anonymous styling.

Volkswagen Passat

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

118kW TSI 103kW TDI 118kW TSI 103kW TDI 125kW TDI Alltrack TDI 4Motion 125kW TDI 125kW TDI 4Motion 125kW TDI 4Motion

$47,500 $49,500 $50,000 $52,000 $57,750 $59,500 $60,250 $60,250 $62,750

4/sedan 4/sedan 5/wagon 5/wagon 4/sedan 5/wagon 5/wagon 4/sedan 5/wagon

Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Diesel Petrol Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel

I4/1798 I4/1968 I4/1798 I4/1968 I4/1968 I4/1968 I4/1968 I4/1968 I4/1968

118 103 118 103 125 125 125 125 125

250 320 250 320 350 350 350 350 350

7.1 5.2 7.1 5.2 5.3 5.8 5.3 5.8 5.8

162 135 165 135 139 152 139 152 152

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Volkswagen CC Formerly known as the Passat CC, the CC has now struck out as a stand-alone model in the line-up. Except it’s still pretty much a Passat underneath. Not that that is a bad thing; the Passat only needs great looks to make it a thoroughly convincing package anyway!

Pros: slinky coupe-like profile; grunty engines; fully-loaded.

Cons: not cheap; sleek roofline limits rear headroom.

Volkswagen CC

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

125kW TDI V6 FSI 4Motion

$61,750 $73,250

4/sedan 4/sedan

Auto Auto

Diesel Petrol

I4/1968 V6/3597

125 220

350 350

5.5 9.3

144 215

5 Star 5 Star

Volvo S60/V60 A wonderfully comfortable mid-sizer with serious grunt and a deeply luxurious side that shines through. The S60 is a stunner of a sedan, but the V60 wagon is the true sex symbol of the line-up. Definitely comfort-biased though, despite the sleek, sporty looks.

Pros: fantastic looks; roomy and practical; sumptuous interior.

Cons: not as sporty as it looks; sleek wagon limits load space; expensive.

Volvo S60/V60

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

T4 T4 D4 D4 T5 R-Design

$59,990 $62,990 $68,990 $71,990 $72,990

4/sedan 5/wagon 4/sedan 5/wagon 4/sedan

Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Diesel Diesel Petrol

I4/1595 I4/1595 I5/1984 I5/1984 I4/1999

132 132 120 120 177

240 240 400 400 320

7.2 7.5 5.8 6.0 8.3

166 173 152 160 193

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

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Safety rating hurdles raised

The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has released five star safety ratings for the new Subaru Forester and Volvo V40 as 2013 sees the safety rating hurdles raised. The new Subaru Forester performed well in all its physical tests, and its Eyesight system has many crash avoidance functions. Vehicles rated by ANCAP in 2013 must meet stricter requirements in order to reach the five star safety standard. More details available on www.companyvehicle.co.nz

New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013 51

LARGE CARS

can be beautiful if you Full sizeBig performance with small carlet economy Enjoy Falcon power with greater economy and fewer emissions thanks to the new 2.0L EcoBoost™ petrol engine, available in the Falcon XT. By using advanced direct injection and turbo-charging technologies it increases fuel efficiency, achieving 8.1L/100kms, while still reducing emissions by up to 15%1. All without compromising on the performance you expect. Put the power to the test yourself.

Visit your local Ford Dealer to experience the Falcon XT EcoBoost™ today. ford.co.nz

technology work for you. Keep space and pace without losing grace.

0800 1234 5678

www.ford.co.nz

1. Compared to the I6 4.0L petrol engine. These results are obtained from controlled laboratory tests conducted by Ford Motor Company to Australian Design Rule ADR81/02 and are provided to assist you in comparing the fuel economy of Falcon with other like vehicles.

The actual fuel consumption you will achieve will depend, however, on many factors including your driving habits, the prevailing conditions and your vehicles equipment, condition and use.

Large Cars UTES

Chrysler 300 Still gangsta after all these years. The “new” 300 is actually not all that new - a new skin stretched over the old underpinnings is more like it. Still, it has massive road presence and does wafting, comfortable cruising in a way only America knows how.

Pros: supremely comfortable; well-equipped at every level; fantastic engines.

Cons: floppy American handling; you REALLY have to like chrome; low quality cloth upholstery.

Chrysler 300

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

Limited Limited C C C Luxury C Luxury

$57,990 $62,990 $62,990 $67,990 $67,990 $73,990

4/sedan 4/sedan 4/sedan 4/sedan 4/sedan 4/sedan

Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Diesel Petrol Diesel Petrol Diesel

V6/3604 V6/2987 V6/3604 V6/2987 V6/3604 V6/2987

210 177 210 177 210 177

340 550 340 550 340 550

9.7 7.2 9.7 7.2 9.7 7.2

n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a

n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a

Ford Falcon Sadly appearing to be on its last legs, the Falcon is still a fantastic steer, with plenty of charm and personality. The addition of the brilliant EcoBoost 2-litre, four-cylinder engine to the range has only made it better, with a purity of handling and sublime ride quality that eclipses even the already good six-cylinder models.

Pros: EcoBoost engine is a stunner; ride quality and handling still top notch; XR6 Turbo still a performance bargain; a proper, big RWD car.

Cons: getting old; EcoBoost engine only available in very basic base model XT. Ford Falcon

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

XT EcoBoost XT EcoLPi XR6 XR6 Turbo G6E G6E Turbo

$48,490 $50,490 $53,990 $58,990 $58,990 $63,990

4/sedan 4/sedan 4/sedan 4/sedan 4/sedan 4/sedan

Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol LPG Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1999 I6/3984 I6/3984 I6/3984 I6/3984 I6/3984

179 198 195 270 195 270

353 409 391 533 391 533

8.1 12.3 9.9 11.7 9.9 11.7

192 199 236 278 236 278

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Holden Commodore You can’t deny that it’s getting on in years, but you also cannot deny that it is still a very good car. While the long-in-the-tooth 3.6 V6 is getting a bit past its use-by date, the 3-litre V6 and venerable V8 are still great. Need to cut costs shows through in a few places, but generally still a very impressive package.

Pros: great ride/handling mix; well equipped; 3-litre V6 and 6.0-litre V8 great engines.

Cons: 3.6-litre V6 thirsty and old; some interior plastics nasty.

Holden Commodore

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

Z-Series Z-Series Berlina SV6 Z-Series SV6 Z-Series Calais SS Z-Series Calais V Calais V SSV Z-Series Calais V SSV Z-Series Calais V

$49,990 $52,390 $53,790 $55,490 $57,890 $58,790 $61,490 $66,790 $68,990 $71,590 $72,390 $74,290 $74,690

4/sedan 5/wagon 4/sedan 4/sedan 5/wagon 4/sedan 4/sedan 4/sedan 5/wagon 4/sedan 4/sedan 5/wagon 5/wagon

Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol

V6/2986 V6/2986 V6/2986 V6/3564 V6/3564 V6/3564 V8/5967 V6/3564 V6/3564 V8/5967 V8/5967 V8/5967 V8/5967

190 190 190 210 210 210 260 210 210 260 260 260 260

290 290 290 350 350 350 517 350 350 517 517 517 517

8.9 8.9 8.9 9.5 9.8 9.5 12.3 9.5 9.8 12.3 12.3 12.3 12.4

203 203 203 217 224 217 281 217 224 281 281 281 283

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Honda Accord V6 A distinctly different approach to the Accord for the American market ditches dynamic excellence for straight-line power and ride comfort. The V6 is impressively powerful and comfortable, and interior quality is high. A fantastic distance-swallowing cruiser.

Pros: ride quality; interior quality; sublimely powerful engine.

Cons: floppy handling; questionable value-for-money.

Honda Accord V6

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

LN LN Sport

$56,600 $59,670

4/sedan 4/sedan

Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol

V6/3471 V6/3471

202 202

342 342

9.9 9.9

235 235

n/a n/a

New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013 53

FLEET Buyers Guide

Large Cars UTES

Nissan Maxima Once a highlight in the large car market, the Maxima has become a victim of the drastically shrinking numbers of customers for the segment. Still packing one of the best V6s in the segment, the Maxima’s styling has become a bit anonymous of late. A good interior and high level of standard spec round things out nicely.

Pros: great engine; well laid out interior; decent handling.

Cons: bland looks.

Nissan Maxima

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

350L

$52,990

4/sedan

Auto

Petrol

V6/3498

185

326

10.2

239

4 Star

Skoda Superb Pretty brave naming your car “superb”, but fortunately Skoda got it very right indeed. The Superb is, simply put, superb. Incredible packaging means a staggering amount of interior space, brilliant engines and transmissions make for rapid progress with miserly fuel usage, and fantastic quality makes for a simply superb experience.

Pros: great quality inside and out; awesome engines; excellent ride quality; hugely roomy.

Cons: sedan/hatch looks a bit oddly proportioned.

Skoda Superb

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

TSI 118 TSI 118 TDI 103 TDI 103 TDI 103 4x4 TDI 125 TDI 125 TDI 4x4 V6 4x4 V6 4x4

$46,000 $48,500 $48,500 $51,000 $54,000 $59,500 $62,000 $63,000 $66,500 $69,000

5/hatch 5/wagon 5/hatch 5/wagon 5/wagon 5/hatch 5/wagon 5/wagon 5/hatch 5/wagon

Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Petrol Petrol

I4/1798 I4/1798 I4/1968 I4/1968 I4/1968 I4/1968 I4/1968 I4/1968 V6/3597 V6/3597

118 118 103 103 103 125 125 103 191 191

250 250 320 320 320 350 350 320 350 350

7.1 7.3 5.9 6.0 6.3 6.0 6.1 6.3 10.1 10.2

168 170 154 158 166 157 159 166 235 237

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Toyota Aurion More than just a Camry with a big V6 under the bonnet, but not much more. The Aurion’s V6 is a prodigiously powerful beast, to the point that it struggles for grip literally everywhere in the wet. But in the dry it is an entertaining, quick and comfortable car that takes some beating.

Pros: power, everywhere; loads of space; well equipped.

Cons: too much power for the front wheels, particularly in the wet.

Toyota Aurion

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

AT-X Sportivo SX6 Touring

$46,690 $51,790 $52,090

4/sedan 4/sedan 4/sedan

Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol

V6/3456 V6/3456 V6/3456

200 200 200

336 336 336

9.3 9.3 9.3

215 215 215

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

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Concept crossover resonates

With its futuristic aerodynamic styling and a fuelefficient hybrid-electric powertrain, the Nissan Resonance concept made its world debut at the 2013 North American International Auto Show.

Resonance was created by Nissan Design America, San Diego, CA, under the direction of Shiro Nakamura, senior vice president and chief creative officer of Nissan Motor Company Ltd. More details available at www.companyvehicle.co.nz 54 New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

OFFICE UPGRADE.

A CAR-LIKE INTERIOR WITH BLUETOOTH速 AND MULTIMEDIA AUDIO ALL-NEW

COLORADO

BUILT FOR YOU. Wherever your working day takes you, the all-new Holden Colorado helps you get there in a whole lot 速 more comfort. With its dual cockpit design, flowing instrument panel, Bluetooth, multimedia audio and integrated centre console, it offers business class comfort and features at an economy class price.

And, with 470Nm of torque from as low as 2000 rpm on the 2.8L auto, 3.5 tonne towing capacity on 2.8L models and up to 1 tonne payload* across the range, it makes light work of even the toughest jobs.

To find out more, take a load off and head to your nearest Holden Dealer today. Colorado LTZ model shown.

*Gross Combined Vehicle Weight cannot exceed 6000kg. Gross Vehicle Mass cannot exceed 3100kg.

holden.co.nz

FLEET Buyers Guide

UTES

Ford Falcon Even if the Falcon sedan survives, it is safe to say that the ute won’t. Last chance to buy a much-loved classic or good riddance to an old, outdated dinosaur? The Falcon Ute still offers great dynamics and comfort, but just seems out of touch with today’s ute market. Sad, because it is still very good.

Pros: ride comfort; impressive dynamics; strong, powerful engine; much better load height than the tower 4WD-height trucks that dominate the ute market.

Cons: thirsty; old-tech; outdated.

Ford Falcon

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

XR6

$45,990

2/wellside

Auto

Petrol

I6/3984

195

391

10.7

255

5 Star

Ford Ranger Single Cab Following on after Volkswagen’s stunning first go at a ute with the Amarok, the Ranger (and its Mazda BT-50 twin) was the first of the traditional ute-makers to hit back. And hit back they did. Bigger, more powerful and more impressive than before, the Ranger takes the fight right back up to the Amarok.

Pros: amazing dynamics; car-like comfort; fantastic engine; incredible off-road ability.

Cons: it’s big. Very, very big.

Ford Ranger Extra Cab

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

XL XLT XL 4x4 XL 4x4 XLT 4x4

$40,290 $46,990 $50,790 $52,790 $57,090

2/wellside 2/wellside 2/chassis 2/wellside 2/wellside

Manual Auto Manual Manual Auto

Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel

I5/3199 I5/3199 I5/3199 I5/3199 I5/3199

147 147 147 147 147

470 470 470 470 470

8.4 8.9 8.9 8.9 9.2

222 239 239 239 246

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Ford Ranger Double Cab The Ford engineers paid special attention to ensuring the back seat of the Ranger double cab gives real car-like comfort, and the result is that even tall blokes will find it comfy in the back, with enough legroom, as well as support under the thighs. The seats tip up so you can store stuff under them.

Ford Ranger Double Cab

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

XL XL XLT XLT XL 4x4 XL 4x4 XL 4x4 XLT 4x4 XLT 4x4 Wildtrak 4x4 Wildtrak 4x4

$42,690 $44,690 $46,190 $48,190 $52,990 $54,090 $56,090 $58,690 $60,690 $64,290 $66,290

4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/chassis 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside

Manual Auto Manual Auto Manual Manual Auto Manual Auto Manual Auto

Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel

I5/3199 I5/3199 I5/3199 I5/3199 I5/3199 I5/3199 I5/3199 I5/3199 I5/3199 I5/3199 I5/3199

147 147 147 147 147 147 147 147 147 147 147

470 470 470 470 470 470 470 470 470 470 470

8.4 8.9 8.4 8.9 8.9 8.9 9.2 8.9 9.4 9.4 9.6

222 239 222 239 235 235 246 235 248 248 256

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Great Wall V-series Proof that the Chinese manufacturers learn fast. While the first Great Wall utes were questionable, the latest generation are far less so. There are still a large number of rough edges (literally in a lot of cases) but the level of improvement is impressive. That is about the only thing that is truly impressive though, as they still have a way to go yet.

Pros: remarkably cheap for what is on offer; mechanicals feel tough; 4WD models impressive off the road.

Cons: engines are rough and the petrol is drastically lacking in power; build quality very patchy; “leather” is nasty; noisy.

Great Wall V-series

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

V240 V240 V200 V200 V240 4x4 V200 4x4

$20,990 $25,990 $26,990 $27,990 $28,990 $30,990

2/chassis 4/wellside 2/chassis 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside

Manual Manual Manual Manual Manual Manual

Petrol Petrol Diesel Diesel Petrol Diesel

I4/2378 I4/2378 I4/1996 I4/1996 I4/2378 I4/1996

100 100 105 105 100 105

200 200 310 310 200 310

10.7 10.7 8.3 8.3 10.7 8.3

255 255 193 193 255 193

n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a

56 New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

UTES

Holden Colorado Single Cab Holden went after the market-leading Toyota Hilux with the new Colorado, and manages to better the Hilux in most key areas.

Unfortunately the VW Amarok, Ford Ranger and Mazda BT-50 have quietly moved the goalposts in the meantime, and utterly blown the rest away. Cheap interiors, a coarse engine, and dodgy build quality hurt the Colorado, however excellent off-road ability save, the 4WD models nicely.

Pros: bold looks; good equipment levels; strong off road performance.

Cons: poor build quality; cheap interior materials; coarse engine.

Holden Colorado Single Cab

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

DX DX 4x4

$38,400 $44,900

2/chassis 2/chassis

Manual Manual

Diesel Diesel

I4/2499 I4/2776

110 132

350 440

7.9 8.1

206 211

4 Star 4 Star

Holden Colorado Extra Cab The Extra Cab configuration means allows a longer wellside or tray than a double cab, but with the ability to still occasionally (for short distances) carry two people inside, or alternatively stuff you want to keep under lock and key or out of the weather.

Holden Colorado Extra Cab

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

LX 4x4 LTZ 4x4

$49,990 $58,400

2/chassis 2/wellside

Manual Manual

Diesel Diesel

I4/2776 I4/2776

132 132

440 440

8.1 7.9

211 206

5 Star 5 Star

Holden Colorado Double Cab There’s a lot more room in the latest Colorado double cab than in the previous model, and it also comes with a lot more kit, even on the base models. Plus the bonus of a 5-star safety rating.

Holden Colorado Double Cab

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

LX LT LT LTZ LX 4x4 LTZ LX 4x4 LT 4x4 LT 4x4 LTZ 4x4 LTZ 4x4

$44,400 $45,900 $47,900 $49,900 $51,400 $51,900 $54,400 $55,900 $57,900 $59,900 $61,900

4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/chassis 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside

Manual Manual Auto Manual Manual Auto Manual Manual Auto Manual Auto

Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel

I4/2776 I4/2776 I4/2776 I4/2776 I4/2776 I4/2776 I4/2776 I4/2776 I4/2776 I4/2776 I4/2776

132 132 132 132 132 132 132 132 132 132 132

440 440 470 440 440 470 440 440 470 440 470

7.8 7.8 9.0 7.8 8.1 9.0 7.9 7.9 9.1 7.9 9.1

203 203 235 203 211 235 203 203 237 203 237

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Holden Commodore Like the Ford Falcon ute, the Commodore ute is one of the last of a dying breed. Still an undeniably great vehicle, the need for a car-based petrol V6-powered ute has largely passed thanks to the increasing refinements and capability of the diesel utes.

Pros: looks great; great load height; powerful and refined.

Cons: outdated; thirsty.

Holden Commodore

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

SV6 Z-Series SS Z-Series SSV Z-Series SSV Z-Series

$49,000 $55,400 $60,100 $60,100

2/wellside 2/wellside 2/wellside 2/wellside

Auto Auto Manual Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol

V6/3564 V8/5967 V8/5967 V8/5967

210 260 260 260

350 517 517 517

9.9 12.4 12.3 12.4

226 283 281 283

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013 57

FLEET Buyers Guide

UTES

Isuzu D-Max Single Cab Developed alongside the Holden Colorado, the D-Max catches some of the Colorado’s flak, but manages to produce a more convincing interior trim and finish. Maybe that’s because it’s built in Isuzu’s Thai factory, not General Motors’?

Isuzu has also stuck to its own engine, and although a couple of kW and Nm short of the GM unit in the Holden, it’s gutsy where it counts, and especially off-road.

Pros: great looks, good pricing, easy maintenance on Isuzu engine.

Cons: shares some of its interior trim with the Colorado.

Isuzu D-Max Single Cab

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

LX

$36,890

2/chassis

Manual

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

I4/2999

130

380

8.0

212

4 Star

Isuzu D-Max Extra Cab Sitting between the single cab and double cab in terms of wellside or tray length, the Extra Cab layout enables space for two occasional seats under cover inside the cab, or by flicking up the rear seat you can carry valuable items inside, under lock and key.

Isuzu D-Max Extra Cab

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

LX 4x4

$48,890

2/chassis

Manual

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

I4/2999

130

380

8.3

220

4 Star

Isuzu D-Max Double Cab Isuzu benefits from the joint development of the basic structure with the Holden Colorado, getting the same space and comfort levels in the double cab.

Isuzu D-Max Double Cab

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

LS LS LX 4x4 LS 4x4 LS 4x4

$44,790 $48,890 $49,990 $54,990 $56,990

4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside

Manual Auto Manual Manual Auto

Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel

I4/2999 I4/2999 I4/2999 I4/2999 I4/2999

130 130 130 130 130

380 380 380 380 380

8.3 8.1 8.3 8.3 8.1

220 214 220 220 214

4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star

Land Rover Defender Well past its prime, but still insanely capable off the road, the Defender is perhaps the ultimate 4x4. At the expense of almost every form of refinement that is expected from a modern vehicle, that is. Great off the road; pretty terrible on it.

Pros: almost nothing will stop it off the road; rugged and simple; classic looks.

Cons: absolutely awful on the road; noisy, uncomfortable and impractical; expensive; classic looks.

Land Rover Defender

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

110 4x4 110 4x4 130 4x4

$61,500 $71,500 $71,500

2/chassis 4/wellside 4/wellside

Manual Manual Manual

Diesel Diesel Diesel

I4/2402 I4/2402 I4/2402

90 90 90

360 360 360

11.1 11.1 11.1

295 295 295

n/a n/a n/a

Mazda BT-50 Single Cab The big smiling BT-50 is, on paper, possibly the best buy in the ute segment. Offering all the power, torque and size of the Ford Ranger, the BT-50 adds a locking rear differential for slightly LESS money. Providing you can deal with the polarising looks, that is.

Pros: the looks; the power; the handling.

Cons: the looks; the sheer massive size.

Mazda BT-50 Single Cab

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

GLX GLX GLX 4x4

$35,295 $37,395 $46,795

2/chassis 2/wellside 2/chassis

Manual Manual Manual

Diesel Diesel Diesel

I5/3198 I5/3198 I5/3198

147 147 147

470 470 470

8.4 8.4 8.9

222 222 239

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

58 New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

UTES

Mazda BT-50 Extra Cab Access via two rear-opening doors, plus lots of room inside, makes the BT Extra Cab configuration a versatile alternative for those who don’t need four seats all the time, or need to a longer wellside or tray than you’ll get with a double cab.

Mazda BT-50 Extra Cab

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

GLX GLX GLX 4x4 GLX 4x4 GLX 4x4

$38,395 $40,295 $49,795 $50,995 $51,795

2/chassis 2/wellside 2/chassis 2/chassis 2/wellside

Manual Manual Manual Manual Manual

Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel

I5/3198 I5/3198 I5/3198 I5/3198 I5/3198

147 147 147 147 147

470 470 470 470 470

8.4 8.4 8.9 8.9 8.9

222 222 239 239 239

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Mazda BT-50 Double Cab The Mazda BT-50 double cab is one of the roomiest on the market, and its upmarket interior is particularly attractive. With the ability to carry five big blokes in comfort, it offers a real alternative to an SUV-type vehicle while remaining rugged and versatile.

Mazda BT-50 Double Cab

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

GLX GLX GSX GSX GLX 4x4 GLX 4x4 GLX 4x4 GSX 4x4 GSX 4x4 Limited 4x4

$42,695 $44,195 $46,195 $48,195 $51,295 $52,995 $54,495 $57,595 $59,595 $62,395

4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/chassis 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside

Manual Auto Manual Auto Manual Manual Auto Manual Auto Auto

Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel

I5/3198 I5/3198 I5/3198 I5/3198 I5/3198 I5/3198 I5/3198 I5/3198 I5/3198 I5/3198

147 147 147 147 147 147 147 147 147 147

470 470 470 470 470 470 470 470 470 470

8.4 8.9 8.4 8.9 8.9 8.9 9.2 8.9 9.2 9.2

222 239 222 239 239 239 246 239 246 246

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Mitsubishi Triton The Triton has always been a brilliantly capable ute, saddled with “challenging” looks. This has improved drastically with facelifts over the years, and it is now almost good-looking. What it definitely is, however, is spectacular value-for-money, and incredibly capable, both on and off the road.

Pros: supremely capable off-road; and supremely capable on it; excellent pricing.

Cons: still looks a bit odd; interior cheap in places.

Mitsubishi Triton single Cab

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

GLX GL 4x4

$34,790 $44,190

2/chassis 2/chassis

Manual Manual

Diesel Diesel

I4/2477 I4/2477

102 133

319 407

8.2 8.0

214 208

4 Star 4 Star

Mitsubishi Triton Extra Cab This model gives the benefits of a longer wellside or tray than the double cab’s, combined with extra cab space which gives greater versatility and the ability to carry valuable items out of sight – or the weather - and locked away.

Mitsubishi Triton Extra Cab

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

GL 4x4 GL 4x4

$45,190 $47,190

2/chassis 2/wellside

Manual Manual

Diesel Diesel

I4/2477 I4/2477

133 133

407 407

8.1 8.1

211 211

4 Star 4 Star

New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013 59

FLEET Buyers Guide

UTES

Mitsubishi Triton Double Cab The Mitsubishi Triton Double Cab has one of the longest wellsides on the ute market, giving a distinct advantage for those who need to carry longish stuff. But it depends on which model you choose, the top-end GLS being the longest.

Mitsubishi Triton Double Cab

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

GL GLX GL 4x4 GLX GL 4x4 GLS GLX 4x4 GLX 4x4 GLS 4x4 GLS 4x4

$40,990 $45,120 $46,490 $47,120 $48,490 $50,890 $51,990 $53,990 $55,440 $57,440

4/wellside 4/wellside 4/chassis 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside

Manual Manual Manual Auto Manual Auto Manual Auto Manual Auto

Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel

I4/2477 I4/2477 I4/2477 I4/2477 I4/2477 I4/2477 I4/2477 I4/2477 I4/2477 I4/2477

133 102 133 102 133 133 133 133 133 133

356 319 407 319 407 356 407 356 407 356

8.0 8.2 8.1 8.6 8.1 9.4 8.1 9.3 8.3 9.6

208 214 211 224 211 245 211 242 216 250

4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star

Nissan Navara DX Single Cab The previous-generation D22 Navara soldiers on alongside the newer D40 as a budget offering in the ute segment. Given its safety equipment and crash ratings are around the same as the Chinese alternatives, it does make it a good option.

Pros: proven technology; rugged and reliable; still looks good.

Cons: opting for Ranger or BT-50 a year or two-old would get a safer, better ute.

Nissan Navara DX Single Cab

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

4x2 4x4

$30,200 $39,450

2/chassis 2/chassis

Manual Manual

Diesel Diesel

I4/2488 I4/2488

98 98

304 304

7.3 9.1

190 237

3 Star 3 Star

Nissan Navara DX Double Cab With the D40 getting bigger, Nissan sought to cater to the smaller end of the ute segment by keeping the previous-generation D22 in production for some markets. The double cab D22 started production in 2000 and has been kept up to date with numerous facelifts since.

In 2009 it received new door handles.

Nissan Navara DX Double Cab

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

4x2 4x4

$34,450 $44,500

4/wellside 4/wellside

Manual Manual

Diesel Diesel

I4/2488 I4/2488

98 98

304 304

8.0 9.2

208 240

3 Star 3 Star

Nissan Navara D40 Extra Cab The D40 Navara was one of the first traditional utes to go truly BIG, and has been remarkably successful as a result. It also packs a brilliant diesel engine, great interior, and is massively comfortable. Plus it looks like a truck.

Pros: strong, punchy engines; remarkably comfortable; supremely capable off-road.

Cons: manual transmission is like stirring paint; ST-X 550 is awesome, but massively expensive.

Nissan Navara D40 Extra Cab

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

RX 4x4 RX 4x4 RX 4x4 RX 4x4

$46,490 $48,490 $48,490 $50,490

2/chassis 2/chassis 2/wellside 2/wellside

Manual Auto Manual Auto

Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel

I4/2488 I4/2488 I4/2488 I4/2488

126 126 126 126

403 403 403 403

9.8 10.5 9.8 10.5

256 274 256 274

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

60 New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

UTES

Nissan Navara D40 Double Cab This model is supplied from two different factories, the RX from Nissan’s Thailand factory, and the ST and ST-X from Spain. Both offer lots of interior space, while the ST-X versions come heavily kitted out. There are three different power outputs from either four or six-cylinder diesel engines.

Nissan Navara D40 Dble Cab

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

RX RX ST ST ST-X ST-X RX 4x4 RX 4x4 ST 4x4 ST 4x4 ST-X 450 4x4 ST-X 450 4x4 ST-X 550 4x4

$39,900 $41,900 $42,900 $44,900 $45,990 $47,990 $49,490 $51,490 $52,490 $54,490 $57,490 $59,490 $67,990

4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside

Manual Auto Manual Auto Manual Auto Manual Auto Manual Auto Manual Auto Auto

Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel

I4/2488 I4/2488 I4/2488 I4/2488 I4/2488 I4/2488 I4/2488 I4/2488 I4/2488 I4/2488 I4/2488 I4/2488 V6/2991

106 106 106 106 120 120 126 126 126 126 140 140 170

356 356 356 356 403 403 403 403 403 403 450 450 550

9.1 9.9 9.1 9.9 8.3 8.7 9.8 10.5 9.8 10.5 8.5 9.0 9.3

237 258 237 258 217 227 256 274 256 274 222 235 243

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

SsangYong Actyon The recent extensive facelift fixed the only thing that was really wrong with the Actyon – its looks. Now it has the looks to match its handling prowess and ride quality – very impressive indeed. While the interior is a bit cheap and dated, the prices and equipment levels more than make up for this.

Pros: comfortable and confident on the road; economical; great looking.

Cons: cheap interior; engine runs out of breath above 4,000rpm.

SsangYong Actyon

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

Workmate 4x4 Workmate 4x4 Sports Sports Sports 4x4 Sports 4x4 SPR 4x4 SPR 4x4

$32,990 $34,990 $36,990 $38,990 $39,990 $41,990 $45,990 $47,990

4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside

Manual Auto Manual Auto Manual Auto Manual Auto

Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel

I4/1998 I4/1998 I4/1998 I4/1998 I4/1998 I4/1998 I4/1998 I4/1998

114 114 114 114 114 114 114 114

360 360 360 360 360 360 360 360

7.6 8.1 7.5 7.8 7.6 8.1 7.6 8.1

199 212 196 204 199 212 199 212

n/a n/a 3 Star 3 Star 3 Star 3 Star 3 Star 3 Star

Toyota Hilux The Hilux is the ultimate expression of the phrase “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Leader of the ute segment for 30 years, it is only relatively recently that the Hilux has come under fire from some seriously good competition as VW takes a crack at the segment and Ford/Mazda get very serious about it indeed. Still as rugged, tough and reliable as ever, but the cracks are showing with age.

Pros: tough and reliable; rock-solid resale; much-improved interior.

Cons: old; outclassed by recent opposition; unrefined ride and handling.

Toyota Hilux Single Cab

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

4x2 4x2 4x4

$35,790 $40,090 $47,490

2/chassis 2/chassis 2/chassis

Manual Manual Manual

Petrol Diesel Diesel

I4/2694 I4/2982 I4/2982

116 126 126

240 343 343

11.5 8.1 8.2

271 214 217

4 Star 4 Star 4 Star

New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013 61

FLEET Buyers Guide

UTES

Toyota Hilux Extra Cab The extra space behind the front seats in the Hilux Extra Cab gives the advantage of extra storage and extra comfort for the front seat passengers, plus the bonus of a longer wellside or tray than the double cab models.

Toyota Hilux Extra Cab

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

4x2 4x4 4x4 SR5 4x4

$42,090 $51,090 $53,990 $59,290

2/wellside 2/chassis 2/wellside 2/wellside

Manual Manual Manual Manual

Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel

I4/2982 I4/2982 I4/2982 I4/2982

126 126 126 126

343 343 343 343

8.1 8.3 8.3 8.3

214 219 219 219

4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star

Toyota Hilux Double Cab The rough and tough Hilux double cab gets smoother the higher you go up the model lineup, with the latest SR5 models getting traction control as well as a host of other features.

Toyota Hilux Double Cab

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

4x2 4x2 4x4 4x4 SR5 4x4 SR5 4x4

$40,390 $43,990 $53,190 $56,990 $59,390 $61,890

4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside

Manual Manual Manual Auto Manual Auto

Petrol Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel

I4/2694 I4/2982 I4/2982 I4/2982 I4/2982 I4/2982

116 126 126 126 126 126

240 343 343 343 343 343

11.6 8.1 8.3 9.3 8.3 9.3

273 214 219 245 219 245

4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star

Volkswagen Amarok Single Cab The Amarok shook up the ute segment when it arrived a few years back, and now that the range has widened, the impact hasn’t lessened.

Dropping a low-ratio transfer case in favour of eight gears and an array of clever off-road electronics in the automatic model raised a few eyebrows, but the job is done with equal ease and considerably less weight as a result.

Pros: remarkably car-like dynamics and comfort levels; remarkably capable off the road; well-equipped; incredibly well built.

Cons: clutch is like a switch in the manual, exposing a massive torque hole low down in the revs; very, very big, and feels it off-road.

Volkswage Amarok Sgle Cab

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

TDI TDI 4Motion

$41,990 $49,990

2/wellside 2/wellside

Manual Manual

Diesel Diesel

I4/1968 I4/1968

90 120

340 400

7.5 7.8

195 205

4 Star 5 Star

Volkswagen Amarok Double Cab The first stand-alone Volkswagen ute with a separate chassis, the Amarok was also the first of the new “super truck” big utes to hit New Zealand, and offers bags of space, good rear seat versatility, and legendary VW build quality.

Volkswage Amarok Dble Cab

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

TDI TDI Highline TDI 4Motion TDI 4Motion Highline TDI 4Motion Highline

$43,990 $49,990 $56,990 $61,990 $64,990

4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside 4/wellside

Manual Manual Manual Manual Auto

Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel

I4/1968 I4/1968 I4/1968 I4/1968 I4/1968

90 120 120 120 120

340 400 400 400 400

7.3 7.6 7.8 7.8 8.3

192 199 206 206 219

4 Star 4 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

62 New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

REPUBLIK★40771H

SUV suvs

peugeot .co.nz

The most attractive compact SUV on the market.

Big on interior space, features and economy.

The The Peugeot 4008 from $37,990.

Fleet favourite.

It has been called the most attractive compact SUV on the market. However, with its well thought out interior and impressive performance, the 4008 is not just a pretty face. Priced from just $37,990 + ORC, it’s time you experienced the stunning 4008 for yourself. Allure model shown, priced from $39,990. Call 0800 PEUGEOT or visit peugeot.co.nz

NEW PEUGEOT 4008 0800 1234 5678

40771H PUG 4008 CompanyVehicle 267x210.indd 1

www.kia.co.nz

11/01/13 11:19 AM

FLEET Buyers Guide

suvs

Audi Q3 Eager engines, sharp handling and impressive spec make the Q3 a standout in the small SUV arena. Small but wellpackaged, the Q3 brings a lot, but asks very little in terms of compromise. Typically-Audi high build quality adds polish to a very complete package.

Pros: sporty handling a surprise; good load-space for a small, curvy car; great steering feel.

Cons: ride possibly a bit firm for some.

Audi Q3

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

2.0 TDI

$70,900

5/SUV

Auto

Diesel

I4/1968

130

380

5.9

156

5 Star

BMW X1 The latest example of BMW’s foray into SUVs is an interesting little car, aimed far more at driving dynamics and interior practicality than anything in the way of off-road ability.

Pros: as much fun to drive as a BMW should be; massively practical and impressively roomy.

Cons: proportions are a bit uncomfortable looking; 4WD models start costing a lot.

BMW X1

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

sDrive18d sDrive20i sDrive20d

$65,000 $69,000 $71,000

5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV

Auto Auto Auto

Diesel Petrol Diesel

I4/1995 I4/1997 I4/1995

105 135 135

320 270 380

5.0 6.7 5.0

130 156 130

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Chery J11 It’s not a De Lorean, but it is a trip back in time. The J11 features an impressive level of standard spec for something so cheap, but with only two airbags and no stability control, its value becomes suspect.

Pros: price and warranty.

Cons: a serious lack of standard safety features; elderly, derivative design.

Citroen C4 Aircross

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

2WD 4WD

$41,990 $44,990

5/SUV 5/SUV

Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol

I4/1998 I4/1998

110 110

197 197

8.1 8.1

193 193

5 Star 5 Star

Citroen C4 Aircross This one quietly slipped on to the New Zealand market with absolutely no fanfare whatsoever, so we haven’t driven it yet. But given it is the Citroen version of the Peugeot-rebodied Mitsubishi ASX, we would expect it to be largely similar.

Pros: Looks even better than the Peugeot version.

Cons: still a Mitsubishi underneath.

Chery J11

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

2.0

$21,990

5/SUV

Auto

Petrol

I4/1999

102

182

8.9

n/a

n/a

Daihatsu Terios It feels bad to say anything less than nice about the Terios, it’s just so cute. But it is starting to show its age, and is a bit expensive for what it is. Still, it IS cute, remarkably versatile and Daihatsu is owned by Toyota, so that counts for a lot.

Pros: cute looks; fantastic build quality; surprisingly capable off-road.

Cons: cute looks; aging; a bit too pricey.

Daihatsu Terios

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

1.5 4x4 1.5 4x4 SX 4x4

$26,240 $27,250 $29,990

5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV

Manual Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1495 I4/1495 I4/1495

77 77 77

140 140 140

7.7 8.5 8.5

179 201 201

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

64 New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

suvs

Ford Kuga The Kuga was basically dropped on the local market by overseas forces, making it a bit of an orphan in the model range. Still, this doesn’t lessen the appeal of what is a fantastic small SUV. The high price and horrific fuel usage might though.hough the next generation, out this year, might improve matters.

Pros: great looking; fantastically comfortable; dynamically impressive; highly-specced.

Cons: expensive; current model is thirstier than a Territory.

Ford Kuga

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

Titanium 4x4

$53,990

5/SUV

Auto

Petrol

I5/2522

147

320

10.3

244

5 Star

Ford Territory An unqualified sales success for Ford, the Territory has managed to soldier on well past its expected use-by date just by being so damn good. The recent long-overdue refresh added a fantastic diesel engine, but also goes to show just how good the incredibly old 4-litre inline six still actually is.

Pros: massive amounts of room; great looking; incredibly comfortable; quick and impressively good at going around corners.

Cons: petrol is thirsty; it IS getting old.

Ford Territory

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

TX TS TS Titanium TX 4x4 TS 4x4 Titanium 4x4

$49,990 $54,990 $59,990 $59,990 $59,990 $64,990 $69,990

5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV

Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Diesel Petrol Diesel Diesel Diesel

I6/3984 I6/3984 V6/2720 I6/3984 V6/2720 V6/2720 V6/2720

195 195 140 195 140 140 140

391 391 440 391 440 440 440

10.6 10.6 8.8 10.6 9.0 9.0 9.0

249 249 232 249 236 236 236

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Great Wall X-series Derivative styling hides a surprisingly competent SUV that offers remarkable value-for-money. While the build quality is variable and the materials low quality, the whole package comes together quite well. Still a way to go yet, but quite impressive for the money.

Pros: highly specced; handsome in a generic way.

Cons: noisy; unsophisticated ride; strange smell of cheap plastics and glues.

Great Wall X-series

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

X240 4x4 X200 4x4 X200 4x4

$28,990 $31,990 $34,990

5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV

Manual Manual Auto

Petrol Diesel Diesel

I4/2378 I4/1996 I4/1996

100 105 105

200 310 310

10.3 7.6 9.2

237 208 240

4 Star 4 Star 4 Star

Holden Captiva 5 Remarkably well-priced, the Captiva 5 is a strong package, with the diesel AWD model being the standout. Decent fit and finish make it pleasant inside, albeit a bit plasticky in some areas. Comfortable on the road, it is also a decent handler.

Pros: comfortable and pleasant to drive; great diesel; handsome.

Cons: petrol engine a bit underwhelming; cheap materials in a lot of places.

Holden Captiva 5

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

2.4 2.4 2.2 4x4

$38,490 $39,990 $44,990

5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV

Manual Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Diesel

I4/2384 I4/2384 I4/2231

123 123 135

230 230 400

8.8 8.8 8.2

201 201 214

4 Star 4 Star 4 Star

New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013 65

FLEET Buyers Guide

suvs

Holden Captiva 7 Bigger and newer than the Captiva 5, the 7 actually lags behind its smaller, older sibling in terms of build quality and fit and finish. The well laid-out interior is extremely plasticky, but extraordinarily roomy.

Pros: good-looking; loads of room; V6 and diesel are strong engines.

Cons: 2.4 petrol is underwhelming, V6 and diesel very thirsty.

Holden Captiva 7

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

SX SX CX 4x4 CX 4x4 LX 4x4 LX 4x4

$41,890 $45,890 $50,890 $52,890 $55,890 $57,890

5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV

Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Diesel Petrol Diesel Petrol Diesel

I4/2384 I4/2231 V6/2997 I4/2231 V6/2997 I4/2231

123 135 190 135 190 135

230 400 288 400 288 400

9.0 7.6 10.1 8.1 10.1 8.1

206 198 231 211 231 211

4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star

Holden Colorado 7 Although based on the Colorado ute, the Colorado 7 manages to put right many of the ute’s vices, thanks, we suspect, to Aussie engineering input, and offers Holden’s first “tough truck” SUV in many years, complete with low ratio gearbox.

Pros: strong, spacious, great off-road ability, and as tough as SUVs get these days thanks to its separate chassis.

Cons: it’s big; engine still a bit rough at times.

Holden Colorado 7

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

LT LTZ

$62,900 $66,900

5/SUV 5/SUV

Auto Auto

Diesel Diesel

I4/2776 I4/2776

132 132

470 470

9.4 9.4

245 245

n/a n/a

Honda CRV For many, many years the CRV was a class leader, but the explosion in interest in the SUV market made that a very hard call to make in recent years, particularly for the ageing CRV. The new model does little to change that by being visually generic and dynamically ordinary. No great surprises here, but the 4WD models are far more impressive than the 2WD. Pros: ride quality; build quality; inoffensive styling.

Cons: inoffensive styling to the point that it is almost invisible; 2WD models not worth the effort.

Honda CRV

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

S S N 4x4 Sport 4x4 Sport N 4x4

$37,900 $39,900 $46,600 $48,900 $51,700

5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV

Manual Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1997 I4/1997 I4/2354 I4/2354 I4/2354

114 114 140 140 140

190 190 222 222 222

7.8 7.7 8.7 8.7 8.7

182 179 202 202 202

n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a

Hyundai ix35 The styling may not be to all tastes, but the rest of the package is truly impressive, particularly the diesel. Well-specced, competitively-priced and wonderfully competent on the road, the ix35 makes for a compelling proposition. Provided you can handle the looks.

Pros: well-priced; well-balanced; well-specced.

Cons: 2-litre a bit ordinary; looks may not appeal.

Hyundai ix35

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

2.0 2.4 4x4 2.4 Elite 4x4 2.0R 4x4 2.0R Elite 4x4

$40,490 $45,490 $49,990 $50,990 $54,990

5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV

Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Diesel Diesel

I4/1998 I4/2359 I4/2359 I4/1995 I4/1995

122 130 130 135 135

197 227 227 392 392

8.5 9.0 9.0 7.5 7.5

203 219 219 198 198

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

66 New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

suvs

Hyundai Santa Fe Big and conservatively handsome, the Santa Fe has been a deserved success for Hyundai. An all-new model is coming soon, but the current car still stands strong, with good pricing, high levels of kits, and convincing handling both on and off the road.

Pros: heaps of room; massively well-built; handsome; well-specced; impressive handling.

Cons: be gone soon; starting to get quite expensive; V6 a bit pointless.

Hyundai Santa Fe

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

2.4 5-seat 4x4 2.4 7-seat 4x4 2.4 Elite 7-seat 4x4 3.5 V6 7-seat 2.2R 5-seat 4x4 2.2R 7-seat 4x4 2.2R Elite 7-seat 4x4

$53,990 $54,990 $59,990 $59,990 $59,990 $60,990 $66,990

5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV

Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Diesel Diesel Diesel

I4/2349 I4/2349 I4/2349 V6/3470 I4/2199 I4/2199 I4/2199

129 129 129 206 145 145 145

228 228 228 335 436 436 436

9.4 9.4 9.4 9.6 7.5 7.5 7.5

223 223 223 230 197 197 197

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Jeep Compass When it first came out, there was a lot to criticise about the Compass – the cheap interior, the weird looks, the CVT transmission. All those problems are largely gone now (except the CVT) with a new face and interior that are far superior to the original. And look at that price!

Pros: incredible price; much-improved interior; ride comfort; massively practical.

Cons: Still looks a bit odd from some angles; the CVT transmission; not a proper Jeep.

Jeep Compass

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

Sport Limited 4x4

$32,990 $39,990

5/SUV 5/SUV

Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol

I4/1999 I4/2360

115 125

190 220

7.6 9.1

200 222

4 Star 4 Star

Jeep Patriot Identical to the Compass under the skin, the Patriot has always been the better-looking twin, and remains so. Also gains the same interior and spec improvements as the Compass, as well as the impressive price.

Pros: looks like a proper Jeep at least; high levels of equipment; extremely well-priced.

Cons: looks a bit under-wheeled; again, the CVT transmission; vague handling.

Jeep Patriot

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

Limited 4x4

$39,990

5/SUV

Auto

Petrol

I4/2360

125

220

9.1

222

4 Star

Jeep Cherokee A bit like the overlooked middle child, the Cherokee is still around, and still offers a remarkably good package for the money. Comfortable enough on the road, its real forte – like all Jeeps above the Compass and Patriot -– is off the sealed stuff.

Pros: comfortable; nice interior packaging; good value for money; massively practical.

Cons: interior a bit cheap; build quality not as good as newer models.

Jeep Cherokee

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

Limited 4x4 Limited 4x4

$53,990 $58,990

5/SUV 5/SUV

Auto Auto

Petrol Diesel

V6/3701 I4/2776

151 130

314 460

12.4 n/a

n/a n/a

n/a n/a

Jeep Wrangler The Wrangler is built for one purpose; to be spectacular off the road. And it certainly is, getting progressively better the further you get off the beaten track. On the road it is not quite so impressive, but its lumbering nature and massive road and wind noise actually goes to make up a big part of its charm.

Pros: will go almost literally anywhere; new petrol V6 and transmission make a massive improvement; looks awesome.

Cons: Four-door Unlimited looks fantastic, but is MASSIVE; thirsty; very noisy; utterly impractical and infuriating roof system.

Jeep Wrangler

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

Renegade 4x4 Rubicon 4x4 Unlimited Renegade 4x4 Unlimited Rubicon 4x4 Unlimited Renegade 4x4

$52,990 $57,990 $57,990 $62,990 $64,990

3/SUV 3/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV

Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Diesel

V6/3604 V6/3604 V6/3604 V6/3604 I4/2776

209 209 209 209 130

347 347 347 347 460

10.4 10.4 10.4 10.4 n/a

240 240 240 240 n/a

4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star

New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013 67

FLEET Buyers Guide

suvs

Jeep Grand Cherokee While only the base Laredo sneaks in under our $75k cut-off, it still represents an impressive chunk of luxury and sheer American metal.

Massively improved in almost every aspect, the new-generation Grand Cherokee is an impressive beast. Unfortunately handling is the one area it is less than impressive.

Pros: big, bold and distinctly American; superbly comfortable; well-specced; great value-for-money.

Cons: big, bold and distinctly American; floppy, wobbly handling fails to impress.

Jeep Grand Cherokee

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

Laredo Laredo

$64,990 $69,990

5/SUV 5/SUV

Auto Auto

Petrol Diesel

V6/3604 V6/2987

210 177

347 550

11.4 8.3

n/a n/a

4 Star 4 Star

Kia Sportage Looking for all the world like a full-size Hot Wheels car, the great-looking Sportage also brings a great (although admittedly less adventurous) interior and great dynamics to the small SUV segment. Although some of the base models are a bit less convincing, the higher spec models are very impressive.

Pros: looks fantastic; great interior; well-built; nice to drive.

Cons: only looks fantastic on big wheels – which do compromise the ride; interior space compromised by sexy styling.

Kia Sportage

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

Urban LX Urban EX EX 4x4 LTD 4x4 EX 4x4 LTD 4x4

$34,240 $38,240 $43,240 $47,240 $48,240 $52,240

5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV

Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Diesel Diesel

I4/1998 I4/1998 I4/2359 I4/2359 I4/1995 I4/1995

122 122 130 130 135 135

197 197 227 227 392 392

8.7 8.7 9.2 9.2 7.5 7.5

207 207 219 219 198 198

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Kia Sorento R Substantially re-engineered underneath, the “new” Kia Sorento brings a subtle exterior facelift, new levels of refinement and a big increase in spec to the successful big SUV. Still very handsome and capable, the “new” Sorento may not actually be all that new, but it is even more impressive.

Pros: very confident and capable on the road; spacious, practical and comfortable; great engine; ventilated seats in the Premium are fantastic.

Cons: upper-spec models getting pricey; doesn’t look different enough from old model.

Kia Sorento R

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

LX LX 4x4 LX LX 4x4 EX 4x4 LTD LTD 4x4 Premium 4x4

$46,490 $49,490 $50,690 $53,690 $58,690 $60,490 $63,490 $66,190

5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV

Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel

I4/2359 I4/2359 I4/2199 I4/2199 I4/2199 I4/2199 I4/2199 I4/2199

130 130 145 145 145 145 145 145

227 227 436 436 436 436 436 436

8.6 8.8 7.1 7.3 7.3 7.1 7.3 7.3

205 210 187 192 192 187 192 192

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Land Rover Freelander Superbly comfortable and quiet, the Freelander happily fills the gap in the Land Rover range between the agricultural Defender and the luxurious Discovery, thankfully by being more like a mini-Disco than anything else.

Pros: great engines; superb ride quality; high-quality interior.

Cons: expensive; getting on now.

Land Rover Freelander

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

TD4 SE 4x4 Si4 SE 4x4

$66,000 $66,000

5/SUV 5/SUV

Auto Auto

Diesel Petrol

I4/2179 I4/1999

110 177

400 340

7.0 9.6

185 n/a

5 Star 5 Star

68 New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

suvs

Land Rover Defender Well past its prime, but still insanely capable off the road, the Defender is perhaps the ultimate 4x4. At the expense of almost every form of refinement that is expected from a modern vehicle, that is. Great off the road; pretty terrible on it.

Pros: almost nothing will stop it off the road; rugged and simple; classic looks.

Cons: absolutely awful on the road; noisy, uncomfortable and impractical; expensive; classic looks.

Land Rover Defender

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

90 Station Wagon 4x4 110 Stationwagon 4x4

$68,500 $71,500

3/SUV 5/SUV

Manual Manual

Diesel Diesel

I4/2401 I4/2401

90 90

360 360

10.0 11.0

266 291

n/a n/a

Mazda CX-5 A startlingly good entry into the SUV market, particularly the incredible diesel. Strong, confident and remarkably capable, the CX-5 is literally a no-compromise car. Huge amounts of space and practicality, great looks and confident handling, there is a lot to like about the CX-5.

Pros: diesel engine is a gem; brilliant driving position; great seats; massively practical.

Cons: petrol engine not quite as brilliant as diesel; stereo a bit complex and confusing.

Mazda CX-5

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

GLX GSX GSX 4x4 GSX 4x4 Limited 4x4 Limited 4x4

$39,690 $41,390 $43,390 $46,990 $52,990 $55,990

5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV

Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Diesel Petrol Diesel

I4/1997 I4/1997 I4/1997 I4/2184 I4/1997 I4/2184

114 114 113 129 113 129

200 200 198 420 198 420

6.4 6.4 6.9 5.7 6.9 5.7

148 148 160 149 160 149

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Mazda CX-9 The CX-5’s (very) big brother may be a generation older, but still holds up well alongside its smaller, younger brother. The big 3.5-litre V6 is a lusty, bellowing beast that hauls the big CX-9 along at a surprising rate and, although it is set up more for comfort, it still manages to go around a corner well.

Pros: superb comfort; lusty V6; massive amounts of usable room.

Cons: lusty V6 is thirsty; it is VERY big.

Mazda CX-9

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

Limited 4x4

$65,490

5/SUV

Auto

Petrol

V6/3726

204

367

11.3

n/a

5 Star

Mini Countryman A bigger Mini SUV may sound strange, and the Countryman proves that, yes, that is indeed the case. The larger five-door 4x4 Mini is a slightly odd-looking beast, but manages to deliver a similar driving experience – although not quite as visceral -– as the hatch. Well-equipped, but with slightly suspect build quality, the Countryman is… interesting.

Pros: feels like a more grown-up Mini; strong performance from Cooper S models; more useful room; brilliant AWD system.

Cons: Minis shouldn’t grow up; awkward looks.

Mini Countryman

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

Cooper Cooper Cooper D Cooper D 4x4 Cooper D Cooper S Cooper D 4x4 Cooper S Cooper S 4x4 Cooper S 4x4

$45,900 $48,900 $49,200 $51,900 $52,200 $54,200 $55,900 $57,200 $57,200 $60,200

5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV

Manual Auto Manual Manual Auto Manual Auto Auto Manual Auto

Petrol Petrol Diesel Diesel Diesel Petrol Diesel Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1598 I4/1598 I4/1560 I4/1560 I4/1560 I4/1598 I4/1560 I4/1598 I4/1598 I4/1598

90 90 82 82 82 135 82 135 135 135

160 160 270 270 270 240 270 240 240 240

6.5 7.6 4.4 4.9 5.6 6.9 6.0 7.5 8.1 8.1

149 165 115 128 146 158 156 172 186 186

4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star

New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013 69

FLEET Buyers Guide

suvs

Mitsubishi ASX A midway point between the Lancer’s size and manoeuvrability, and the Outlander’s ride height and practicality, the ASX makes a lot of sense. Good looks and good equipment levels help; droney engines and dull dynamics don’t.

Pros: flexible and practical; perfect size for town driving; handsome; well-specced.

Cons: quite cheap in places; petrol/CVT combo not good; best model (diesel 4x4) very expensive.

Mitsubishi ASX

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

LS Sport Sport 4x4 Sport 4x4

$36,690 $40,590 $43,590 $47,990

5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV

Auto Auto Auto Manual

Petrol Petrol Petrol Diesel

I4/1998 I4/1998 I4/1998 I4/1798

112 112 112 112

200 200 200 305

7.9 7.9 8.1 5.7

181 181 186 149

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Mitsubishi Outlander The new Outlander is a massive improvement over a car that wasn’t all that bad to begin with. The addition of a strong diesel engine to the lineup just strengthens it even more. Comfortable and remarkably quiet, the Outlander is yet another strong contender in the SUV segment.

Pros: quiet and comfortable; great diesel engine; base model 2-litre petrol CVT is surprisingly good; great build quality.

Cons: looks aren’t to all tastes; nose has a bit too much chrome.

Mitsubishi Outlander

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

LS 5-seat LS 5-seat 4x4 XLS 7-seat 4x4 VR 7-seat 4x4 VRX 7-seat 4x4 VRX 7-seat 4x4

$39,990 $43,990 $47,490 $49,990 $54,490 $56,990

5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV

Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Diesel Petrol Diesel

I4/1998 I4/2360 I4/2360 I4/2268 I4/2360 I4/2268

112 126 126 112 126 112

193 224 224 366 224 366

6.6 7.5 7.5 5.8 7.5 5.8

151 172 172 151 172 151

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Mitsubishi Challenger The big, rugged ute-based SUV with proper off-road ability is a dying breed these days, but the Challenger still proudly waves that flag. Take everything about the Triton ute and add more seats and you pretty much have the Challenger, which means it may be unsophisticated, but it is tough and remarkably capable.

Pros: rugged; brilliant off-road; surprisingly good on it.

Cons: unsophisticated ride; noisy.

Mitsubishi Challenger

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

GLS 4x4 Exceed 4x4

$58,990 $63,990

5/SUV 5/SUV

Auto Auto

Diesel Diesel

I4/2477 I4/2477

133 133

356 356

9.8 9.8

255 255

4 Star 4 Star

Nissan X-Trail The square, purposeful X-Trail may share its underpinnings with the Qashqai, but you wouldn’t know it to look at them. This is good, because while the X-Trail possesses a decent amount of off-road ability, it also possesses the Qashqai’s exemplary on-road manners as well.

Pros: good on-road and capable off it; bold, blocky styling; well-priced and strongly specced.

Cons: CVT transmission is ordinary; 2WD models a bit ordinary.

Nissan X-Trail

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

2.0L 2.0L ST-L 4x4 TS 4x4 Ti 4x4 TL 4x4

$36,990 $38,990 $43,990 $46,990 $49,990 $51,990

5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV

Manual Auto Auto Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol Diesel Petrol Diesel

I4/1997 I4/1997 I4/2488 I4/1995 I4/2488 I4/1995

102 102 125 110 125 110

198 198 226 320 226 320

8.5 8.4 9.1 7.4 9.1 7.4

195 193 209 193 209 193

4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star

70 New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

suvs

Nissan Murano The Murano’s big, chromed grin yells at you that it was designed for the American market, and the soft handling only backs that up. Massively comfortable, the Murano doesn’t really do corners, though, but brilliant engine means straight line performance is beyond doubt.

Pros: great V6 engine; brash styling works well; supremely comfortable and quick.

Cons: thirsty; doesn’t really go around corners all that well; no real off-road ability.

Nissan Murano

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

3.5 V6 4x4

$65,950

5/SUV

Auto

Petrol

V6/3498

191

336

10.9

255

n/a

Peugeot 4008 Mitsubishi ASX-based replacement for the 4007 brings all that is good and bad about the ASX and adds a big dose of pleasing Euro visuals to the proceedings. Looks great form the outside, but disappointingly Mitsubishi-like from the inside.

Pros: looks fantastic; brilliant around town; very practical.

Cons: plasticky interior; droning CVT/engine combo; too much Mitsubishi on show.

Peugeot 4008

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

Active Allure Feline 4x4

$37,990 $39,990 $45,990

5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV

Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1998 I4/1998 I4/1998

110 110 110

197 197 197

7.9 7.9 8.1

185 185 192

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Renault Koleos Based on the same platform as the Nissan X-Trail and Qashqai, the Koleos is strangely easy to overlook in the segment, but is every bit as good as its Japanese counterparts. Recent facelift has robbed the Koleos of a lot of its character, but the overriding sense of quality remains.

Pros: very capable on the road, excels on gravel; remarkably comfortable; brilliant cabin.

Cons: oddly bland-looking after facelift; TomTom navigation system infuriating.

Renault Koleos

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

2.5 2.5 4x4 2.0 4x4

$37,990 $43,990 $49,990

5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV

Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Diesel

I4/2488 I4/2488 I4/1995

126 126 110

226 226 320

9.3 9.5 7.1

223 228 186

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Skoda Yeti Brilliant small SUV with car-like capabilities and great looks. Superb Skoda build quality is a highlight, as is the diesel engine. Nothing wrong with the petrol either, and the spacious, airy interior tops things off nicely.

Pros: great engines; looks tough and cute at the same time; brilliantly well-built.

Cons: FWD model not as convincing as 4x4 counterparts.

Skoda Yeti

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

TSI 77 TDI 4x4 TDI 4x4

$37,500 $45,500 $48,000

5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV

Auto Manual Auto

Petrol Diesel Diesel

I4/1197 I4/1968 I4/1968

77 103 103

175 320 320

6.4 6.0 6.5

149 157 169

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

SsangYong Korando A brilliant-looking, remarkably well-priced small SUV worthy of consideration. While there are obvious areas where the Korando has been built down to a price, the overall effect is impressive. The cheaper models are more compelling – the higher you go, the lesser the bang-for-yourbuck factor impresses.

Pros: great looks; roomy and comfortable; strong engine.

Cons: coarse engine; unrefined in places.

SsangYong Korando

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

Sport Sport Sport 4x4 SPR 4x4

$31,990 $34,990 $42,990 $44,990

5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV

Manual Auto Auto Auto

Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel

I4/1998 I4/1998 I4/1998 I4/1998

129 129 129 129

360 360 360 360

6.0 7.3 7.5 7.5

157 194 199 199

n/a n/a n/a n/a

New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013 71

FLEET Buyers Guide

suvs

SsangYong Kyron One of the few “proper” rigid frame off-roaders left, the Kyron is undoubtedly an old vehicle now, though. While it feels it, with its unrefined handling and ride, it is still a tough, capable SUV with strong diesel engines and a proper low ratio gearbox.

Pros: big and solid; strong engines; well specced.

Cons: unrefined ride; lumbering handling.

SsangYong Kyron

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

Sports 4x4 Sports 4x4 SPR 4x4

$36,990 $41,990 $49,990

5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV

Manual Auto Auto

Diesel Diesel Diesel

I4/1968 I4/1968 I4/2696

104 104 121

310 310 340

8.8 8.8 9.0

232 232 239

n/a n/a n/a

SsangYong Rexton W Upgrade on the venerable Rexton II, the Rexton W doesn’t add a lot in terms of changes, except that there are now three models instead of two to allow the tough 4x4 to come in at mean pricing, and lots more electronic “fruit”. Two versions have low ratio; the top SPR doesn’t, but still has 4WD. Pros: good looks; low price.

Cons: Getting really old!

SsangYong Rexton W

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

TeamMate Xdi 4x4 TeamMate Xdi 4x4 Sport 4x4 SPR 4x4

$39,990 $42,990 $49,990 $59,990

5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV

Manual Auto Auto Auto

Diesel Diesel Diesel Diesel

I4/2696 I4/2696 I4/2696 I4/2696

121 121 121 137

340 340 340 402

7.5 7.5 7.5 8.0

232 232 232 233

n/a n/a n/a n/a

Subaru Tribeca The big Tribeca has a lot of good things going for it, it’s just that handling and interior quality aren’t on that list. A generation older than the new Legacy and Imprezas, the Tribeca still suffers from the old Subaru complaint of cheap, plasticky interiors.

Pros: hugely roomy; very powerful; very practical and flexible; good looks.

Cons: thirsty; floppy handling; cheap interior in an expensive car.

Subaru Tribeca

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

3.6R Premium 4x4

$69,990

5/SUV

Auto

Petrol

H6/3630

190

350

11.6

275

5 Star

Suzuki Jimny Ancient and rugged, the Jimny is unrefined, noisy and massive fun both on and off the road. The real fun is off the sealed stuff though, where the diminutive Jimny is all-but unstoppable. In terms of safety, comfort, refinement and equipment it is awful. In terms of toughness, practicality, fun and going almost anywhere on the planet, it is unbeatable.

Pros: will go anywhere; cheap to run; tough as hell; utterly charming.

Cons: noisy; uncomfortable; coarse; unrefined (still utterly charming though).

Suzuki Jimny

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

JX 4x4 Sierra 4x4 Sierra 4x4

$19,990 $22,990 $24,500

3/SUV 3/SUV 3/SUV

Manual Manual Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol

I4/1328 I4/1328 I4/1328

63 63 63

110 110 110

7.2 7.2 7.6

171 171 181

n/a n/a n/a

Suzuki Grand Vitara Not the youngest in the segment, but still one of the most capable. The Grand Vitara is, at its heart, a no-nonsense off-roader with a hint of luxury around the up-spec models for good measure. Decent enough on the road, brilliant off it.

Pros: great off road; strong engines; well-built.

Cons: up-spec models feel like an afterthought; unrefined.

Suzuki Grand Vitara

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

JLX 4x4 JLX 4x4 JLX JLX 4x4 JLX 4x4 SP Edition 4x4 LTD 4x4 JLX 4x4

$31,690 $33,190 $34,990 $37,990 $39,500 $39,990 $41,990 $43,990

3/SUV 3/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV

Manual Auto Auto Manual Auto Auto Auto Manual

Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Petrol Diesel

I4/2393 I4/2393 I4/2393 I4/2393 I4/2393 I4/2393 I4/2393 I4/1897

122 122 122 122 122 122 122 95

225 225 225 225 225 225 225 300

8.8 9.6 9.5 8.9 9.9 9.9 9.9 6.8

209 228 224 212 234 234 234 179

4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star 4 Star

72 New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

suvs

Toyota Highlander Packing the same awesome V6 as the Aurion, the Highlander is not short on power. Which is actually a massive shame for the 2WD model, which struggles badly to deal with it. The 4WD models have no such problems and, with their superior ride and handling are the way to buy a Highlander.

Pros: big, roomy and powerful; cosseting ride; huge amounts of load space.

Cons: 2WD model is awful; handling decent, but very soft; thirsty.

Toyota Highlander

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

V6 V6 4x4 Limited 4x4

$55,280 $59,780 $67,780

5/SUV 5/SUV 5/SUV

Auto Auto Auto

Petrol Petrol Petrol

V6/3456 V6/3456 V6/3456

201 201 201

337 337 337

11.0 11.6 11.6

259 271 271

5 Star 5 Star 5 Star

Toyota FJ Cruiser A Tonka Toy made life-size, the FJ Cruiser attracts stares everywhere, even after a few years’ familiarity. You expect it to be big and floppy, with dead steering and awful handling, but it isn’t. The interior is very retro and very plastic, but it manages to work its charms on you and become quite likeable. Good dynamics and ride help immensely.

Pros: retro styling; surprisingly nimble; powerful engine; extremely capable off-road.

Cons: retro styling; serious rear 3/4 blind spots; thirsty.

Toyota FJ Cruiser

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

4.0 V6 4x4

$71,280

3/SUV

Auto

Petrol

V6/3956

200

380

11.4

267

n/a

Subaru Forester Subaru will launch the next-generation Forester in the New Zealand market this month. Larger and boasting more aggressive styling, the new Forester will come with a choice of three horizontally-opposed four-cylinder engines; a naturally aspirated 2.5-litre making 127kW, a turbo-charged 2.0-litre making 206kW and a 2.0-litre diesel making 112kW. Transmission choices will be a six-speed manual or a Lineartronic CVT, with the turbo engine only being available with the CVT. Go to www.subaru.co.nz for details and prices.

Toyota RAV4 A new version of Toyota’s popular RAV4 launches later in the year as well. Boasting swoopier new-generation Toyota styling, the new RAV4 is lower and more car-like than ever. The side-hinged tailgate is gone, replaced by a more conventional top-hinged version, while the looks move from conventional to something far more adventurous.

Eight different models will be available in New Zealand, both in FWD and 4WD with a choice of 2.0 and 2.5-litre petrol engines and a 2.2-litre diesel. A six-speed automatic transmission replaces the four-speed unit in the current car.

Go to www.toyota.co.nz for prices and details.

Volkswagen Tiguan A wonderfully car-like SUV that is actually reasonably capable off the sealed stuff. Great engines and a high level of standard spec strengthen the Tiguan’s argument, while strong dynamics seal the deal.

Pros: very car-like to throw around; roomy and comfortable; lots of clever touches.

Cons: expensive.

Volkswagen Tiguan

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

132kW TSI 4x4 103kW TDI 4x4

$49,500 $54,000

5/SUV 5/SUV

Auto Auto

Petrol Diesel

I4/1984 I4/1968

132 103

280 320

8.6 6.3

199 167

5 Star 5 Star

Volvo XC60 Sleeker and sexier than most in the segment, the XC60 is a worthy contender in the SUV market. Fantastic looks and impressive dynamics and marred by the fact that all the brilliantly clever safety features are optional extras. Still a luxurious, high-quality, well-built machine though.

Pros: it looks great; drives pretty decently too; very comfortable; spacious.

Cons: expensive.

Volvo XC60

PRICE

DOORS/BODY

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

kW

Nm

AVE. L/100km

CO2 (g/km)

SAFETY

T5

$69,990

5/SUV

Auto

Petrol

I4/1999

177

320

8.5

198

5 Star

New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013 73

VANS & LIGHT TRUCKS VANS & LIGHT TRUCKS

Today’s vans and light trucks areare Today’s vans and light trucks high onon features, easy onon thethe driver, high features, easy driver, and make your accountant smile with glee! and make your accountant smile with glee!

0800 1234 5678 0800 1234 5678

www.hino.co.nz www.hino.co.nz

www.hino.co.nz www.hino.co.nz

vans and light trucks

S Citreon

The Citroen Berlingo drives like a car but has all the equipment and space of a light commercial van. Completely redesigned and reengineered, it has increased load capacity of up to 750kg or 3.7cu m, and a wide range of standard features. The load compartment is integrated into the shape of the vehicle providing a larger, more useable load space, enhanced aerodynamics, and ease of access and manoeuvrability for the driver.

Citroen Berlingo

PRICE

W/BASE mm

ROOF

GVM kg

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

1.6 HDi

$29,990

2728

Std.

2130

Manual

Diesel

I4/1560

POWER (kW) 66

TORQUE (Nm) 215

Fiat Fiat offers two sizes of vans – the medium sized Scudo, which has a 3,122mm wheelbase and the larger Ducato. Both gets diesel power, with three power/torque ratings for the Ducato, and each Ducato model is available with either manual or automatic transmission.

Scudo

Ducato

Med. 251.BGB

$59,990

4035

High

3500

Manual

Diesel

I4/2287

POWER (kW) 88 POWER (kW) 96

Med. 251.BGB

$62,990

4035

High

3500

Auto

Diesel

I4/2287

96

320

Med. 251.BGC

$62,490

4035

High

3500

Manual

Diesel

I4/2287

109

350

Fiat Scudo

PRICE

W/BASE mm

ROOF

GVM kg

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

272.4L2

$39,996

3122

Std.

2932

Manual

Diesel

I4/1997

Fiat Ducato

PRICE

W/BASE mm

ROOF

GVM kg

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

TORQUE (Nm) 300 TORQUE (Nm) 320

Med. 251.BGC

$65,490

4035

High

3500

Auto

Diesel

I4/2287

109

350

Med. 251.BGD

$64,990

4035

High

3500

Manual

Diesel

I4/2996

130

400

Med. 251.BGD

$67,990

4035

High

3500

Auto

Diesel

I4/2996

130

400

Heavy 251.HGB

$63,990

4035

High

4000

Manual

Diesel

I4/2287

96

320

Heavy 251.HGB

$66,990

4035

High

4000

Auto

Diesel

I4/2287

96

320

Heavy 251.HGC

$66,490

4035

High

4000

Manual

Diesel

I4/2287

109

350

Heavy 251.HGC

$69,490

4035

High

4000

Auto

Diesel

I4/2287

109

350

Heavy 251.HGD

$68,990

4035

High

4000

Manual

Diesel

I4/2996

130

400

Heavy 251.HGD

$71,990

4035

High

4000

Auto

Diesel

I4/2996

130

400

Ford Ford is about to introduce its Custom line of vans, smaller than the top-selling Transit range. The new van sits on a 2,933mm wheelbase, with a 2.2-litre 114kW diesel and manual transmission. The big Transit continues with a wide variety of heights, two wheelbase choices, and two engines, all with manual gearboxes.

Transit

Transit Custom

I4/2198

POWER (kW) 114 POWER (kW) 74

285

I4/2198

114

385

Ford Transit Custom

PRICE

W/BASE mm

ROOF

GVM kg

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

Transit Custom

$49,490

2933

Low

2900

Manual

Diesel

I4/2198

Ford Transit

PRICE

W/BASE mm

ROOF

GVM kg

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

SWB

$50,990

2933

Std.

3325

Manual

Diesel

LWB

$59,090

3750

Med.

3490

Manual

Diesel

TORQUE (Nm) 385 TORQUE (Nm)

Jumbo 350

$68,390

3750

High

3490

Manual

Diesel

I4/2198

114

385

Jumbo 450

$69,790

3750

High

4490

Manual

Diesel

I4/2198

114

385

Bus (12-seater)

$69,990

3750

Med.

3490

Manual

Diesel

I4/2198

114

385

New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013 75

FLEET Buyers Guide

vans and light trucks

Holden The Holden Combo has been popular model in the small van segment for years. Only one version is available, with a 1,925kg GVM and a 1.4-litre petrol engine producing 66kW and linked to a manual gearbox. Expect a new one soon.

Holden Combo

PRICE

W/BASE mm

ROOF

GVM kg

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

POWER kW

TORQUE (Nm)

Combo

$30,400

n/a

Std.

1925

Manual

Petrol

I4/1364

66

125

Hyundai The Hyundai iLoad has become a popular van in the small/medium forward control sector, taking the fight to the ubiquitous Hiace with a 3,200mm wheelbase and a choice of 100kW or 125kW turbodiesel engines, plus manual or auto ‘boxes. The iMax is a minibus version.

Hyundai iLoad/iMax

PRICE

W/BASE mm

ROOF

GVM kg

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

POWER kW

TORQUE (Nm)

iLoad

$46,990

3200

Std.

n/a

Manual

Diesel

I4/2497

100

343

iLoad

$48,990

3200

Std.

n/a

Auto

Diesel

I4/2497

125

441

iMax (8-seater)

$54,990

3200

Std.

n/a

Manual

Diesel

I4/2497

100

343

iMax (8-seater)

$56,990

3200

Std.

n/a

Auto

Diesel

I4/2497

125

441

iMax (8-seater)

$58,990

3200

Std.

n/a

Auto

Petrol

I4/2359

126

224

Iveco The Iveco Daily falls into the larger van segment, with 3,300mm or 3,950mm wheelbases and high roofs as standard. Only manual transmission is available, while motive power comes from a 125kW/400Nm 3-litre turbodiesel.

Iveco Daily

PRICE

W/BASE mm

ROOF

GVM kg

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

POWER kW

TORQUE (Nm)

50C17 12m3

$54,308

3300

High

5200

Manual

Diesel

I4/2998

125

400

50C17 15m3

$56,833

3950

High

5200

Manual

Diesel

I4/2998

125

400

50C17 17m3

$59,359

3950

High

5200

Manual

Diesel

I4/2998

125

400

70C17 17m3

$67,565

3950

High

7000

Manual

Diesel

I4/2998

125

400

Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz has two van models, the medium-sized Vito and the larger Sprinter.

There are four models in the Vito line-up, with engine output ranging from 70 to 165kW, while the Sprinter has three models, with the option of 70kW or 95kW..

Sprinter

Vito Mercedes-Benz Vito

PRICE

W/BASE mm

ROOF

GVM kg

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

POWER kW

TORQUE (Nm)

110

$44,990

3200

Std.

2800

Manual

Diesel

I4/2143

70

250

113

$48,990

3200

Std.

2800

Manual

Diesel

I4/2143

100

310

116

$50,990

3200

Std.

2800

Manual

Diesel

I4/2143

120

360

122

$55,990

3200

Std.

2800

Auto

Diesel

V6/2987

165

440

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

PRICE EXCL GST

W/BASE mm

ROOF

GVM kg

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

POWER kW

TORQUE (Nm)

210 Compact

$50,600

3250

Std

2990

Manual

Diesel

I4/2143

70

250

313 Standard

$55,800

3665

High

3490

Manual

Diesel

I4/2143

95

305

313 Long

$59,700

4325

High

3490

Manual

Diesel

I4/2143

95

305

76 New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013





vans and light trucks 316 Standard

$59,300

3665

High

3490

Manual

Diesel

I4/2143

120

360

316 Long

$63,200

4325

High

3490

Manual

Diesel

I4/2143

120

360

319 Standard

$62,800

3665

High

3490

Manual

Diesel

V6/2987

140

440

319 Long

$66,700

4325

High

3490

Manual

Diesel

V6/2987

140

440

516 Long

$69,200

4325

High

5000

Manual

Diesel

I4/2143

120

360

516 Extra Long

$71,400

4325

High

5000

Manual

Diesel

I4/2143

120

360

519 Long

$72,700

4325

High

5000

Manual

Diesel

V6/2987

140

440

519 Extra Long

$74,900

4325

High

5000

Manual

Diesel

V6/2987

140

440

Mitsubishi The Mitsubishi L300 continues to be popular with the “Tradie” sector, and if available in both short wheelbase and SWB. Both are available only with 97kW petrol engines and manual transmission, while GVM is either 2,305kg or 2,505kg.

Mitsubishi L300

PRICE

W/BASE mm

ROOF

GVM kg

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

POWER kW

TORQUE (Nm)

SWB

$30,690

2235

Std.

2305

Manual

Petrol

I4/2351

97

192

LWB

$35,790

2435

Std.

2505

Manual

Petrol

I4/2351

97

192

Nissan The Nissan Urvan is a forward-control van in the Hiace sector, and comes with a 2,415 wheelbase and a GVM of 3,100kg. There are both manual and automatic transmission options, and 96kW turbodiesel power.

Nissan Urvan

PRICE

W/BASE mm

ROOF

GVM kg

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

POWER kW

TORQUE (Nm)

3.0T

$45,550

2415

Std.

3100

Manual

Diesel

I4/2953

96

265

3.0T

$47,550

2415

Std.

3100

Auto

Diesel

I4/2953

96

265

Peugeot The Peugeot Partner shares its underpinnings with the Citroen Berlingo, with both vehicles coming from the PSA stable in France. Power comes from a 66kW turbodiesel, there’s manual transmission, and 2,130kg GVM.

Peugeot Partner

PRICE

W/BASE mm

ROOF

GVM kg

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

POWER kW

TORQUE (Nm)

1.6 HDi

$29,990

2728

Std.

2130

Manual

Diesel

I4/1560

66

215

Suzuki The little Suzuki APV seems to have carved a niche for itself – especially among coffer vendows – with its compact but dimensions and easy driving from its 68kW petrol engine and manual gearbox. Wheelbase is 2,625mm.

Suzuki APV

PRICE

W/BASE mm

ROOF

GVM kg

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

POWER kW

TORQUE (Nm)

1.6

$22,500

2625

Std.

1950

Manual

Petrol

I4/1590

68

127

New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013 77

FLEET Buyers Guide

vans and light trucks

Toyota There’s only one van in the Toyota stable, but it’s been topping the charts since Adam got his driving licence! There are 10 models available, with the option of a simple van with three seats in front, to a passenger/load combination with seating for six, through to full 12-seater minibuses. Both petrol and diesel engines are offered, along with manual and automatic transmissions.

Toyota Hiace

PRICE

W/BASE mm

ROOF

GVM kg

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

POWER kW)

TORQUE (Nm)

ZL (3-seater)

$47,330

2570

Std.

2800

Manual

Petrol

I4/2694

111

241

ZL (3-seater)

$49,630

2570

Std.

2800

Auto

Petrol

I4/2694

111

241

ZL (6-seater)

$48,330

2570

Std.

2800

Manual

Petrol

I4/2694

111

241

ZL (3-seater)

$51,030

2570

Std.

2800

Manual

Diesel

I4/2982

100

300

ZL (3-seater)

$53,230

2570

Std.

2800

Auto

Diesel

I4/2982

100

300

ZL (6-seater)

$52,130

2570

Std.

2800

Manual

Diesel

I4/2982

100

300

ZX (3-seater)

$56,830

3110

Med.

3200

Manual

Diesel

I4/2982

100

300

ZX (3-seater)

$58,830

3110

Med.

3200

Auto

Diesel

I4/2982

100

300

Minibus (12-seater)

$65,480

3110

Med.

3200

Manual

Diesel

I4/2982

100

300

Minibus (12-seater)

$67,780

3110

Med.

3200

Auto

Diesel

I4/2982

100

300

Volkswagen Two vans come your way from Volkswagen in the small-medium sector, the carderived Caddy, and the bigger Transporter. Both offer a wide range of engines, and two wheelbase lengths.

Transporter

Caddy Volkswagen Caddy

PRICE

W/BASE mm

ROOF

GVM kg

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

POWER kW

TORQUE (Nm)

1.2 TSI

$29,990

n/a

Std.

2089

Manual

Petrol

I4/1197

77

175

1.6 TDI

$35,990

n/a

Std.

2175

Manual

Diesel

I4/1598

75

250

1.6 TDI

$39,000

n/a

Std.

2175

Auto

Diesel

I4/1598

75

250

Maxi 1.2 TSI

$32,990

3006

Std.

2233

Manual

Petrol

I4/1197

77

175

Maxi 1.6 HDI

$38,500

3006

Std.

2310

Manual

Diesel

I4/1598

75

250

Maxi 1.6 HDI

$42,000

3006

Std.

2310

Auto

Diesel

I4/1598

75

250

Life (7-seater) Volkswagen Transporter

$47,990

3006

Std.

2280

Auto

Diesel

I4/1598

75

250

(Med. roof add $1400, High roof add $1900)

PRICE

W/BASE mm

ROOF

GVM kg

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

POWER kW

TORQUE (Nm)

SWB 250Nm

$47,500

3000

Std.

2800

Manual

Diesel

I4/1968

75

250

SWB 340Nm

$52,000

3000

Std.

2800

Manual

Diesel

I4/1968

103

340

SWB 400Nm

$54,000

3000

Std.

2800

Manual

Diesel

I4/1968

132

400

SWB 340Nm

$55,500

3000

Std.

2800

Auto

Diesel

I4/1968

103

340

SWB 400Nm

$57,500

3000

Std.

2800

Auto

Diesel

I4/1968

132

400

SWB 340Nm 4Motion

$58,000

3000

Std.

2800

Manual

Diesel

I4/1968

103

340

SWB 400Nm 4Motion

$59,990

3000

Std.

2800

Manual

Diesel

I4/1968

132

400

SWB 400Nm 4Motion

$63,500

3000

Std.

2800

Auto

Diesel

I4/1968

132

400

LWB 250Nm

$49,990

3400

Std.

2800

Manual

Diesel

I4/1968

75

250

LWB 340Nm

$54,500

3400

Std.

2800

Manual

Diesel

I4/1968

103

340

LWB 400Nm

$56,500

3400

Std.

2800

Manual

Diesel

I4/1968

132

400

LWB 340Nm

$58,000

3400

Std.

2800

Auto

Diesel

I4/1968

103

340

LWB 400Nm

$59,990

3400

Std.

2800

Auto

Diesel

I4/1968

132

400

LWB 340Nm 4Motion

$60,500

3400

Std.

2800

Manual

Diesel

I4/1968

103

340

LWB 400Nm 4Motion

$62,500

3400

Std.

2800

Manual

Diesel

I4/1968

132

400

LWB 400Nm 4Motion

$65,990

3400

Std.

2800

Auto

Diesel

I4/1968

132

400

78 New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

vans and light trucks

Volkswagen Volkswagen’s larger offerings are the 7-seater Multivan, based on the Transporter, and the much bigger Crafter, a full-size van with 3,665mm or 4,325mm wheelbases and either 80kW or 105kW power.

Multivan

Crafter

Volkswagen Multivan

PRICE

W/BASE mm

ROOF

GVM kg

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

POWER kW

TORQUE (Nm)

Comfortline (7-seater)

$69,990

3000

Std.

3000

Auto

Diesel

I4/1968

132

400

Comfortline 4Motion (7-seater)

$76,500

3000

Std.

3000

Auto

Diesel

I4/1968

132

400

Volkswagen Crafter (Std. roof less $2000,

PRICE

W/BASE mm

ROOF

GVM kg

TRANS.

FUEL

CYL./CC

POWER kW

TORQUE (Nm)

Super high roof add $4000, Super LWB add $2000)

35 MWB 300Nm

$63,500

3665

Med.

3500

Manual

Diesel

I4/1968

80

300

35 MWB 340Nm

$66,500

3665

Med.

3500

Manual

Diesel

I4/1968

105

340

35 LWB 340Nm

$69,500

4325

Med.

3500

Manual

Diesel

I4/1968

105

340

50 LWB 340Nm

$76,500

4325

Med.

5000

Manual

Diesel

I4/1968

105

340

light trucks

Ford Ford offers a chassis/cab version of the regular Transit which proves ideal for short-haulage applications. There are two choices, 3,490kg or 4,490kg GVM, both on the same 3,750mm wheelbase, and engine is the popular 2.2-litre turbodiesel which has found itself into a wide variety of vehicles ranging from Land Rover through to Jaguar.

Ford Transit cab/chassis

PRICE

W/BASE mm

GVM kg

TRANS

FUEL

CYL./CC

POWER (kw)

TORQUE (NM)

350

$56,990

3750

3490

Manual

Diesel

I4/2198

114

385

460

$58,190

3750

4490

Manual

Diesel

I4/2198

114

385

Hino As part of the Toyota stable, the Hino truck lineup is wide and almost all-embracing. Short, medium, long and extra-long wheelbases are available, and you can get off-the-shelf dump truck or crew carrier applications, as well as versions with manual and automatic transmission.

There are two 4-litre turbo-diesels with either 110kW or 121kW power.

Hino 300 Light Duty

PRICE

W/BASE MM

GVM kg

TRANS

FUEL

CYL./CC

POWER (kw)

TORQUE (NM)

615 Short

$49,600 $50,105

25252525

5500

Manual

Diesel

I4/4009

110

420

615 Short

$51,500 $52,060

25252525

5500

Automatic

Diesel

I4/4009

110

420

615 Short Dump

$59,100 $59,660

25252525

5500

Manual

Diesel

I4/4009

110

420

615 Medium

$50,400 $51,755

34003400

5500

Manual

Diesel

I4/4009

110

420

615 Medium

$59,800 $60,410

34303430

5500

Automatic

Diesel

I4/4009

110

420

617 Short

$54,700 $55,215

28102810

5500

Manual

Diesel

I4/4009

121

464

717 617 Medium

$57,000 $55,040

34303430

5995/6500 5500

Manual

Diesel

I4/4009

121

464

717 Medium Dump

$67,900 $68,520

34303430

5995 or 6500

Manual

Diesel

I4/4009

121

464

815 717 Medium Dump

$60,800 $68,520

34303430

5995 or 7300 6500

Automatic Manual

Diesel

I4/4009

110 121

420 464

815 Crew Medium

$68,500 $61,380

42003430

5995 or 7300

Automatic

Diesel

I4/4009

110

420

915 815 Hybrid Crew

$71,200 $69,165

38704200

5995 or 8500 7300

Automatic

Diesel

I4/4009

110

420

917 915 Crew Hybrid

$66,200 $71,890

42003870

5995 or 8500

Manual Automatic

Diesel

I4/4009

121 110

464 420

917 Medium Crew

$58,600 $66,200

34304200

5995 or 8500

Manual

Diesel

I4/4009

121

464

917 Long Medium

$55,300 $59,200

38703430

8500 5995 or 8500

Manual

Diesel

I4/4009

121

464

917 X-Long Long

$59,500 $55,900

42003870

8500

Manual

Diesel

I4/4009

121

464

917 Dump X-Long

$75,300 $60,055

n/a 4200

n/a 8500

Manual

Diesel

I4/4009

121

464

New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013 79

FLEET Buyers Guide

vans and light trucks

Iveco Iveco offers a range of cab/chassis options. All are based on the Daily, and there are two wheelbase options, 3,750mm and 4,350mm, and GVM ratings ranging from 5,200kg to 7,000kg. In each case, though, power comes from a 130kW 3-litre turbo-diesel.

Iveco Daily cab/chassis

PRICE

W/BASE MM

GVM kg

TRANS

FUEL

CYL./CC

POWER (kw)

TORQUE (NM)

50C17

$46,306

3750

5200

Manual

Diesel

I4/2998

130

400

50C17 LWB

$46,980

4350

5200

Manual

Diesel

I4/2998

130

400

70C17

$53,462

4350

7000

Manual

Diesel

I4/2998

130

400

70C17 LWB

$54,136

4750

7000

Manual

Diesel

I4/2998

130

400

50C17 double cab

$56,779

3750

5000

Manual

Diesel

I4/2998

130

400

50C17 double cab LWB

$57,453

4350

5000

Manual

Diesel

I4/2998

130

400

70C17 double cab

$60,369

3750

6700

Manual

Diesel

I4/2998

130

400

70C17 double cab LWB

$61,043

4350

6700

Manual

Diesel

I4/2998

130

400

Kia There’s only currently one truck from Kia, the K2500, which comes complete with its own flatdeck. A smaller truck – in the same size segment as the Hiace – it has a 2,615mm wheelbase and 3,240kg GVM. Power comes from a 96kW 2.5-litre turbo-diesel.

Kia 2500 K2500 Flatdeck

PRICE

W/BASE MM

GVM kg

TRANS

FUEL

CYL./CC

POWER (kw)

TORQUE (NM)

$36,490

2615

3240

Manual

Diesel

I4/2497

96

255

Mercedes-Benz The Sprinter cab/chassis comes in three wheelbase variations, the Compact at 3,250mm, the Standard 3,665mm and the Long which has a wheelbase of 4,325mm. The Sprinter Dual cab/chassis comes in one wheelbase variation, the Long, version which has a wheelbase of 4325mm. Power ranges from 95kW to 140kW.

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter c/c

PRICE

W/BASE MM

GVM kg

TRANS

FUEL

CYL./CC

POWER (kw)

TORQUE (NM)

313

$52,550

3250

n/a

Manual

Diesel

I4/2143

95

305

516

$60,550

3665

n/a

Manual

Diesel

I4/2143

120

360

516 Duel Cab

$65,000

4325

n/a

Manual

Diesel

I4/2143

120

360

519

$68,500

4325

n/a

Manual

Diesel

I4/2143

140

440

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Have you seen our Facebook page? www.facebook.com/NZCompanyVehicle

Expanded range for 2013 Lexus LS

An expanded range of 2013 Lexus LS models arrived recently in showrooms around the country. The model range includes the V8 LS460, the long wheelbase petrol electric hybrid LS600hl, the V8 LS460 F-Sport and a new short wheelbase LS600h F-Sport. As can be expected from Lexus, there are no less than four option packs available, allowing buyers to customise a vehicle to their taste and needs. Full details of the new Lexus LS range can be found on www.companyvehicle.co.nz 80 New Zealand Company Vehicle February 2013

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3.0 TDI quattro S'back 3.0 TFSI quattro S'back

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Q3

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5dr SUV

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