LCV Jan/Feb 2019

HSV SPORTSCAT+ 0-100KM/H: THE FIRST HSV THAT’S SLOWER THAN ITS DONOR HOLDEN!

SUV • UTE • VAN • LIGHT-TRUCKS

Jan/Feb 2019 $7.50

FREE 2019

YEAR ER PLANNE INSID

/NZlcvmag

LCV.CO.NZ

7-SEAT SHOOTOUT 2019 SANTA FE MAZDA CX-8 SKODA KODIAQ P56

WIN! HER

$100 VOUC

9 421900 196159

ISSN 2382-1221

HYUNDAI KONA ROAD TRIP: Mt Wellington to Wellington in a Kona 1.6T. Gunning for 450km in the Kona EV

HOLDEN ACADIA SEVEN-SEAT: We put Holden’s big SUV hope to the ultimate 0-100km/h, fuel economy and passenger comfort test

Trucks Trucks && Trailers Trailers has has athe wide biggest rangerange of Mercedes-Benz of Mercedes-Benz X-Class X-Class available available now. now.

The TheX-Class X-Classisisoffered offeredininthree threegrades, grades,with withaamultitude multitudeofofcustomisation customisationoptions optionstotomake makeitityour yourown. own.

PURE PUREisisthe thestripped strippedback backworkhorse workhorseofofthe thethree, three,ideal idealfor forrugged, rugged,functional functionaluse. use.

From From$46,348 $53,300*. + GST*.

PROGRESSIVEcan canbe beaacalling callingcard cardfor foryour yourbusiness, business,and andaacomfortable, comfortable, PROGRESSIVE sophisticatedvehicle vehiclefor forprivate privateuse. use.From From$51,565 $63,000*. sophisticated + GST*.

POWERprovides providesstyle, style,comfort comfortand andperformance. performance.Through Throughits itsdesign designand andhigh highlevel level POWER equipment,ititreflects reflectsan anindependent independentand andindividualistic individualisticmindset. mindset.From From$57,652 $69,000*. ofofequipment, + GST*.

Visit Trucks & Trailers and test drive today.

Visit Trucks & Trailers and test drive today. *Prices based on Manufacturers Recommended Retail Price. Prices exclude GST and On Road Costs. *Manufactures Recommended including GST, excluding On vary Roaddepending Costs. on model and any additional accessories and style packs.

Prices listed above are for base Retail spec 4Price cylinder manual models and will Model pictured is an X-Class Progressive 250d with additional Style Pack and Sports Bar.

Trucks Trucks&&Trailers Trailers 88 88Wiri WiriStation StationRd, Rd,Manukau, Manukau,Auckland Auckland 0800 0800327 327777 777

10

12

14

16

20

36

42

46

Jan/Feb 2019 2

BEHIND THE WHEEL Editor’s thoughts and opinions on this month’s motoring happenings.

4

NEWS It’s a busy month. Though in the SUV, ute and LCV world, it’s always busy.

8

ACCESSORISED Some new products for some window shopping at the aftermarket.

10 LION TAMED HSV turns its attention from powerful sedans to dual-cab utes; just how good is it?

12 CHARGE LEAD If the Hyundai Kona is the future of EV, we’re actually quite pleased.

14 CONQUERING EVEREST Big, brash, American and surprisingly good is Holden’s seven-seat Acadia.

16 G WHIZARDY And at the opposite end of the X-Class spectrum, Mercedes-Benz G-Class Professional.

20 PLUCKY SEVEN COVER STORY: Seven-seat shootout, Skoda Kodiaq vs Mazda CX-8 vs Hyundai Santa Fe.

32 BEST OF 2018 LCV magazine names its finalists and winner of the SUV and Ute of the Year.

36 CAPITAL IDEA Mt Wellington to Wellington: sounds like a plan. But in a Hyundai Kona?...

40 TAKING STOCK Age, experience and wisdom, Mike Stock tells it like it is, and was.

41 INCOMING What’s new and what’s just been launched in the NZ market.

42 TOW TEST Putting Holden’s Trailblazer to the tow test, to fit in with the issue’s seven-seat theme.

46 MARKET WRAP: SUV & UTE The month in the biggest moving automotive sector.

48 MARKET WRAP: VAN The month in van sales – aka, measuring how much Hiace is leading by.

50 MUM’S THE WORD SUVing from a family and female perspective, sans pandering or condescension.

51 SHOWROOM Listing all the SUVs, utes, vans and light-trucks on sale.

56 UTE-OPIA Send them in, we’ll show them off.

LCV | 1

SUV • UTE • VAN • LIGHT-TRUCKS

www.lcv.co.nz MANAGEMENT Publisher

Trevor Woolston 027 492 5600 trevor@trucker.co.nz

Advertising

Dion Rout 027 491 1110 dion@trucker.co.nz

EDITORIAL Editor

Dean Evans dean@trucker.co.nz

Contributors

Mike Stock, Cory Martin, Robin Yates, Arna Evans, Olivia Beauchamp

ART DEPARTMENT Design & Production

Luca Bempensante Zarko Mihic

MARKETING ASSISTANT Lisana De Castro ADMINISTRATION & SUBSCRIPTIONS Administration Manager

Sue Woolston

Subscriptions

accounts@trucker.co.nz

NZ subscription price

$36 incl. GST for one year (6 issues) Overseas rates on application

Phone

+64 9 571 3544

Fax

+64 9 571 3549

Freephone

0508 TRUCKER (878 2537)

Postal Address

PO Box 112 062, Penrose, AUCKLAND 1642

Street Address

172B Marua Road, Ellerslie, AUCKLAND 1051

Web

www.lcv.co.nz www.alliedpublications.co.nz

PRINTING Nicholson Print Solutions DISTRIBUTION Gordon & Gotch Publication: NZ Light Commercial Vehicle is published by Allied Publications Ltd. ISSN 2382-1221 Contributions: Editorial contributions are welcomed for consideration, but no responsibility is accepted for loss or damage of submitted materials (photographs, graphics, printed material etc…). If the return of material is required please include a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Please contact the editor by mail, fax, or email prior to submitting material. LCV reserves the right to edit submitted material.

Copyright: Articles in LCV are copyright and may not be reproduced in any form – in whole or part – without the permission of the publisher. Opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily the opinions of, or endorsed by, the publisher.

NZ Light Commercial Vehicles Magazine Readership 2018

22,500

www.lcv.co.nz

ELECTRIC VEHICLE: TWO WORDS THAT seemingly either induce boredom, hatred, disinterest or a combination of all three. But it need not be, because we are on the edge of a time where electric vehicles are getting a lot more interesting.

We’ve had hybrid cars for more than 20 years now, but we’re now seeing an influx of pure plug-in EVs that are changing the way we drive, and the way we think of them.

With the introduction of LDV’s V80 electric van, and the Kia Niro and Hyundai Kona EV SUVs, we’re right in the middle of a big step towards an electric vehicle future. And happily, it’s not that bad. Having just sampled the Kona EV for a week, I had to think of the last pure electric car I drove apart from a golf cart… and I actually had to go way back to the very first.

I was one of the first motoring journalists in the world to drive the first electric production car, the GM EV1 - a year before its launch in 1996. In 1995, in Disneyland, California, GM had set up a preview driving experience with the GM EV1, and a 0-60mph challenge (I think mid-eight-seconds). It was strapped down on a dyno and less exciting than playing an Atari 2600 video game, the experience involving waiting for a countdown timer and flooring the throttle until it hit 60mph. But it was my first and only taste of an electric car… until 23 years later in the 2018 Kona.

And if I wasn’t impressed then, I am now. What was remarkable wasn’t the expected attributes like the immediate torque and quiet running, but the unexpected aspects: when sitting on 100km/h, a conventional engine is pulling low rpm, a high gear and is lazily idling along conserving as many resources as possible. In a situation where a single lane road expands into an overtaking lane, and the inevitable multi-lane Grand Prix starts, a conventional engine to downshift one, two, maybe even four gears: it then summons the power or torque of the engine by swinging the revs into the right range and/or even build turbo boost; obviously the intensity of this happening is dependent on

the engine, capacity and its performance, but the EV creates a distinct difference: nail the throttle and it instantly goes! EVs are insanely fast in those situations; say from 80-100km/h simply because of response time between throttle pedal moving and the car accelerating. Of course if we move up to vehicles like the Tesla Model X, as we highlighted last issue as the world’s fastest SUV, then it just SHOUTS THE SAME MESSAGE IN CAPS AND TRIPLE EXPLANATION POINTS!!!

After a week of driving an EV and feeling the nature of regenerative braking and energy scavenging, getting back into a normal car feels wasteful; that every time it’s rolling downhill or using the brakes, it’s simply letting all that energy go to waste.

With the first prime movers and large trucks being announced this year, the transport industry is often the first to embrace this new technology, with performance being a positive by-product of the technology.

We’ve seen supercars receive drip-down technology from Formula 1 over recent years with the likes of the La Ferrari and Porsche 918 Spyder both using batteries and electric motors for ultimate performance. And while we’re starting to see it in the SUV world, over the coming years, we’ll see the same EV and battery tech spread across the whole range of vehicles, from two-seat sports cars to seven-seaters and even utes.

And with that will come improved convenience: the current method of thick, chunky charging cables plugged into the car will surely be replaced by cordless inductive chargers built into home garage floors and office parking bays.

With company and government mandates for the electrification of fleets, it’s an exciting time for electric vehicles because manufacturers realise it’s increasingly becoming less about the high-priced, feel-good side, and more about reducing fuel bills while keeping it exciting.

I sat in front of the TV for the Bathurst 1000, I’ve burnt my fair of premium fuel just driving for the enjoyment, and I love the sound of a V8, highly strung four-cylinder, turbo or supercharger, but I’m quite happy about heading towards an electric future because the car industry is still full of car people who know buyers and drivers want and need a bit of excitement. Charge!

Dean Evans – dean@trucker.co.nz

www.facebook.com/NZLCVmag

2 | LCV

B E FUTURE RE ADY

T H E F I R S T E V E R M A ZDA CX- 8 Enjoy the versatility of either five or seven seats and the space to take on any adventure with a state of the art SKYACTIV diesel engine to get you there.

Combine this with the cutting-edge design and technology you would expect from a new generation Mazda and you have an SUV vehicle that’s future ready.

Book a test drive today at mazda.co.nz

MDZ4464 CX-8 NZCV Press 210x297mm FA.indd 1

3/07/18 5:08 PM

LAMBO LAUNCHES ‘SUPER SUV’ SERIES! A racing series for Lamborghini’s Urus SUV? Because it can!

LAMBORGHINI HAS ANNOUNCED A NEW ONE-MAKE racing category. Known for its Super Trofeo categories, the new Urus ST-X SUV Concept forms the basis of a new race series starting in 2020.

Fitted with the usual safety gear, roll cage, seats, harness, fuel tank and fire system, and a few hundred kilos of weight lost, the Urus ST-X also uses large air intakes to keep the 478kW twin-turbo V8 cool. Larger wheels and a wing are two other upgrades.

Revealed in Rome at the 2018 Lamborghini Super Trofeo World Final, the Urus will make its first on-track appearance at the 2019 Finals.

IN THE TRADITION OF THE SIMPSONS’ Malibu Stacy episode “but she’s got a new hat!”, Toyota’s cute and funky compact SUV, the C-HR has scored a new two-tone paint on the Limited variant. The five colour choices are black with Crystal Pearl, Shadow Platinum, Ruby, Sun Fusion or the newly added Nebula Blue. The C-HR is powered by a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine with a CVT gearbox and, maybe a little surprisingly, made a very positive impact with us a year ago in the Oct/Nov 17 issue.

4 | LCV

WORLD’S FASTEST VAN Two van records to be broken, by Brit racer and serial tea drinker, Guy Martin.

GUY MARTIN’S WORLD’S FASTEST VAN TV show recently aired in NZ, showcasing the Brit motorcycle racer’s efforts to break both the top speed and Germany’s Nurburgring Nordeschleife lap record for a van.

Using his written-off and rebuilt black Ford Transit, thorough modifications included fitting a twin-turbo V6 EcoBoost engine from a Ford GT, producing around 700hp, and mounting in the mid/rear location.

The record to beat around the Nurburgring was 9m:57sec, held by a Revo-tuned VW T5 van back in 2013, running a 2.0-litre twinturbo diesel producing around 220hp, which set a lap time of 9m:57sec – this was inspired by the time set by Sabine Schmitz on Top Gear, while driving a standard Transit van, with a time of 10m:08sec.

With the same VW’s driver Dale Lomas, a

Nurburgring driving instructor, as passenger guiding him around the lap, the Ford was on track and clearly faster until a small fire in the engine three-quarters of the way through the 21km lap, from a small oil leak onto the exhaust manifold. Martin pressed on, continued down the 2km straight and finished the lap, extinguished the fire, and recorded a lap time of 9m:28sec, 29 seconds faster than Lomas and 40 seconds faster than Schmitz in the standard Transit van.

Martin also attempted to set the top speed record. At the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA, the same van set out to break the record set by the Ford Supervan 2, way back in 1984, at 176mph (283km/h), which ran a mid-mounted 3.2-litre Cosworth V8 making 590hp. Martin’s wide tyres hampered his efforts on the salt, the semi-serious effort falling short about 10mph.

Far left: Previous Nurburgring lap record holder, Revo-tuned VW T5.

Left: Top speed record holder, the Ford Supervan 2, set back in 1984.

LCV | 5

CHARGE YOUR BOLLINGER! THE BOLLINGER NAME MAY BE MORE FAMOUS for champagne than utes, but the American electric vehicle start-up company has released the Bollinger B2, with dual motors, all-wheel drive, hydropneumatic suspension, in-wheel portal gear hubs, 120kWh battery pack, large front trunk space, and patented pass-through doors for transporting long items.

Bollinger designed the B2 to be a workhorse, with a hauling capability just under 2300kg.

With the dual motors providing 520hp (388kW) and 697Nm, the claimed 0-96km/h is a modest 6.5 seconds. Production is targeted for late-2019.

Kind of reminds of another EV, the Top Gear Hammerhead Eagle i-Thrust.

Top Gear’s EV effort… or is it the Bollinger?

LCV BACK ISSUES KIA’S NEW-AG

E SUV s:

SUV

• UTE

• VAN

-1221 ISSN 2382

9 4219 00

196159

FORD TRANS The aut IT CUSTO o has lan ded M VAN ... fina lly!

6 | LCV

SORENT O SEV EN-SEA TER • NIRO EV ELE CTRIC-H YBRID

• LIGH T-

TRUC

KS

May/Jun e 201 $7.50 8

/NZlcvma HOLDE LCV.CO g Full rev N EQUINOX .NZ iew, per formancLTZ-V FIVE-S EAT e times, it’s goo d!

BACK ISSUES, GET YOUR LCV BACK ISSUES here! Did you miss our 10-round Ute-lympics Shootout between the top-three utes in NZ, where Toyota’s Hilux takes on Ford’s Ranger and Holden’s Colorado in a ten-round test to find the ultimate Gold medallist? Or our SUV or Ute buyer’s battle guide, to look at the good and bad points between buying an SUV or ute as the family transporter? Or maybe you missed our most popular story of the year, the

supercharged V8-converted Holden Colorado?

We now have them available, and many more, if you’re looking for an opinion on a specific ute, SUV, van or light truck. Or subscribe and get LCV delivered to your door. Two ways to order, either call our office on (09) 571 3544, or see our online store. Mags are $10 each including postage. from alliedpublications.co.nz/collections/lcvmagazine-back-issues, or visit our Facebook page for the direct link. Supplies are limited.

TOYOTA HELPS SURF LIFE SAVING TOYOTA FINANCIAL SERVICES HAS SIGNED a vehicle sponsorship agreement with Surf Life Saving New Zealand and Surf Life Saving Northern Region which will establish one of the largest not-for-profit vehicle fleets in New Zealand.

The three-year, 48-car deal is valued at more than $380,000 a year and the agreement makes Toyota Financial Services the exclusive vehicle sponsor for Surf Life Saving New Zealand and sees the existing sponsorship relationship with Surf Life Saving Northern Region renewed. Each organisation will receive 15 sponsored vehicles to support regional lifesaving delivery and community education programmes, while the Grassroots Trust and Toyota Financial Services will also provide a further 16 4WD first-response vehicles to 13 northern region clubs and three Bay of Plenty clubs.

the auto accessory specialists LOAD TO

200KG!

ALLOY CUSTOM LID

TAILGATE ASSIST - PROLIFT®

• STEELTOP® CANOPIES • SIDESTEPS • ROOF RACKS & AWNINGS • SPORTS BARS • ALLOY HARD LIDS • WEATHER SHIELDS • TONNEAU COVERS • HEADLIGHT GUARDS • SUN VISORS • BED EXTENDERS • NUDGE BARS • BED LINERS • TOW BARS AND FACTORY STYLE WIRING • BLACK & CHROME TRIM • TAILGATE ASSIST – PROLIFT

LCV28974

Airplex Industries Ltd

21 Saleyards Road, Otahuhu, Auckland Phone +64 9 276 9826 Toll Free: NZ 0800AIRPLEX Fax +64 9 276 9836 Email: info@airplex.co.nz

CENTRAL LOCKING STEELTOP® COMMERCIAL CANOPY

CENTRAL LOCKING SUV STEELTOP® CANOPY

®

www.airplex.co.nz LCV | 7

1

X-CLASS RHINO RACK

Rhino Rack has announced its line of roof racks for the Mercedes-Benz X-Class. All priced at $529 including GST, the racks are available in two versions, normal and heavy duty, with load ratings up to 75kg, and available in either silver or black.

Includes the fitting kit, legs and locks.

1

Contact: Rhino Rack Stockists www.rhinorack.co.nz

2

UTEMASTER SBT

Take your workshop with you, only when you need to, with Utemaster’s Service Body Trailer (SBT). The SBT offers up to 50 percent more capacity than a traditional ute canopy setup, the low weight, high payload capacity carrying up to 2000kg.

Designed and built by Utemaster, the SBT is available with either a full length Service Body, or a Deck and Service Body combination. The 2.4mx1.8m trailer offers 4.32m2 of floor space, and is ideal for tradies, contractors, forestry workers or power companies, built to carry a massive amount of gear to job sites, meaning you always have the right tool for the job.

The full service body gets nearly 4m3 of storage area allowing Single Cab-like storage on any vehicle with a towbar.

All tools are stored in one central location, and can be left on site if required, while the tow vehicle departs or changes. An Automatic Reversing Sensor eliminates the need for a flip lockout, with the coupling rated to 2700kg. Both axles are braked, with rubber torsion suspension for smooth ride regardless of the road.

Contact: Utemaster www.utemaster.co.nz 0800 683 352

8 | LCV

2

3

3

RHINO-RACK SHADE

As summer hits, the need for shade skyrockets, and Rhino-Rack has the answer for work or leisure with its Sunseeker and Batwing range of shade solutions. With a choice of seven shapes and sizes starting from the $329 2.15x2m square Sunseeker 2.0m, to the $520 2.5x2.5 Dome for additional headroom, right up to the innovative $1149 2.5x2.5m Batwing Awning for 11sqm of coverage, all the systems attach to the vehicle’s roof racks, fold away and neatly store. Perfect for jobsites, camping or just quick shade for all sports and hobbies.

Contact: Rhino Rack Stockists www.rhinorack.co.nz/products/ sport-leisure/shade/awnings

WORK YOUR WAY TO THE WEEKEND

Recreational and commercial roof rack systems to fit all vehicles and a huge range of accessories including: • Kayak Carriers • Boat Loaders • Fishing Rod Holders Recreational and commercial roof rack Recreational and commercial roof rack • Luggage Boxes systems to fit all vehicles and a of systems to fit all vehicles huge and arange huge range of accessories including: accessories including: • Kayak Carriers www.rhinorack.co.nz • Kayak Carriers • Boat•Loaders Boat Loaders • Fishing Rod Holders • Fishing Rod Holders www.rhinorack.co.nz • Luggage Boxes Boxes • Luggage

WORK YOUR WAYWAY TO TO WORK YOUR THETHE WEEKEND WEEKEND

LCV2875

www.rhinorack.co.nzPh: Ph: 0800 866322

0800 866322

www.rhinorack.co.nz www.rhinorack.co.nz

Contact sales@rhinorack.co.nz for more local Rhino-Rack dealer

Contact sales@rhinorack.co.nz for more information ordealer visit your information or visit your local Rhino-Rack

LCV | 9

Story: Dean Evans

LION TAMED

HSV adds Plus to the SportsCat range, but how does it compare with the Colorado when its performance is a minus?

F O R A C O M PA N Y K N O W N F O R performance upgrades, this is a new era for the Melbourne-based performance tuning arm of Holden. Holden Special Vehicles has been tweaking and tuning Holdens since the first Walkinshaw Commodore in 1988, and for 30 years it has always managed to squeak a little more from the donor car, often drawing from its American stable of performance engines.

But now, with the demise of the Commodore sedan and ute, and no highpowered American equivalent, HSV arrived at somewhat of a dead end of extreme performance. That’s not saying the Colorado is slow, at least in relative terms, given its 2.8-litre 500Nm turbo diesel makes it the fastest four/five-cylinder dual cab utes on sale. But at 0-100km/h in 10.2 seconds,

it’s not even close to the five-second times offered by the Maloo. The reality for HSV was that it had nowhere to go, power wise, as it just wasn’t cost-effective for HSV to develop engine mods, or replace the engine altogether (a la the low volume 420kW LSA supercharged V8 Colorado featured in LCV Sept/Oct).

So the HSV performance aspect is a minor sore point with the SportsCat, particularly given the performance comparisons with Colorado Z71, which does 0-60km/h in 4.1 seconds; the HSV version is a fraction slower at 4.2 seconds.

Colorado does 0-100km/h in 10.2 seconds; SportsCat+ in 10.7 seconds – half a second slower. And the quarter-mile: Colorado 17.1@127kmh; SportsCat+ 17.4@125km/h, making the SportsCat

Above: Big AP Racing brakes are fitted to Plus model, though rear drums remain.

ESP and ABS are calibrated to suit.

Left: Interior is tame, with suede and leather on the seats, dash and doors.

Steering wheel is the only place with HSV logo or wording, a stark contrast to years past.

10 | LCV

SportsCat is the first HSV model in the company’s 30-year history that’s actually slower than the Holden it’s based on the first HSV in history that’s actually slower than its donor Holden. And that’s the biggest sting, and sign that HSV’s philosophy had to change.

So why is it slower, and what exactly does the $16,000 premium over a Colorado Z71 actually buy? First, the dip in performance is down to the slightly larger diameter 285/60R18 (vs Colorado 265/60) Cooper Zeon all-terrain tyres and 18x10inch forged alloy wheel package: it’s only a few percent larger, but enough to take the sharp edge off performance. It should theoretically worsen fuel economy, too, but HSV claims the same 8.7l/100km as Holden.

What the 2019 HSV badge buys is basically everything ‘but’ improved performance. At first glance the interior looks standard Holden, but closer inspection reveals the new 2018 HSV logo on the steering wheel, and a very nice mix of suede and leather on the cosy seats, door trims and dash.

Underneath is where HSV played most, with upgraded suspension, brakes and body.

Ten percent firmer suspension removes any wallow and roll-understeer of the standard car, and along with front strut braces and revised dampers, despite the 25mm higher ride height, the SportsCat is a lot sharper and more responsive and probably the best handling dual cab ute on the market.

What likely also helps this is a very clever decoupling rear sway bar: in normal mode, it provides improved steering response and reduced roll, but when automatically decoupled by selecting 4Low mode, it allows for maximum articulation for off-road work. Those wanting to take it another step can opt for the optional SupaShock remote reservoir coil-over suspension, a feature of past HSV sedans.

The hard tonneau is also a bit clever, featuring central locking and quick-release hinges that allow total removal. The tailgate also features soft-opening hydraulics.

Inside, a tub liner is an option ($400), as is the Loadmaster system of storage that slides along the racks, with eye bolts for securing loads. Optional load racks are also available for added storage on top of the tonneau.

Bigger brakes are also part of the SportsCat+ package, with four-piston AP Racing calipers over large 362mm discs, that HSV has recalibrated via the ABS and ESP systems to better work with the improved mechanical performance.

The SportsCat+ (the plus is officially written as a +) is the more aggressive of the two models, and easily identified by its honeycomb grille, bonnet bulge and castellated wheelarches.

So yes, the HSV SportsCat and SportsCat+ models are improved and more

Left: No special HSV badges inside, but there is one under the bonnet.

Below left: Rear sailplanes are optional, but hard tonneau is removeable. Load rails also mount optional racks if more storage is required

capable than the donor Colorado. They’re slower, which might bother HSV purists, but although those customers don’t like change, after 30 years HSV was effectively forced into it. It’s like two steps forward, and one step sideways. Welcome to the new era of HSV.

SPEC CHECK HSV SportsCat+ Engine:

2.8-litre turbo diesel four

Power:

147kW/500Nm

Gearbox:

Six-speed auto

Economy:

8.7l/100km

Weight:

2274kg

Turning circle:

13.6m

0-60/100km/h:

4.2sec/10.7sec (tested)

0-400m:

17.4@125km/h

Price:

$73,990-$82,990

Rating (/5) Verdict:

A change for HSV, that’s both good & bad

inner rails to create different load options.

Below right: Plus bonnet bulge styling is reminiscent of the original 1988 HSV Walkinshaw, but unlike the VL Commodore, is non-functional.

Below: The Loadmaster storage system works great, and can slide around on the

LCV | 11

Story & Photos: Dean Evans

Hyundai gets into the small electric SUV market first with its Kona EV, and with more than 450km of range, the reasons not to buy are diminishing.

HYUNDAI’S KONA EV IS ONE SMALL STEP for electric vehicles, one giant leap for EV kind, particularly in perception. Though Hyundai claims 400km range from its Kona EV, the reality is more like 450, given 470km is the claim overseas. That magic 400km marker seems to be the difference between electric cars being a status symbol or novelty for the future, to something that has officially become practical and useable right now.

Let’s first deal with the price: the EV version is almost double the top-spec turbo petrol Kona, but does come with a host of gear expected in an $80k car, Below: Super Chargers are dotted around the country, as are normal chargers. At Hamptons Downs Raceway, a nearby café allows EV users to recharge car and body.

12 | LCV

such as radar cruise, head-up display, large touchscreen, heated seats and steering wheel, speed sign recognition, lane assist, wireless phone charging and CarPlay/Auto. There’s even a button to isolate the fan controls to the driver only.

There are ‘shifting’ paddles behind the wheel, which manually alter the charging rate during, for example, steep descents, to maximise energy recovery and charging, subsequently increasing the drag effect.

The other numbers to consider are

the speed ones: though Hyundai claims 0-100km/h in 7.6 seconds, it manages this in the maximum Eco+ mode. We clocked 6.9 seconds in Sport mode without doing anything special; no loading against the brake, simply lift foot off brake and mash go pedal, to produce numbers that make it one of the quickest SUVs on sale.

Given it’s ‘just’ front-drive, there’s even a slight restrain of power which noticeably steps back up at 60km/h, like a Honda VTEC. And whatever the speed, from 10

Zero to 100 in 6.9 seconds and a range well over 400km, this is the future of driving, right now

Above: The interior is remarkably ‘normal’, with the touchscreen revealing a large array of EV information, such as how it’s being consumed. Left: With the plastic cover removed, the electric components look not far removed from a normal engine.

Right: Different driving modes – Normal, Comfort, Eco and Eco+ - change the driving feel, while Eco+ limits features that power might drain (AC) and limits speed to 90km/h. Battery drain didn’t change drastically throughout the modes, though energy recovering (through increased braking) is noticeable.

It feels like a car of tomorrow, and drives like a car of today to 100km/h, floor the throttle and it has the same, instant acceleration that makes EVs so appealing, while it’s also customisable in one of the four driving modes.

All the while the Kona EV hums at idle, or glides along silently with a faint whir and drum of tyres, like something out of The Jetsons, or Minority Report. It feels like a car of tomorrow, and drives like a car of today.

Though it’s 15 percent heavier than the petrol Kona, all that weight is down low, so handling doesn’t suffer either.

So it just comes down to use and charging the battery. Entering the EV world is like entering the Matrix, with a world of previously ‘invisible’ EV charging points dotted around the country, easily located via phone apps – we used PlugShare, which

reveals more than 30 charging points in the 110km joining Auckland and Hamilton, with another eight before Taupo.

Though the stations offer a range of ‘power’, the super charger at Hampton Downs for example offers fast charging times – adding around 1km range per minute. Other smaller charging stations aren’t as fast, but even 10-20 mins could be enough to get you home… not unlike a typical petrol tank fill.

Easiest of course is to plug into a home socket, but it’s also the slowest – like a large fuel tank, its Lithium-ion batteries take up to 43 hours to charge from flat.

Though if $80k is an option for an electric EV, we doubt an extra $2500 for a home fast charging station should be a concern,

which cuts it down to 8-9 hours. Our overnight AV charging (around 14 hours) was good to boost the battery from around 60 to 90 percent; it’s that last 10 percent that takes time.

So are EVs the car of the future? No. They’ve actually reached a point where they’re practical now, at least in range if not price. Over the coming years, with range increasing and prices decreasing (not forgetting rising fuel prices), the three big factors – range, charge time and price – have now entered the realm of real world SUVs, and with the added performance, it’s looking like a positive outlook.

SPEC CHECK Hyundai Kona EV Engine:

Lithium-ion battery, 64kW motor

Power:

150kW/395Nm

Gearbox:

Front-wheel drive

Weight:

1743kg

0-60/100km/h:

3.3sec/6.9sec (tested)

0-400m:

15.1@148km/h

Price:

$73,990

Rating (/5): Verdict:

The future of driving, already here LCV | 13

A special feature is the second row seat that can flip forward for access to the third row, without affecting a mounted ISOFIX/booster seat.

Story: Dean Evans Photos: Holden

It’s not just Ford that should be worried, Holden’s sharply priced, well-equipped, fast and stylish seven-seater is set to shake up the large SUV market.

IT’S BIG, BRASH AND AMERICAN, BUT the new Holden Acadia is surprisingly at home in New Zealand. Months in the buildup, the large seven-seat SUV finally, officially launched on October 26 to dispel any perceptions and showcase what a complete and very efficient addition it is to the large SUV market in both Australia and New Zealand, currently the only right-hand drive markets.

It’s almost unfair to compare it to its most logical rival, Ford Everest. But we’ll get to that in a moment. As the latest sevenseater entering the already crowded market of 17 existing models, the Acadia has a lot to prove and to compete, but after a comprehensive drive around Albany, north of Auckland, sampling all three models and putting it to acceleration and economy

tests, the price is the final stamp on Acadia’s arrival passport.

And that’s the key drawcard, with a $49,990 starting price for the LT. All models get the same 3.6-litre petrol V6 from the Commodore offering 231kW and 367Nm – but before dismissing the petrol-only engine as thirsty, it manages impressive numbers to back it up: between 8.9-9.3l/100km depending on the FWD/AWD variant, and 0-100km/h in a tested 7.0 seconds, making it one of the quickest SUVs on sale. Our tested 8.5l/100km of mostly 100km/h zones may have flattered it a little, and though it manages the fuel savings by switching off two-cylinders during light throttle, it’s fair to expect urban numbers in the 10s.

Different selectable driving modes also help improve the driving and fuel saving,

with up and downhill modes, a performance mode and a towing mode, which alters both up and downshifting when required and adjusts the sensitivity of trailer sway control.

The top-spec LTZ-V sports the same variable all-wheel drive system available across all three spec levels, and offers a combination of drive modes and torque split between front-, rear- or all-wheel drive depending if it’s, for example, cruising, accelerating or manually chosen.

Being a petrol engine, there’s plenty of response with a great spread of power and torque, though spoilt with the torque of turbo diesel engines, it needs a few revs to get the most from it: it feels slowest when wanting a quick getaway from rest, and 0-20km/h can be at times a little doughy, but for the most part, and at most speeds,

With a petrol V6, it rolls off 0-100km/h in a tested 7.0 seconds, making it one of the quickest SUVs on sale 14 | LCV

the Acadia is Quick with a capital!

As the most feature and tech-packed Holden on offer is a suite of tech including radar cruise and speed sign memory, the latter which isn’t even offered in the USA, AEB and cyclist detection, lateral impact avoidance, blind spot active steering and road edge protection, which detects the edge even without a white line. Even the seat vibrates on the same side as potential danger. Park Assist, rear cross-traffic alerts and a 360 degree camera, wireless/ inductive phone charging and a power tailgate all add to the advanced tech onboard Acadia.

Hitch guidance (a line down the reversing camera) is aided by hitch view camera, which offers conventional rear and downward facing views, which can be manually activated, for that bit of added reassurance when towing.

of 2.1A USB ports. A special feature of the second row is the driver’s side which offers a ‘rising forward’ function, allowing a booster/ISOFIX seat to remain in place, while allowing access to the third row. Both second row seats also tilt, slide and fold conventionally.

Into the third row, small storage bins either side and a single USB port are the ‘features’, but the most important factor is very well catered for: the seats are large, comfortable and raised off the floor, with headroom for 190cm adults, so that even big kids will be quite happy and comfortable in the third row, with good vision out the windows. There’s even a good amount of useable space in the boot with the third row raised.

So what is there not to like about the Acadia? Even on the subjective matter of styling, it’s a great looking package in

Above far left: Top-spec Holden Acadia LTZV features leather, and though there is some commonality with Equinox, there’s plenty of adjustment and tech to satisfy almost anyone.

Above left: Second row seats are comfortable, with centre armrest, ISOFIX mounts, climate controls and two 2.1A USB ports.

Above: Third row is super comfortable, with seats raised enough to allow leg comfort, and plenty of headroom for 190cm-ers – even a USB port!

A special feature is the second row seat that can flip forward for access to the third row, without affecting a mounted ISOFIX/booster seat Local Australia and New Zealand tuning also helped tailor the ride and handling package, and while we found the LT/LTZ to be firm on the roads we encountered, it’s perfectly acceptable. Move into the topmodel, and the FlexRide system – Holden’s name for its magnetically adjustable adaptive suspension – provides a superb mix of ride comfort and handling, without the Acadia ever feeling like it’s top-heavy or boat-like, in the traditional American perception. Even the electric power steering was tweaked to suit local conditions, making it a sharper, more competent package.

Of course, being a seven seater, the big questions relate to the second and third rows. The second trio of seats is well equipped with two ISOFIX mounting points, and the basics of a fold-down centre armrest. Climate controls and a storage bin are within reach, as are a pair

person, and looks smaller than it does in pics - and drives that way too. Initially impartial, it grew on us after just a day, especially in black and chrome. Ok, maybe the aerial is a slight modern oddity, and some of the interior controls and plastics aren’t class leading, but they’re minor, personal factors. It’s not perfect, but no car is, and if ever there was an important vehicle for Holden to pin its future hopes on with the current buying shift from cars to SUVs, the Acadia is the one to pull it off.

And what about the old enemy, Ford’s seven-seat Everest? In reality it’s no competition: Acadia has a larger engine, more power, is only slightly less economical, but lighter, is faster and better equipped - and to rub it in, significantly cheaper. It’s probably the first time someone’s suggested conquering Everest was almost too easy.

SPEC CHECK Holden Acadia LTZ-V Engine:

3.6-litre V6

Power:

231kW/367Nm

Gearbox:

Nine-speed auto, AWD

Economy:

9.3l/100km

Weight:

2032kg

0-60/100km/h:

3.5sec/7.0sec (tested)

0-400m:

15.0 @ 150km/h (tested)

Price:

$49,990-$71,990

Rating (/5) Verdict:

Holden’s big arrival has it all

LCV | 15

Story: Dean Evans

It may be low volume, but Mercedes Benz’s G-Class Professional is the true definition of a working man’s light commercial vehicle.

AN X CLASS THIS MOST CERTAINLY is not. Nor is it the choice for Hollywood real estate agents, celebrities or rock stars: that’s the AMG G-Class SUV. The G-Class ‘Professional’ is the true working man’s ute and more, though at $129,900, it’s not aimed at a single working man, rather a government department or organisation that needs a go-anywhere, do-anything military-grade machine.

Which, by no coincidence, is where a large order of these vehicles are heading, with a display fire-fighting unit on show at the Mercedes-Benz stand during Fieldays in June. So Mercedes has put the G-Glass Professional ‘on notice’ as ready and available for those organisations seeking a tough, all-purpose light commercial vehicle.

The G-Class Pro is a go anywhere,

16 | LCV

all terrain, multi-function vehicle aimed at military, defence force, council and forestry work. It’s clearly function over form, and it’s built that way from the moment the key is used to unlock the door, central locking nonetheless.

It has two basic vinyl seats, windup windows, a fan and heater, high/low range, battery voltage meter a speedo and tacho. As far as features, it has AC, and a rotary switch for a number of exterior lighting options, to extinguish the head or tail lights, for example, for when approaching or departing ‘base’ semicovertly.

There is a metal floor, drain hole, jack and tools under the seat, basic seat and steering and a fixed centre console that’s home to the fuse box and electrics to keep them all safe and dry.

There isn’t an array of cup-holders and

Bluetooth (though a radio was fitted to this evaluation vehicle), but there is a multitude of electronic smarts including three locking diffs (front, rear, centre) that can be activated on the move, and the basics of practicality, such as an idle control to increase the engine’s speed when running PTOs. Underbonnet is a 3.0-litre turbodiesel V6. There’s 135kW and 400Nm, which is enough: it’ll get to 60km/h through its five-speed auto rather briskly in 4.2 seconds unladen, which is half a second faster than a Ranger; above those speeds, understandably, it’s less apt - though its 96-litre fuel tank is clearly designed for extended outings rather than motorway running (lacking cruise control) though at 16l/100km, it’s designed more for extended jobs than long drives.

The other issue is heavy, slow steering

With a GVM of 4490kg, it has a payload of 2085kg, almost a tonne more than a 70 Series Toyota Land Cruiser

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 & 2: No carpets here, a drain plug allows water to escape if required. A neat door under the driver’s seat houses the jack and tools.

3 & 4: Dash has basics such as air-con, along with basic fan controls and isolating switch for exterior lights (bottom left), plus idle-up for PTOs (middle right).

Diff locking is done via buttons, as is high/low-range and traction control off: voltmeter is quite important in the bush given it’s an auto.

5 & 6: Light guards are standard, as is bull bar and side guards, and snorkel.

LCV | 17

with a fairly substantial turning circle of 15.9m, partly down to its 5.2m length and 3.4m wheelbase, though all these factors matter less in the scrub, mud and bush it’s designed to work on.

With a 4490kg GVM, it’s designed to be loaded up with all kind of equipment with a payload of 2085kg, which is almost a tonne more than a 70 Series Toyota Land Cruiser, plus a tow rating of a relatively modest 2.2 tonne. A winchready bull bar with side rails, snorkel, light guards, radiator and sump shields are all standard fare, while there’s 252mm of ground clearance, a 650mm fording depth, and 38/35 degree approach/ departure angles, potentially less with more gear on the rear, of course.

Mercedes offers this heavy duty carting ability not with leaf springs, but live axles front and rear with coil springs. And low range is great for hauling up inclines and rough terrain. A long-travel accelerator also helps smooth out driving when it’s mowing through just about anything.

There are provisions for safety as well, with ESP and ABS with EBD, dual

18 | LCV

SPEC CHECK Mercedes-Benz G-Class 300 CDI Professional

airbags and tyre pressure warning.

Of course that price doesn’t include a tray or whatever equipment is to be fitted, but for the narrow focus of potential customers, the Mercedes

G-Class Professional offers significantly more payload than its competitors, without the need to go up to an Iveco or Fuso truck. Fit for purpose, it most certainly is.

Engine:

3.0-litre turbo diesel V6

Power:

135kW@3800rpm

Torque:

400Nm@1600-2600

Gearbox:

Five-speed auto, AWD

Fuel tank:

96-litre (20l reserve)

Weight:

2346kg

0-60/100km/h:

4.2sec/13.8sec (tested)

Price:

$129,900

Rating (/5): Verdict:

Work, work, work: it’s made for it!

ARB is Australasia’s largest 4x4 Equipment Manufacturer. People rely on us because we’ve earned our stripes – ARB has been in business for more than 30 years, and our products have been tested and proven in the toughest conditions on earth.

To cater for the diverse needs of 4WDers everywhere we offer a massive range of equipment that will improve your vehicles capabilities in any environment. Business or Pleasure, on road or off, if you want more from your 4WD we will make it happen – ARB is your one stop 4x4 Accessory Shop.

Our Range Includes; • Recovery Equipment • Old Man Emu Suspension • Drawer Systems • Roofracks • Snorkels • Plus much more

The full range of ARB 4x4 Accessories is available throughout New Zealand from the ARB Network.

LCV28240

• Bullbars • Winches • Side Protection Bars and Steps • Rear Protection Bars • Underbody Protection • Air Locker Locking differentials & Air Compressors

For Advice, Supply, Fitment and Backup contact your nearest Agent Ph 0800 ARB 4WD ( 272 493) or go to www.arb4x4.co.nz

LCV | 19

The popular and reigning 2017 SUV champion returns in top-spec form to defend its seven-seat title, against two new challengers; one with an updated face, one an all-new one: Skoda Kodiaq SportLine meet Mazda’s all new CX-8 and Hyundai’s new-for-2019 Santa Fe.

SPOILT FOR CHOICE, IS ONE WAY OF looking at the hugely competitive and evolving seven-seat SUV market. Ten years ago, seven seaters made up 66 percent of the ‘Large SUV’ market; in 2018 it was 80 percent. In 2008, sevenseat ‘over-40s’ outnumbered ‘39-andunder’ buyers by three-to-one; now 39-and-under has overtaken them, while female buyers have grown from 25 to 33 percent. With an abundance to choose

20 | LCV

from, and a handful more added this year, it’s tough to keep track of the available seven-seat models, much less find the best of the bunch.

So we’ve done some of the hard work for the budding buyer, and got together three outstanding seven seaters from three separate regions; all of superb stock, the top of their respective lines, and each capable of claiming the title.

This is going to be a close battle.

CONTENDERS In the Czech corner is the 2017 champion, Skoda’s Kodiaq, back for 2018 in top-spec SportLine guise, with the optional range-topping 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine.Representing Japan is Mazda’s new-for-2018 CX-8, a model that slips under bigger brother sevenseat CX-9 in size and price, with a new, impressive and efficient 2.2-litre turbo diesel, loaded in top-spec Limited variant.

Story & Photos: Dean Evans

LCV | 21

Japan v Europe v Korea, who makes the best seven-seat SUV? We’ve brought back the 2017 SUV champ to see how it fares against two fresh 2018 faces The newest challenger is from Korea, Hyundai’s just-launched 2019 Santa Fe, also with a 2.2-litre turbo diesel and top-spec Limited variant.

On paper, this trio is a tight-knit group: all three have similar power and torque from their turbo diesel four-cylinders, spanning just 7kW and 50Nm. All three are all-wheel drive, in various forms of part-time operation; and all claim similar economy figures. All – obviously – offer seven seats with split folding second and third rows, but for SUVs so similarly targeted, there are subtle differences: we have a six-, seven- and eight-speed gearbox; and 18-, 19- and 20-inch wheels. Turning circles are all different too, and there are three distinct levels of performance and price, and subtle but different ways they drive. So while there certainly isn’t a loser amongst these three, there will be aspects and attributes that will contribute towards individual needs and preferences.

Fully loaded, fully fueled and with a full day of driving ahead of us, there’s a lot to digest and test. Let the games begin.

SKODA KODIAQ SPORTLINE We named the Skoda Kodiaq LCV magazine’s SUV of 2017, and we regularly

22 | LCV

rave about its 2.0-litre petrol engine, its dualclutch seven-speed gearbox and its looks, performance, economy and – to use Skoda speak – its clever thinking: from the umbrellas in the front doors, to the versatile centre console insert, ratcheting/telescoping armrest, magnetic boot light/torch, fold-out door protectors, ice-scraper/tyre-placard magnifier, and of course its performance and economy combination: it does 0-100km/h in a tested 8.3 seconds, and 7.4l/100km. Then there’s the equipment, including radar cruise, startstop and keyless entry with the start button logically located where a conventional key ‘used’ to go, offset a little by the Euro left-side indicator. SportLine also adds as standard the 10-speaker Canton, noise-cancelling sound system.

With an entry price of $43k for the frontdrive 1.4-litre model, Skoda topped up the top end of the range in 2018 with the SportLine, offering lots of optional extras as standard, such as an Alcantara/faux carbon fibre trim on the fantastic heated seats, black detailing and 20-inch alloys.

We’d previously fallen in love with the petrol version, so were keen to try the optional diesel version of the 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder, partly pondering how much

better could it really be?

For a start, the diesel is a $5000 option: it has 8kW and 80Nm more, it uses 5.7l/100km versus 7.4l/100km; but it’s supposed to be half-a-second slower to 100km/h: 8.8 versus 8.2 seconds. But we actually tested times that were closer, with petrol and diesel separated by just 0.1 seconds. However, the diesel delivers those numbers in a totally different way, and while it may be similarly fast against the clock, thanks to the launch control and Sport modes, around town it’s nowhere near as responsive or swift, with the diesel/dual clutch gearbox combination often comparatively doughy and dopey, particularly at speeds under 20km/h.

Aside from the large 12.2m turning circle, that’s pretty much the only bad news with Kodiaq. Because once rolling, the super smooth engine and gearbox offsets the negatives with a torrent of positives.

It’s the lightest of this group by more than 200kg – more than 10 percent – and it’s noticeable in agility, steering and response... at least once it’s on boost.

Different drive modes tailor the weight and response of input and the firmness of the adaptive dampers, so it’s possible to tailor the SportLine to suit tastes and/or roads. And

1

1: Skoda Kodiaq from the driver’s seat is already well equipped, and SportLine ups the features: it’s the only one with alloy pedals, and there’s radar cruise, start-stop mode, Sport mode in the gearbox, intuitive touchscreen with wave gestures, heated seats that look and feel brilliant in their Alcantara and leather. Perforated wheel is comfy and touch points are all very driver friendly, with ISOFIX mounts on the passenger seat.

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

2: Skoda’s second row is comfortable, with armrest and cupholders. ISOFIX points have neat covers, and seatbelt buckles also tuck away neatly.

3: Third row is tightest of the group, and though comfortable, has a high floor which will test the patience of taller adults over long distances. Ideal for kids.

4: Second row gets temperature control and heated seats, plus a 12v socket.

5: Given the third row is relatively snug, it’s good to see a lot of useable cargo space in the boot. Floor also flips up to reveal more storage.

6: Centre console is very user friendly with a space for the remote key, reversible and flappable insert, plus an armrest that both ratchet rises and telescopes.

7: Shopping hooks, second row seat dropping handles and removeable torch are also in the rear.

8: Engine start/stop button is conveniently, intuitively placed where a conventional key would normally go.

9: SportLine means a few extras, including this fake but very well done plastic semi-gloss carbon fibre.

LCV | 23

Skoda Kodiaq TDI SportLine despite having the smallest capacity, it can tow the most: 2500kg against the others’ 2000kg.

It’s also the shortest here, at 4.7m, important if tight garages are an issue.

Passenger accommodation is paramount, and the Kodiaq is unique in offering a front ISOFIX mounting point. In the second row, along with two more mounting points, Skoda offers climate controls and heated seats, plus a fold-down armrest and 12v socket. In the third row, storage pockets both sides help, but it’s clearly the tightest of the three, with a high floor and modest legroom. Six-footers will fit, but not without some fidgeting, so it’s best left for kids/early teenagers. Skoda offsets this, however, with good boot space, even with the third row raised. And of course there’s the practical additions like the shopping hooks, remote handles to drop the second row seats, and a false boot floor that flips up to create a divider.

Mazda CX-8 Limited a modern, functional and stylish cabin.

Everything from the large Head-Up Display, speed sign recognition, to the logical climate controls, storage, flip-up centre console and steering wheel controls. It’s also one of few sequential manual shifts with the correct orientation (forward to downshift, with inertia), and though it may have ‘only’ six speeds, the wider powerband of the engine more than compensates, making it the most cohesive, quiet and powerful engine and drivetrain package here.

We grew to like the chocolatey Nappa leather and cushy electric heated seats, and found the commander dial falls readily to hand, controlling the seven-inch touchscreen.

Amongst the 10 speaker Bose sound system, the tech is saturated, with radar cruise control and iStop start-stop working in harmony down to standstill, automatically resuming if the vehicle in front moves even after a few

Hyundai Sante Fe Limited want them. Roll-up sun blinds even complete the picture. In the third row are pockets either side, and uniquely, rear child seat anchors, bringing the anchor total to five, for those with top-tethered seats.

But the real ace up the sleeve is the thirdrow comfort, and 190cm adults are very well accommodated in the rear of the CX-8, for leg room, headroom and vision, even with the second row in an equally adult position – even boot space is generous with the third row raised. Though the CX-8 is the longest here at 4.9m, it doesn’t drive or feel that way, and in black it even looks smaller than the Santa Fe, which is actually 13cm shorter (at 4.77m). CX8’s turning circle is fair at 11.6m; it’s also the heaviest, by just 2kg, but that hardly hinders its efficiency.

If there’s any area that splits opinion, it’s down to the totally subjective view of styling, which some like, and some consider a bit

The Kodiaq SportLine sets a high standard for the others to match, reminding us why it was LCV’s 2017 SUV of the year, and many others’ too Despite the tighter third row, the Kodiaq SportLine sets a high standard for the others to match, reminding us why it was our 2017 SUV of the year.

MAZDA CX-8 LIMITED Not too small, not too large, and to many, just right, the CX-8 offers a very similar package to the larger CX-9, but with the addition of a 2.2-litre turbo diesel engine.

Newest and easily the best engine in this group, the SkyActiv four-cylinder is so quiet it’s difficult to pick it as a diesel: it has a large spread of torque from 2000-5000rpm partly thanks to a variable geometry turbo, and sounds fantastic doing it, with a muted warble that’s full of character. And all combined with fuel use of 6.0l/100km in AWD models – rather impressive considering its two-tonne.

The interior is the best on test, with

24 | LCV

seconds. And, like the Skoda, a light tug on the wheel gets the engine going again, when required, negating the need to lift off the brake.

All three levels of CX-8 are so wellequipped, we could have quite easily been more than accommodated with the mid-spec GSX, in either FWD or AWD, but with the 19-inch wheels, DRLs and adaptive LEDs lights, electric seats and tailgate (and more), the Limited was still cheapest in this group by more than $5000. It’s difficult to comprehend the price disparity, at least from the Mazda point-of-view, with it offering so much for so little.

Even in the second row, it’s the best equipped of the three with a full range of climate control options, heated seats, two ISOFIX mounts, and a fold-down centre armrest replete with two cup-holders, storage and two 2.1A USB ports, right where you

boxy and/or bland, and at very least, difficult to identify between it and CX-9.

HYUNDAI SANTE FE LIMITED The newest arrival in our seven-seat trio, the updated fourth generation 2019 Santa Fe 2019 had a lot to top, given its previous 2012-2018 model was so successful. So we’re pleased to see the new model retains the same 2.2-litre turbo diesel that has been such a strong performer in performance and economy for close to a decade. So 147kW and 440Nm are the numbers, but where the new Sante Fe excels is the introduction of a new eight-speed automatic gearbox, which offers economy or performance modes, along with paddle shifters on the mid Elite/top spec Limited models.

Hyundai has often packed its vehicles full of technology and the new Sante Fe is

1

2

3

1: Mazda’s cabin is the most modern here, with a big Head-Up Display and symmetrical design, with central commander dial that is very easy and intuitive to use, even without having to take eyes off the road. Radar cruise, start-stop mode, and a conventional, clean and logical layout make the Mazda very appealing, though its high centre console makes it feel the most compact of the three.

2: Nappa leather is silky soft to touch and very comfortable, and second row features pull-up sunvisors, plus very useable features like climate control and USB ports.

4

5

3: Mazda’s third row is best of the bunch, and its high bench gives taller passengers a treat: it’s super comfortable, accommodating and will easily take six-foot adults without complaint, with storage pockets/cupholders on each side.

4: Second row controls are the best in the CX-8, with full climate control, direction, fan direction controls and heated seats.

5: Rear cargo area is large but quite high, making it a big jump up for smaller animal or kids. The third row seats also feature child seat tether points, unique in this group.

6

7

6: Second row armrest reveals both storage and twin 2.1A USB ports, making them very handy for two rear seat passengers.

7: Nappa leather seats are best of the bunch, with electric and two position memory adjustment.

8: Pop-up rear window blinds also feature in the CX-8.

9: Took us a while to find the front seat 12v socket, hidden away on the passenger side of the centre console. USB ports are more accessible.

8

9

LCV | 25

Setting aside styling and brand, these seven-seat SUVs are as alike as the proverbial peas in the pod.

THE HYUNDAI SANTA FE, MAZDA CX-8 and Skoda Kodiaq all have similarly-sized turbodiesel motors, engine outputs are also ballpark, and they have smooth-shifting gearboxes.

All three accelerate strongly and cruise quietly and effortlessly, but the Mazda’s motor feels the most refined and least diesel-like with an exhaust note under hard acceleration that sounds more like a petrol motor’s.

All three handle well, cornering flatly and securely, but on a favourite country road, the Kodiaq stood out to me, flowing from corner-to-corner with an aplomb and sure-footedness that delivered real driving pleasure.

All rode well, but the Santa Fe shone on bumpy roads, its suspension isolating occupants from road shocks.

Comfort was excellent in all three: I rated the Mazda’s driving position and

1

seats the best. My regular passenger plumped for the Kodiaq’s seats, and rated the Santa Fe’s air-conditioning the best.

I judged the Mazda’s reversing camera the pick. The CX-8 was the easiest to parallel-park manually; the Santa Fe was not far behind but the Skoda’s ultrasensitive parking-assist buzzers tended to make parking confusing and more difficult.

Following their advice, I ended up parking too far out from the kerb, not a desirable situation on city streets lined on both sides with parked vehicles, thus leaving a virtual one-lane gap for moving traffic to get through.

Styling is subjective, but I consider the Skoda’s the most attractive, with its flowing and purposeful lines.

The Santa Fe, with its more traditional SUV lines, had the greatest on-road presence.

The CX-8 runs on the same wheelbase as the much bigger CX-9 but is as narrow as a CX-5. Combined with the bluff nose, those factors result in styling that’s a little awkward.

The Hyundai offers a huge amount for kit, but the others are well-equipped, and buyers won’t feel short-changed.

My final decision was between the Mazda and the Skoda. I’d ruled out the Santa Fe not for its dynamics, practicality or equipment, but for its price. I could buy the Mazda for roughly $20,000 less, and the Skoda for around $15,000 less than the Hyundai.

The CX-8 wins my vote for its blend of strong performance, handling, comfort and interior room, good pricing, the quality of the cabin, and its general feelgood factor. The CX-8 is a vehicle I’d be happy to own.

- Mike Stock

2

3

1: Skoda is the only one requiring AdBlue during scheduled servicing; also features ice-scraper/tyre info magnifier.

2: Skoda’s bonnet release handle is large and easy to find. It’s the simple things that count.

3: Hyundai has useable storage in the centre console, also home to functions such as drive mode and parking assist.

4: Kodiaq’s signature cute feature, umbrellas in each front door.

4

26 | LCV

1

1: Hyundai Sante Fe improves the tech race for 2019, with a cabin full of modern gear: comfortable heated and cooled seats are just the start, with plenty of space and an eight-speed automatic, backing (siding) the 2.2-litre turbo diesel. Big touchscreen, CarPlay/Auto, and configurable drive modes and corresponding dash colours plus way too much more to list in a caption.

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

2: Santa Fe’s second row is almost poor by comparison to the others, with just a flip-down centre armrest with cupholders, and not much more. Plenty of legroom, though.

3: Third row seats look flat but are comfortable, with storage and fan vents either side.

4: Second row gets a pair of USB ports, but no climate/fan controls.

5: Cargo area is smallest of the three, and shallowest. Parcel shelf hides neatly under the floor for when the third row seats are stowed; 12v socket and switches to raise second row are on right.

6: Hyundai’s well equipped up front, with 12v socket, USB and wireless smartphone charge pad.

7: Front passenger seat features controls on the driver’s side, handy for when passengers are needing a little more/less space before entry.

8: Third row is unique, featuring AC and fan speed controls.

9: Sante Fe also features fold-up sun blinds.

LCV | 27

It’s difficult to comprehend the price disparity, at least from Mazda’s point-of-view, offering so much for so little senses an approaching vehicle that could jeopardise the safety of an exiting passenger.

There’s even Rear Occupant Alert which sounds the horn if the departing driver locks the car, and the car senses movement from a forgotten or sleeping occupant.

There’s even more tech, like the Surround View Monitoring that uses cameras to provide a better view when negotiating tight spots, Infinity 10-speaker audio system, and of course a multimedia touchscreen that, like the Kodiaq and now Mazda, employs CarPlay/ Android Auto.

The big news is Hyundai’s Auto Link, an app that (depending if it’s a local Bluetooth or cellular-connected Premium system) links a driver’s smartphone to the car, for both monitoring and remote control of the vehicle.

Aspects like driving history and statistics, fuel level, warranty history, geo-fencing, even accident and emergency assist plus the ability to remotely start and stop the vehicle via

a perfect example: skimming the obvious expected 2019 tech like wireless phone charging and a variable height power tailgate, the Hyundai’s all encompassing ‘Smartsense’ title is a suite of technology for warning, assistance and control to prevent and mitigate a number of driving risks and potential issues.

Showing carpark-to-home real-world scenarios where its technology would be used, Hyundai showed a Sante Fe reversing from home using its Rear Cross-Traffic Warning and active Avoidance systems, cruising with Smart Cruise Control, using Blind Sport Warning and Avoidance, and Lane Departure systems in traffic, its Leading Vehicle Departure Alert and Forward Collision Avoidance (when following a vehicle that was stopping for a pedestrian), Driver Attention Warning, Forward Collisions Avoidance and Assist, High Beam Assist and Safe Exit Assist/Rear Occupant Alert. The latter two are new to the segment: Safe Exit Assist child locks the rear doors if the vehicle

SPRINT

0-60km/h

phone are some of the key features.

The all-new look is in line with Hyundai’s current design of separating exterior lights, and looks solid and bulky in our opinion, with the Entry model on 18s-inch wheels, and the Elite/ Limited on graphite 19s.

At 7cm longer than the previous model, there is growth outside and in, with more space for both second and third rows, plus cargo carrying; and despite the growth spurt, it even sports the tightest turning circle here at 10.8m, smaller than even the previous model’s 10.9m.

Locally tuned suspension tweaks the ride and handling for our roads, while the HTRAC system splits the torque between front (for Eco mode), and increases percentages to the rear for Comfort and Sport driving modes respectively – which can be manually chosen, or left to shift automatically between them in Smart mode. A nice touch are auxiliary passenger seat switches on the driver’s side, both seats heated and cooled.

0-100km/h

0-402m

3.3 sec 8.4 sec 15.9@135km/h

Skoda

3.5 sec 8.7 sec 16.2@134km/h

Mazda

4.4 sec 9.6 sec 16.9@133km/h

Hyundai

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

TIME TESTED With all three at the drag strip, it’s somewhat surprising to see the Skoda turn in the fastest times, especially given it lacks a little low-down finesse, the dual-clutch gearbox and smaller capacity 2.0-litre engine sometimes slow to respond; but with launch control and Sport mode, the Kodiaq rockets away to surprisingly claim performance bragging rights. The Mazda isn’t far behind, just a few tenths, helped substantially by a faux launch

28 | LCV

control mode: when the traction control is disabled, revs can build against the brake, which builds boost and gives it enough to get a few turns of momentum-building wheelspin. Impressively it also ‘feels’ that fast in normal driving, whether it’s racing down the straight line, or bursting away from 10km/h. The Hyundai is still solid, but just couldn’t keep pace with the others, around one second slower to 60km/h and 100km/h.

FUEL USE (l/100km) Skoda

Hyundai

Mazda

Claim

8.5l/100km

6.0l/100km

6.0l/100km

On Test

8.8l/100km

9.1l/100km

8.8l/100km

Tank

60-litres

71-litres

74-litres

Range (claim)

705km

1150km

1250km

Hyundai often packs its vehicles full of technology and the new Sante Fe is a perfect example, with connectivity that allows it to start and stop via smartphone Moving back through the passenger compartment, the second row gets the centre armrest/cupholders, pop-up window shades and two ISOFIX mounts, but climate controls are noticeable by their absence, with just a pair of USB ports. The panoramic roof is a nice feature for second-rowers.

The third row gets more love, with an AC fan dial and vent on the right side, storage bins on both sides, an accessible 12v socket in the boot area, plus larger quarter glass that offers 41 percent more visibility than previous. There are also ingress/egress handles moulded into the side trim. The boot is noticeably shallower than the Mazda, partly indicative of the differences between their overall length, but do feature switches to electrically raise/lower the second row.

PRICING While we’ve chosen the top variants, it’s remarkable to see the price spread. Mazda’s CX-8 Limited is $62,495, which would be a similar price rival for the Skoda had we not gone for the Kodiaq SportLine diesel, which adds $5k to the price, taking it from $62,990 to $67,990. Hyundai’s Santa Fe Limited is $82,990, making it $15k more than the Skoda and a remarkable $20,495 more than the Mazda. Just for fun, the entry level models

are: Skoda Kodiak Ambition FWD ($42,990); Mazda CX-8 GSX FWD ($53,495); and Santa Fe Entry AWD at $59,990.

DRIVE TIME Onto our 200km road loop, all three SUVs endure a mix of four-passenger and solo driving, plus a mix of motorway and suburban roads, with a bit of stop-start traffic to test comfort, ride, handling and economy. With fuel meters reset, we soon notice the remarkable similarity between chassis and competency. Despite the differences in wheel sizes and suspension, they all offer a very similar, very capable package that we should have expected from these top three seven-seaters.

Through sweepers, bumps and rough roads, while there are subtle differences between all three, they’re so negligible that we didn’t really isolate any as particularly bad – they’re all very, very good.

Engine performance and response is a totally different matter though, with the CX-8 taking the easy win, mixing its response, spread of power and great sound making it not just the most complete driving package here, but on our roads, during our tests, effectively flawless. It’s measurably quieter than the other two over

the same road, and it also turned in the most fuel efficient numbers, equal to the smaller engined Skoda at 8.0l/100km.

The Skoda isn’t far behind, with smooth, effortless performance on tap.

Sport mode is a tip of the shifter away and makes it a little more eager to downshift while holding gears longer before upshifts – in fact the whole Kodiaq package feels half-a-size smaller, more agile and darty than the others, in a very good way. The interior space is still generous, but those 20cm less in overall length, the 20-inch wheels and the tune of the suspension give it the sportiest feel here, without ever being harsh. From its oversized sunglasses holder, to its dual front USB ports and phone app that records parking position and driving data, it may lack shift paddles and a Head-Up Display, but it was voted best looking in this test by three to one, and delivers in so many ways. Its fuel economy proved closest to its claim during our drive, at 8.8l/100km, which included ‘spirited’ driving and performance testing.

The Santa Fe carries the impression of a fit, burly, finely tuned athlete; it has the newest clothes, the most amount of jewelry and the biggest, longest reputation: it backs up that in so many ways, and is a

LCV | 29

CONCLUSION

pleasure to throw at curves, its higher driving position combined with a dash design that makes the cabin feel very open and spacious.

It belies its size and weight on road, showing similar skills to the others at speed. While its engine has the most power of the trio, and almost the most torque, it’s still sporting that slight diesel rattle, similarly muted as the Skoda; but the Hyundai feels like it’s carrying 200kg more than the other two, and is firmer in ride quality. While that’s fine in isolation, it’s noticeably, comparably lazy to respond and just not as swift to move with the same eagerness as the other two. And it also used the most fuel, not just compared to the other pair, but compared to its claim – it’s also the only one lacking a start-stop mode though there was not one complaint about that.

We partly expected the newest model here, the Santa Fe, to take the top prize… but we were a little surprised it didn’t get closer to the others. For its looks and size, all-around driving, combined with the latest tech, and general comfort front to rear, the Santa Fe is a fantastic package. But its minor niggles, the lack of second row accommodation, the modest performance (compared to the others), the least fuel efficiency and the largest gap to its claim, plus the shallow boot all are somewhat forgivable. The biggest stinging point is the price, at $83k, that caps off what are tough hurdles to overcome in this competition.

So it’s a battle between Skoda’s Kodiaq SportLine TDI and Mazda’s CX-8 Limited. The 2017 defending champ earns its spot here, and

offers so much: not just the basics of the drive, but the tech, the equipment and the special Skoda surprise touches. Ironically, the cheaper ‘petrol’ SportLine may have even won this comparo, as the diesel just lacks a little low-down refinement, despite turning in test-best fuel figures to match the Mazda and being closest to its fuel use claim. Kodiaq also loses a point on the packaging and size of the third row, as it’s more a 5+2 than a full size seven-seater and smaller overall with the most compact external size, which will clearly prove a winning combination with some families.

So that leaves the Mazda CX-8 Limited at the top of this test, combining a great drive, with fantastic tech, comfort for all passengers, genuine seven-adult-seat comfort and all at a leading price.

The best seven of this group equals 8.

SPEC CHECK Hyundai Sante Fe Limited

SPEC CHECK Mazda CX-8 Limited

SPEC CHECK Skoda Kodiaq TDI SportLine

Engine:

2.2-litre turbo diesel four

Engine:

2.2-litre turbo diesel four

Engine:

2.0-litre turbo diesel four

Power/torque:

147kW/440Nm

Power/torque:

140kW/450Nm

Power/torque:

140kW/400Nm

Gearbox:

Eight-speed auto, AWD

Gearbox:

Six-speed auto, AWD

Gearbox:

Seven-speed dual clutch, AWD

Economy:

6.0l/100km

Economy:

6.0l/100km

Economy:

5.7l/100km

Turning circle:

10.8m

Turning circle:

11.6m

Turning circle:

12.2m

Weight:

1955kg

Weight:

1957kg

Weight:

1752kg

Tow ratings:

2000kg/750kg (braked/unbraked)

Tow ratings:

2000kg/750kg (braked/unbraked)

Tow ratings:

2500kg/750kg (braked/unbraked)

Price:

$82,990

Price:

$62,495

Price:

$67,990

Rating (/5) Verdict:

30 | LCV

Rating (/5) Solid, impressive, but flawed & pricey

Verdict:

Rating (/5) Fantastic all-around, true 7-seater

Verdict:

Awesome, but petrol version is even better

An informed and satisfied Sante Fe owner, it’s curiously the other two that hold more appeal to this mum.

HAVING JUST BOUGHT OUR 2015 SANTA Fe Elite, I was cautiously enthused about driving the new model, partly because I didn’t want our ‘new’ family seven-seater to pale in comparison. It certainly feels bigger inside and a step up not just in quality but feel, though I can certainly see the lineage. With the same 2.2-litre diesel engine, I wasn’t expecting much difference between the models, and that’s pretty much the case. So I focussed more on the second and third rows, and it was a little disappointing to see not much has changed for the second row. In our 2015 model, there’s a 12v socket… in the 2018 model, there are two USB ports. OK, but the two others, that are both cheaper, offer fan and/or temperature controls. At least the new Hyundai’s third row manages to one-up the rivals, with a rotary fan control and features on both sides. But that $80k price is tough to accept, given we paid less than half that for our three-year old model, and it is actually slower than our older model.

So while I liked the Santa Fe, it wasn’t my pick.

The Mazda CX-8 ticked almost every box. Comfortable seats, soft leather and a little more snug/smaller feeling, the rear seats were quite the surprise. Obviously it’s smaller than its CX-9 big brother, but the kids wouldn’t know it. The second row offers not just heated seats and climate control, but a flip-down centre armrest with cupholders, a storage cubby and two centrally located USB ports – exactly where you need them, not down near your shins! And the third row, while modest with

just some storage bins either side, was the most comfortable of the trio. In fact both hubby and I, both six-footers, would be more than comfortable on a long trip in the third row. And the CX-8’s price is very enticing. If the Mazda lacks anything, it’s just down to personal opinion of styling: I like it, but I can see why others wouldn’t – it’s a split decision, but it just loses out to my personal favourite.

And that is the Skoda Kodiaq – with a catch. I’m a big fan of the Kodiaq since driving it a year ago, and from its looks, function and all those clever little bits like the front ISOFIX mounting point, the parcel shelf cover that sits neatly under the boot floor, and its relatively compact length. It feels and drives a fraction smaller than the other two.

I love the SportLine’s seats, the second row gets climate control and heated seats; and while the third row is the smallest in this group, and really made for kids, even putting a booster seat in the third row creates compounding compromises, as the second row needs to move forward, which intrudes into the front seat space and comfort. But it’s the only blot, and for the rest of the package, I’d just make it work.

Except… I’m not a fan of the diesel engine ‘and’ dual clutch gearbox combination: it’s too lazy and slow to respond around town.

Give me the petrol SportsLine in red, white or black and I will be one happy mum.

In this trio, if Sante Fe is the big bear, CX-8 is the mummy bear, and Kodiaq is the baby bear – and for me, it’s just right.

- Arna Evans

1: Front passenger seat gets ISOFIX mounting point.

2: Double glovebox adds to smart storage spaces.

3: The Mazda is very accommodating inside, and easily fits this long capsule without the need for the front seat to push forward.

4: Skoda smarts include the seat belts that neatly tuck away but are easy to access, and covers over the readily accessible ISOFIX points.

5: Mazda’s third row headrests pop-up/push down, and push the top of a booster seat forward which makes the third row a little more cramped than it could be than if the headrests were removed. Still perfectly fine, and the best for adults.

1

2

3

4

5

LCV | 31

As the year draws to a close, we name LCV magazine’s best SUV and Ute of 2018.

BY DEAN EVANS IT’S BEEN A BIG YEAR IN SUVS AND UTES, AND WITH another rise in sales with record numbers across almost all SUV and ute categories, the success of these sectors has all but pushed conventional passengers cars out of favour. So amongst the dozens of launches and new models in 2018, it’s time to draw our attention to the stand-outs of the year.

We’ve based our finalists and chosen winner on a number of factors that co-relate to the official NZ Car of the Year programme (in which LCV also judges), such as fit, finish and quality, ride and refinement, performance, fitness for purpose, functionality,

equipment and safety, ride and handling, technology, environmental responsibility and (where applicable) the advancement of the model over the previous generation, and of course price. And we must have driven it between Dec 1 2017, and Nov 30, 2018.

Holden’s Colorado took out LCV’s Top Ute award for 2017, and Skoda’s Kodiaq won our SUV award for 2017, and though both were eligible with respective updates in Colorado Xtreme and SportLine guises, it wasn’t enough to see them earn a place in the finals the finals for 2018.

So we present LCV magazine’s Best of 2018.

LCV UTE OF THE YEAR: Mercedes-Benz X-Class IT MAY BE RELATIVELY LATE TO THE UTE MARKET, BUT GOOD things take time… or in Mercedes’ case, less time. Using the Nissan Navara as the platform raises questions only from those who haven’t driven them back-to-back and realised how different the X-Class actually is. The X250d just delivers more in every way, from its visible improvements to the body, the semi-invisible strengthening of the chassis to the standard-setting interior that reminds us there’s no reason ute drivers need to do without. And that’s just against the Nissan; it’s also impressive against the rivals. Of course with the ute evolving into an urban status symbol, the X-Class hit the right market at the right time and even in four-cylinder guise, it’s still one of the fastest, torquey and tow-capable utes around.

Its silky twin-turbo 2.3-litre four is packed with power, torque

32 | LCV

and economy, the triumvirate of any good engine. Its 140kW and 450Nm on the mid Progressive and top Power models are more than capable of doing almost any job thrown at it, from the farm to the inner city, coupled with modern tech such as Autonomous Emergency Braking and Lane Keep Assist.

Inside, X-Class is first class, managing a road-car-car like dash and materials, from the Nappa leather on the steering wheel and gearknob, mix of leather and Alcantara, the X-shaped air vents, along with an added level of NVH reduction, noticeable by its absence.

That overall feeling of opulence, comfort and a calming influence washes over the Mercedes X-Class in the same way as its passenger cars, cosseting occupants, and isolating them from the extremes of the outside world. It’s just a nicer, quieter place within

a Mercedes, and this is aided by the class-leading ride quality and comfort, particularly important factors given the ute’s change in status from workhorse to all-rounder, likely driven by foremen with families, rather than the typical independent tradesman who may feel more ‘judged’ when pulling up to a typical worksite.

We liked the intuitive nature of the COMMAND multimedia touchpad dial located where your left hand falls, that puts all the important controls at fingertips, mixing tactile buttons for commonly used controls with a touchpad/screen for the deeper ones.

For all this poise and polish, to be in the region of just $10k more than the Navara underlines the Mercedes’ value component; X-Class changes the question from ‘why would you?’ to ‘why wouldn’t you?’.

Marketed as the first of a new kind, for all its performance, features and leading a new kind of buyer into an upmarket ute, ‘its kind’ is certainly welcome around here: the Mercedes-Benz X-Class is LCV magazine’s Ute of 2018.

2018 UTE FINALISTS

Ford Ranger: A few improvements to a winning ute, but that’s not enough to earn the prize

Nissan Navara: Worthwhile and solid improvements to suspension, cabin and tech

Volkswagen Amarok: Power aplenty and 580Nm, but subtle rather than overwhelming updates

LCV | 33

LCV SUV OF THE YEAR: Mazda CX-8 EASILY THE BUSIEST SEGMENT AND the most hotly contested, the top prize could have gone to any of our finalists, each making a big impact throughout the driving year. To even make the finals in a category as competitive as the SUV market is a tough

challenge, itself packed with sub categories for small, medium and large. We’ve gathered our five best, which coincidentally, somewhat fittingly, span all size categories.

VW’s Tiguan Allspace is almost a proxy finalist, representing the 2017-winning

CX-8 interior is stylish, functional, loaded with technology and seats seven in comfort, including excellent third row accommodation for six-footers.

34 | LCV

Skoda Kodiaq upon which it’s based, its seven seats and 162kW inducing big smiles from our speed-hungry test mules.

Hyundai’s Kona combines all the strong attributes of a compact SUV into a uniquely styled and supremely practical package;

Our aim is to pick fault as much as find forte, and the Mazda CX-8 just kept resisting criticism. the addition of the EV model alone could have won the award, and the Kona has proven a sales success, in the top ten for much of the year. Holden’s Acadia was a pleasant surprise, and for a rebadged GMC with the reputation of an American import muscling in on our ground, it surpassed the hype, combined with a sharp price and a dynamically impressive package. And then there’s the Subaru Forester, an incredibly accomplished package, highly practical, full of advanced tech and it sounds good, too; a little like the iconic Subarus of old.

But as good as all those SUVs are, there was one that pushed our pleasure centre just a little harder. Mazda’s all new CX-8 slotted in numerically neatly between the CX-5 and CX-9, two already impressive packages. Not just combining the best

of both worlds, but making them better, the CX-8 takes the seven-seat practicality and functionality of the CX-9, shrinks the package ever so slightly, replicates the best bits of modern tech from the CX-5, and puts it all together in one supremely satisfying SUV. The CX-8 didn’t exactly blow us away at the mid-year launch drive. It was competent and impressive, but the more we drove it, the more we loved it. Over an extended drive, and during our seven-seat comparison against some tough competition, CX-8 proved itself thoroughly complete, highly polished and value-packed. Throughout the critical testing, our aim is to pick fault as much as find forte, and the CX-8 just kept resisting criticism.

CX-8’s seven seat layout accommodates

every passenger in supreme comfort, its dash layout combines form and function, particularly with the CarPlay/Auto updates that can be retrofitted to early models, and its 2.2 Skyactiv diesel is not just athletically fast AND frugal, it sounds great, too, an aspect not often heard in this market. Then there’s the price component: cheaper than its direct rivals, and with high equipment levels in lower models. In a tough field of outstanding finalists, a split decision is a reminder that 2018’s top-five SUVs were all extremely impressive, but the Mazda pushes the limits just that little more. Tech, style, comfort, performance, practicality, economy, price, safety: check, times eight.

In a select pool of exceptional SUV finalists, Mazda’s CX-8 is LCV’s SUV of the Year.

2018 SUV FINALISTS

Holden Acadia: An A when you’d expect a B, priced right and strong in many areas with few faults.

Hyundai Kona: Kona looks great, goes well, neatly packaged, and backed up by brilliant EV model

Subaru Forester: Complete all-rounder, so good in so many ways, a splitdecision runner-up

Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace: Sibling of the 2017 winner, made even faster and a little better

LCV | 35

Departing Mt Wellington, bound for Wellington, in our Pulse Red Hyundai Kona 1.6T Elite.

CAPITAL IDEA

Story & photos: Dean Evans

Interior is almost as stand-out as the exterior, if not in looks, then features, with all the mod-cons except radar cruise control and shift paddles.

Night parking in The Square: not recommended without a scan of the birds in trees. Nasty.

Kona’s boot is capable without being huge – very useable for a crossover compact SUV.

Armed with a fuel card an an iPhone, we grab a Hyundai Kona 1.6T Elite for a drive from Mt Wellington, Auckland, to the Wellington capital. Two days and 1200km awaits…

OF ALL THE CARS TO DRIVE LONG distances, the Hyundai Kona doesn’t rate on a top ten list. But another list it’s sitting proudly on is the top 10 NZ SUV sales, with the Kona recently entering and claiming its important spot.

Kona joins its slightly larger sibling in the top 10, which is impressive given the

36 | LCV

Tucson badge has been on sale for more than a decade. The relative newcomer Kona launched just last year, and it shows there’s an appetite for the quirky, stylish and distinctive little SUV. What better way to get familiar with someone’s traits – both good and bad – than a long drive? So we stepped through

the Hyundai New Zealand glass doors in Mt Wellington, south Auckland, grabbed the remote keyfob to a Pulse Red Kona 1.6T Elite AWD, and typed in the ‘other’ Wellington as our destination. Around 635km and just under eight hours via Taupo and Palmerston North, we opted to head south via Whanganui, which

reduced a few kays, but added a few minutes.

Not that we’d recommended – or did – that trip all in one, with overnight stops planned for Palmy North and Wellington.

The crossover SUV’s styling is quite unique, with squinty headlights, vents, lights and sculpts apparently all over the place, but working nicely, along with the contrasting grey plastic trim, draped over 18-inch wheels – large for Kona’s size.

Minutes from Mt Wellington, we are southbound on SH1, and getting to know each other. The interior is a little more conventional than the exterior, but it’s well equipped, remembering Hyundai likes to pack in the value-for-money with equipment.

Priced at $42k, it’s on the high side of the crossover compacts, but there’s a big list of features: the expected stuff like keyless entry and start, CarPlay/ Auto, reverse camera and sensors, cruise control, auto lights and wipers, heated electric leather seats, USB and 12v sockets. There’s also wireless smartphone charging, optional pop-up Head-Up Display, Automatic Emergency Braking and selectable AWD with descent control – though like most Konas, it won’t see any dirt this trip. There’s also a sweet sevenspeed dual clutch gearbox mated to the 1.6-litre turbo engine, making it eager and able at almost any speed, from as low as 1500rpm. Though, like most most dualclutch boxes, it sometimes gets caught off-guard at low speeds with a modulating throttle.

Noticeable by their absence, given the price, are shift paddles and radar cruise.

After 10 minutes at a fuel-friendly 90km/h cruise, we’re at 5.7l/100km, though as traffic clears to the 100km/h limit, this quickly rises to 8.6l/100km.

Lane assist offers a reminder if we stray, or are slow to indicate, but the 90s pulse phone beeper gets a bit too much and by Hamilton, it’s turned off.

Turning left at Whanganui, the fuel light comes on and as we pass Bulls and halfa-dozen police cars, we start driving with mild range anxiety, thankfully still driving as we arrive into Palmerston North for a much needed top-up: an impressive 49 litres dropping into the 50-litre tank.

After an overnight stop, parking and dinner in The Square, we return to the Kona to find the spring birds have done their best to paint parked cars white,

Palmerston North’s Square, the first overnight stop, with the Kona eating up the kays.

Though 130kW and a 1.6 turbo four sounds modest, the Kona is quick: try 0-100km/h in 7.6 seconds.

Closing in on Wellington, Southward Car Museum is a must-do, with two floors of eclectic car and bike displays.

LCV | 37

To the top of Mt Victoria, and a panoramic iPhone photo. All pics in this feature were taken on an iPhone.

Like many tourists driving this amazing country, all these pics were taken on an iPhone.

mandating a visit to a local car wash before an overnight rest.

Wellington-bound the next morning, it’s almost a direct route, with a slight diversion to the Southward Car Museum, my first visit, and a 90 minute speed tour.

The 60 minute final leg into Wellington is

a breeze.

As the dirty and bug-splattered Kona pulls up to the Beehive parliament building; fuel use is showing 8.8l/100km, not too surprising given the majority of the drive was off cruise control. We have just one spare hour to tour the sights,

including Westpac Stadium, Te Papa, Mt Victoria lookout and the Wellington Cable Car station.

Around the tight streets, the Kona’s quick and nimble and with just 2.6 turns lock to lock and a tight 10.6m turning circle, it’s proves just at home in the tight

Wellington! The beehive marks our ‘arrival’ in the Capital. Westpac Stadium is quiet enough on a weekday for some tourist photos. Tram station also a good place for tourists to spend time, with near the Space museum.

38 | LCV

Hyundai Kona 1.6T Elite

Top: Pop-up Head Up Display makes speed monitoring easy, though the Kona is lacking automatic speed sign recognition.

Above: At the end of the trip, 1280km and a fuel use (northbound) of 8.0l/100km. Mt Wellington to Wellington and back in three days.

and winding windy city streets as it was on the motorway.

An overnight stop and some work duties ticked off, an early(ish) start has us back on the road for what is basically a one-stop trip back home, this time via Taupo and the scenic Desert Road – replete with police radar right in the middle of it.

We cruise past, absorbing all the sights of the drive while playing with the different drive modes, Sport, Comfort and Eco, to see if we can get closer to

CHECK OUT OUR NEW WEB SITE

the Hyundai claim of 6.7l/100km. Up the eastern side of Lake Taupo, before a quick refuel, bladder drain and lunch stop, the infrequent overtaking lanes offer a chance for the 1.6 turbo engine to show it has plenty up its sleeve when it needs to; its tested 0-100km/h time of 7.6 seconds puts it at the quicker end against its competitors.

As we roll back into Hyundai’s Mt Wellington carpark, the northbound drive results in 8.0l/100km for 95 percent motorway driving, still short of Hyundai’s

Engine:

1.6-litre turbo four

Power:

130kW/265Nm

Gearbox:

Seven-speed dual-clutch

Economy:

6.7l/100km (claim)

Weight:

1507kg

0-60/100km/h:

3.4sec/7.6sec (tested)

0-400m:

15.6@142km/h

Price:

$41,990+GST/ORC

Rating (/5): Verdict:

Not cheap, but very effective

‘combined’ claim, from an all-up drive time of just under 16 hours.

And like most roving tourists, we took all these shots not on a $1000 SLR camera, but an iPhone 6, proving the versatility of smartphones (and a decent photographer, ahem…).

After two days and 1200+km, it’s easy to see why the Kona is so popular. It has looks, performance, equipment and comfort at a reasonable price. A great drive, and a very impressive car: it’s Kona – with a Capital.

www.blackduck.co.nz

SEAT COVERS

SUPERH COVERS TOUG SEAT Forestry Equipment • Trucks • Utes – Vans – Commercials • • • • • • • • •

Genuine high quality 12oz canvas Manufacturing for over 20 years Water & rot proof • Genuine high quality 12oz canvas Manufacturing over 25 years Easy• to fit - easy toforclean if buying a new Water &compatible rot proof Side• airbag vehicle specify • Easy to fit - easy to Black Duck Tailored specifically to clean fit each type of seat • Side airbag compatible Over 3000 patterns available • Tailored specifically to fit each type of seat Protect your vehicle investment • Over 3000 patterns available Overnight delivery available on most products • Protect your vehicle investment • Overnight delivery available on most products

Ph: 0800 158 479 - sales@blackduck.co.nz - www.blackduck.co.nz | sales@blackduck.co.nz

Ph: 0800 158 479

LCV28738

Construction Machinery • Agriculture Machinery • Quad Bikes

LCV | 39

w does one odd wheels, but ho is smart, despite its EV na Ko i’s t parking? da ree un -st Hy nt with only on gle-storey apartme charge it from a sin

Electric vehicles and Scalextric sets, is Mike Stock ready to swap the rumble of V8s for the hum of motors?

GENERALLY, I WOULDN’T CALL MYSELF slow to accept change, or to adapt to new things and ideas.

However, I’m not what the car industry calls an early adopter, and I’ll admit to being a bit challenged when it comes to technology; but I usually get there in the long run.

And I have to confess to a continuing infatuation with the petrol-powered internalcombustion engine. Sixes and V8s usually come with an inbuilt thirst for fuel, but there’s nothing like the smooth, linear shriek of an inline big six at full song or the double-beat rumble of a high-performance large-capacity V8 at idle.

Smaller petrol motors are enjoying something of a renaissance. Advanced technology and turbocharging are seeing them almost matching diesel cars’ fuel economy. A good example of the latter is Volkswagen New Zealand’s decision to sell only petrol-engined versions of its Caddy city van.

Big sixes and V8s are a dying breed in mainstream cars, while the green activists – and the government – are extolling a gasoline-free future.

Their solution? Move to electric cars, a move which beggars the questions of how do you re-charge an electric car in a cluster

40 | LCV

of one-storey units like the one I live in? And how do you get enough range from an allelectric vehicle?

The former can be solved by a wider network of public fast-charging stations; and Hyundai has come up with an answer to the range issue in its all-electric version of the Kona compact SUV, the Kona EV. But the issue for me is why go solely electric? The current Formula E open-wheeler racing series leaves me cold – there’s just no NOISE! Sound plays a major part in the enjoyment of motor racing. Who can resist the howl of a pre-turbo Formula 1 car? Or the brutal roar of a NASCAR V8? Formula E cars sound like full-sized Scalextric slot cars: great fun to play with, but a spectator sport?

But back to the Hyundai Kona Electric: in real terms, the Kona is hardly an SUV, more like a hatchback with raised suspension. With its body graphics and paint schemes, the Kona is a looker – an appealing package if ever I saw one.

The glitz and glamour of the exterior don’t carry over to the interior which is firmly rooted in family hatchback territory and fails to match the promise the car exudes from outside.

The Electric doesn’t upscale the interior much, despite a pricetag of roughly $80,000 in the test vehicle; but its big plus is the

range it achieves from its electric batteries.

No 150km here, but a solid 450km, though it takes a bunch of time to re-charge on domestic power; better to be handy to a public fast-charge station.

We managed 400km and the battery life indicator still showed reasonable range before we’d need to head to the nearest plug-in charger.

Add to that potent acceleration from rest, as well as at highway speeds; add superb roadholding and handling, and you have a very appealing package.

Before I drove the Kona EV, I was sceptical about all-electric cars; having spent a week with it, I’m convinced that maybe they can be the way of the future. I was already sold on the Kona as a vehicle, the EV added extra appeal.

I seldom do more than 200km a week, so the Hyundai could give me a couple of weeks’ motoring before re-charging. Aside from the price, it’s a compelling argument for truly green motoring – though, there’s always the question of what happens to electric cars’ batteries when they finally wear out.

Hyundai has made me re-evaluate my opinion on electric cars; I’m certainly not converted but I’m now more appreciative of their potential.

- Mike Stock

JUST LAUNCHED Audi Q8 Ford Escape ST Ford Ranger Ford Ranger Raptor Holden Acadia COMING Audi e-tron Quattro Citroen C3 Aircross Ford Endura (2019) Ford Everest facelift Ford EcoSport Holden Trailblazer Hyundai Tucson Infiniti QX50 Jeep Wrangler Lexus RX 350L and 450hL Maserati Levante S Mercedes-AMG GLC 63

Kia Sportage Mazda CX-3 update Mazda CX-9 Takami Mercedes-Benz Sprinter VW T-Roc SOON Mercedes-Benz X-Class V6 Mitsubishi Outlander Mitsubishi Triton Huntaway Range Rover Sport Range Rover SV Seat Arona SsangYong Rexton petrol SsangYong Musso Toyota C-HR Toyota Hilux Gladiator Toyota RAV4 Volvo XC40

TRANS-TEX 220 NZ’s MOST TRUSTED TrUCK & TRAILER DECKS

SIZED TO FIT ALL SPECIFICATIONS

Certified European Birch Plywood // Competitive Cost

Volkswagen T-Roc arrived with a hush in October, touring dealers and in limited, top-spec numbers, initially.

Mazda’s CX-3 (pictured) and CX-9 score updates and arrived in November.

LET’S GET DOWN TO

DETAILS

Not all truck and trailer decking was created equal.

At Stowtec we only use the best.

We insist on Plytech Trans-Tex. It's fit for purpose, more durable than the others and comes with great service and support from the guys at Plytech.

Hayden Fugle Managing Director STOWTEC

0800 900 905 www.plytech.co.nz/transtex220

Jackson Van Interiors do more than install.

Our experienced team work with you to custom fit your fleet and give your business that point of difference.

Custom seating, work space and storage.

FIT FOR PURPOSE AND BUILT TO LAST

www.jel.co.nz

0800 274427 info@jel.co.nz

LCV | 41

COPY & HASTE Story & photos: Dean Evans

We’ve tow-tested Colorado, but how does its seven-seat SUV equivalent fare and compare when loaded up with two-tonne?

HOLDEN’S COLORADO UTE HAS PROVEN itself many times over the past year. In top-spec Z71 guise, it almost won our ‘Ute-lympics’ test (May/June 2018) in a split decision with Ranger, and its 2.8-litre Duramax turbo diesel is a dynamic package, mixing power (147kW), torque (500Nm) and economy (8.7l/100km).

Setting the pace amongst the four/fivecylinder dual cabs, it manages 0-100km/h in 10.2 seconds, is well equipped and comfortable. So it’s not difficult to understand how good the Trailblazer Z71 would be with all those identical attributes transferred into its seven-seat SUV body.

A second and third row of seats, extra fan controls and roof vents and glass all add just 20kg to the total weight bill, with the comfort of an enclosed body and the

practicality of useable space for people or packages. With an improved turning circle of 12m (versus Colorado’s 12.7m), the Trailblazer seemingly copies all the Colorado does, in a more passengerfriendly package. But can it tow?

That’s what we wanted to find out, but first we established some comparable unladen performance figures – and discovered a pleasant surprise. This white Trailblazer rolled off 0-100km/h in 9.8 seconds, maintaining that advantage down the full quarter-mile. Turbo boost was the same 17psi, so there was nothing untoward, just a very strong, clearly well run-in 3500km example.

So we hit up our friends at Kennards Hire Hamilton, who supplied and hitched up the ballast, around 2.2 tonne of compact roller

CONVERT-A-BALL

®

The Ultimate Towing Accessory.

and trailer, representing almost 75 percent of its 3000kg towing capacity – which is 500kg lower than Colorado.

A wireless braking unit was plugged into the 12v socket, the trailer hitched up, chained and lights plugged in, and we were off towards our standard Hamilton-RaglanHamilton tow test loop.

Immediately, the extra weight is obvious as the Trailblazer carefully angles out onto the road, with the Holden working a little harder to get up to speed. A quick zero-to60km/h check and comparison resulted in 7.8 seconds (vs 3.8 secs unladen), a solid 52 percent increase in the time taken. The time is actually half-a-second slower than the Colorado we tow-tested a year ago,

NZ’s superior stainless steel interchangeable tow ball solution.

Available through leading new vehicle dealers & agents nationwide.

Exclusive to Best Bars.

0800 BEST BARS | info@bestbars.co.nz

n.

Above: Kennards Hire Hamilton came to the towing party with 2.2 tonne of rental trailer and roller.

Trailblazer Z71 seemingly has and does everything that Colorado does, in a seven-seat SUV body. which was pulling a slightly heavier load.

Away from splitting tenths against the clock, and onto the B-road past Whatawhata, the Trailblazer is in its element, rarely needing all 500Nm to effortlessly pull the load around like it’s towing lawn clippings to the recycling centre. There’s no ill-effect to the steering, no unwanted swaying, and it tracks true and easy with the engine and six-speed auto gearbox proving a very capable pairing. And while it may have a ladder frame, the ride quality proves very compliant, comfortable and cushy without any wallow.

We hit the first big hills while holding constant one-third throttle and the speed drops to 80km/h. Squeezing to half throttle, the gearbox downshifts to fourth and revs bump to 2250rpm and it powers back up to 90km/h, and stays there for the climb.

Easing off again to let speed fall to 70 for a second challenge, a floored throttle kicks the gearbox down to third gear and the Z71 powers up the climb from 2400rpm, but the reality is it just doesn’t need full throttle to maintain speed: half-throttle up hills, less

on the flats naturally, has it humming along without issue.

Through the tighter, twisting sections, the gearbox is down to second gear at times, but the engine has so much torque

and boost on tap, just squeeze the throttle a little and the distant whistle of the turbo pumps in the power, so that turns and inclines simply become a matter of placement in the lane rather than trying to

Squeeze the throttle in fifth at 90km/h and it doesn’t shuffle through gears, instead choosing to draw on its mountainous 500Nm maintain speed.

Cruising along the flats at 90km/h, it happily sits on 1750rpm in fifth gear right in the meat of its torque band; squeeze the throttle and it uses its ample torque rather than shifting through gears, staying in fifth gear and piling on (or maintaining) speed without complaint. While it’s possible to

manually select sixth and sit on 1400rpm for theoretically better fuel use, it really needs 100km/h for that to be effective; the conclusion is that it’s better (which the gearbox in Drive mode agrees) in fifth gear, cruising along using 11l/100km at 90km/h.

As per our usual tow test, Raglan town centre is little more than a place to U-turn,

CONVERT-A-BALL

®

The Ultimate Towing Accessory.

as we hit the same hills on the return leg back to Hamilton and Kennards Hire’s return bay.

At the end of our loop, we’re just as impressed by the Trailblazer as we were by the Colorado – and in some ways, even more, with great ride comfort and road-holding. And then there’s the fuel bonus, with a fuel use average of just 13.4l/100km, making it one of the most frugal tow tests we’ve done and more than a litre-per-100km less than our Colorado

NZ’s superior stainless steel interchangeable tow ball solution.

Available through leading new vehicle dealers & agents nationwide.

Exclusive to Best Bars.

0800 BEST BARS | info@bestbars.co.nz

on.

TOW TALLY Holden Trailblazer Z71

Left: Trailblazer has a 3000kg towing limit, compared to Colorado’s 3500kg.

Centre: Wireless brake controller supplied by Kennards Hire plugs into 12v socket and controls amount of brake force to aid trailer safety and stability.

Right: Fuel use at the end of the loop is very impressive, and at 13.4l/100km, isn’t much more than the unladen 9.2l/100km, especially given we were towing more than two-tonne!

tow test (granted, with heavier load) over the same road. Especially when compared to our non-towing time with Trailblazer that resulted in mostly motorway driving of 9.2l/100km; the penalty at the pump is relatively minor.

So ute or SUV, the Trailblazer and Colorado are equally impressive and each variant is a very strong horse for their respective slightly different course.

Thanks to: Kennards Hire Hamilton, 07 834 4090 www.kennardshire.co.nz

Engine

2.8-litre turbo diesel four

Power/torque

147kW/500Nm

Gearbox

Six-speed auto

Tow limits

750kg/3000kg (unbraked/ braked)

0-60km/h

3.8 secs (unladen), 7.8 secs (towing)

0-100km/h 0-400m

9.8 secs 16.8@128km/h (unladen)

Economy

9.2l/100km (tested/unladen), 13.4l/100km (towing)

Price

$64,990

Tow Rating (/5) Verdict

Colorado’s skills & more, in a seven-seat SUV

Toyota’s line-up is large and popular, including including RAV4 (main image), Highlander, C-HR (inset), Fortuner and Land Cruiser.

Words: Mike Stock

TOYOTA-LITARIAN With RAV4, Highlander, C-HR, Fortuner and more, it’s little wonder Toyota dominates the SUV sales for 2018.

T

HERE’S NOTHING LIKE BRAND RECOGNITION TO ensure commercial success, and nowhere is that truer than in the automotive business. Take SUV sales, for instance. Top of the tree, in the total SUV market and in individual segments, is Toyota, a brand firmly entrenched in the New Zealand consciousness.

Toyotas is seen as ultra-reliable (with exceptions…), good value, welldesigned, fit for purpose, and with good resale value. No surprise, then, that the Japanese brand led the total SUV market with 8417 sales in the first 10 months of 2018, roughly 1100 up – 15 percent – on 2017.

It was a long way back to second-placed Mitsubishi with 5823 sales;

1

Top 10 SUVs to end of Oct

Toyota RAV4 3937 (–)

2

Mazda CX-5 3192 (–)

3

Kia Sportage 2848 (–)

4

Toyota Highlander 2084 (–)

5

Mitsubishi Outlander 2027 (–)

6

Mitsubishi ASX 2023 ( 1)

7

Nissan Qashqai 1829 ( 1)

8

Holden Captiva 1716 ( 2)

9

Hyundai Tucson 1567 (–) Nissan X-Trail 1464 (–) 46 | LCV

10

Mazda was third with 5470.

On individual models, Toyota’s RAV4 was the best-selling SUV to October 31, with 3937 retailed. In second was the Mazda CX-5 which racked up 3192 sales to lead the Kia Sportage (2848).

Toyota’s American-sourced Highlander was in fourth place, and its 2084 sales also saw it lead its market segment. A brace of Mitsubishis filled the next two places, with the mid-sized Outlander in fifth and the compact ASX in sixth. The Outlander’s 2026 sales were a mix of regular and plug-in hybrid-powered vehicles. Both it and the ASX (2023 sales), benefitted from effective TV advertising (despite it not carrying as much power or longevity as print magazines, eh, Mitsubishi, ‘cough’…).

Nissan held seventh place with its internationally-successful Qashqai mid-sizer.

Holden’s well-established Captiva may be exiting the market, and though it remained in the top 10 at the end of October, it dropped two places, with 1716 sold, subsequently boosting the ASX and Qashqai’s positions. The Korean-sourced vehicle is being replaced, eventually, by two American SUVs, the mid-sized Equinox and the large Acadia which have already gone on sale, and destined to take over the Captiva’s role and hopefully success.

The Equinox found 732 buyers, and Holden has high hopes for the Acadia which hits the market in numbers early next year; but whether they strike the same chord with buyers that the Captiva did remains to be seen.

Hyundai’s Tucson slotted into ninth with 1587 sold, and the Nissan X-Trail was tenth (1464). Bubbling under the top 10 was the stylish Hyundai Kona with 1444 registrations, proving that it’s tough to get into the top ten, given it’s a NZ Car of the Year top ten finalist, and LCV magazine SUV of the year finalist.

Toyota’s Land Cruiser Prado was the best-selling traditional-style big SUV with 922 sales. Its stablemate the Land Cruiser achieved 319.

Two Land Rovers sold well: the Discovery (395 sales) and the luxury Range Rover (335).

Toyota led the growing ute-based segment with its Fortuner (412 sales), from the Holden Trailblazer (264) and Isuzu MU-X (241). The new Cummins-engined Foton Sauvana entered the SUV market lacking any announcement, fanfare or even public notice, potentially contributing to its 18 sales, some of that being dealer demonstrators.

SsangYong’s overdue Musso arrives in numbers in early 2019, as does Mitsubishi’s new Triton.

MUSSO TO MUSCLE IN?

Words: Mike Stock

SsangYong’s Musso ute is coming, but how much will it shake the established players?

A

UTE WHICH HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME A major player in the New Zealand market racked up its first sales in October.

SsangYong’s new Musso, the replacement for the Actyon, will go on sale in numbers during 2019. Initially the range will include 2WD entry-level petrol (manual and auto), mid-range 4WD diesel manual and auto and a high-spec diesel 4WD auto, with pricing expected to start at $25,990 plus GST. The Musso revives the name under which the Korean outfit’s

1

Top 10 Utes to end of Oct

Ford Ranger 8296 (–)

2

Toyota Hilux

3

6752 (–) Holden Colorado 3924 (–)

4

Mitsubishi Triton

5

3828 (–) Nissan Navara 3132 (–)

6

Isuzu D-Max

7

2010 (–) Mazda BT-50 1801 (–)

8

Volkswagen Amarok

9

808 (–) LDV T60 719 (–) SsangYong Actyon

10

products were first sold here, in SUV form, but the new light truck is a far cry from its rather crude but rugged forebears: it’s significantly bigger than the outgoing Actyon, whose sales were cramped by it being available only as a four-door dual cab with a smallish cargo bed.

The new Musso shares its chassis and platform with the impressive Rexton G4 SUV which debuted here in late 2017; if the ute is as good as the SUV, it has LOTS of potential to sell well.

Initially, the Korean newcomers’ sales of 26 were from a limitednumber shipment that were ordered and pre-sold – the Actyon, in ‘runout’ status, still managed to amass 351 sales to the end of October, to take 10th spot for the first 10 months of 2018. The new year will be very interesting for the Musso as it looks to move the brand up the sales charts – exactly how high, we’re looking forward to seeing.

Among the top order of utes closing in on the end of 2018, there were no surprises – the positions appear all but set in concrete with just Nov-Dec to run, with Ford Ranger heading for its fifth year as NZ’s best-selling pick-up, buoyed by recent minor updates.

Sales of 8296 were more than 1500 ahead of the second-placed Toyota Hilux’s 6752; also the two best-selling ‘vehicles’ in NZ. Holden’s Colorado hung on to third place, fending off a late charge from the Mitsubishi Triton: Holden sold 3924 utes to Mitsubishi’s 3828, boosted by run-out specials; as both companies will be monitoring those figures much closer when the new Triton goes on sale in December. The new Triton is arguably more masculine than its somewhat polarising predecessor which may augur well for the model’s prospects and see it locked in a battle-royal for third place.

At the end of October the Nissan Navara lay fifth, unusual in the NZ market because rear-wheel drive models outsell 4x4s, 1783 to 1349.

Next up was the ultra-tough Isuzu D-Max with 2010 sales, followed by the Mazda BT-50 on 1801.

Volkswagen’s high-end, four-wheel drive-only Amarok took seventh place with 808 sales; ninth was a ute from the opposite end of the price spectrum, the LDV T60 with 719 sales.

Oh, and how is what is touted as the world’s first ute from a premium carmaker doing? In the 10 months of 2018, the Mercedes-Benz X-Class found 202 buyers. Decent, but a ute that good deserves a lot more sales, and hopefully the V6 due near the end of the year will help.

351 (–) LCV | 47

Words: Mike Stock

AUTO SHIFTS INTO SECOND FOR TRANSIT

Above: Automatic gearbox has helped the Transit shift gears in 2018. See that clever wordplay there?! Genius.

Left:Toyota Hiace, number one again in 2018, with two months of sales still to go.

As sales positions settle for final run, new products from Ford, Mercedes and LDV try to minimise the gap to the runaway Hiace.

S

ALES OF FORD’S TRANSIT VAN UNDERLINE THE importance of having an automatic gearbox option on the New Zealand market.

Kiwi van buyers, no matter what vehicle they’re choosing, gravitate to an automatic rather than a manual gearbox. It’s an understandable choice for drivers in the major cities where a manual gearbox can be a real pain in stop/start rush-hour traffic.

In New Zealand, the lack of an automatic gearbox option hampered Transit sales over the years. Though an automatic option became available in 2017, supply restraints didn’t see it available here in numbers until early this year.

In recent years, the multi-model Transit range – including versions of the mid-sized Custom and the large Cargo vans – battled salefor-sale with Hyundai’s iLoad. But with the auto freely available in both variants around mid-2018, the Transit broke well clear of the iLoad and settled into a solid second place.

To October 31 this year, Ford sold 957 Transits to Hyundai’s 621 iLoads, with the duo taking the minor podium places. The Transit’s 10 month total compared with 930 sales during the whole of 2017, putting it on track for a 23 percent increase and total sales around 1150 units.

So that means it’s clearly no threat to Hiace over the final two months, the Toyota already firmly on the top step of the dais with 1716 van sales at the end of October, and on track to pass 2000 –

and around double the market share of its nearest competitor.

Chinese brand, LDV, filled fourth and fifth places, with the frontwheel drive V80 achieving 414 sales, and the smaller rear-drive G10 managing 366 units by the end of October. The electric-powered version of the V80, the EV80, also found 14 buyers in the first 10 months of 2018.

Big European vans do reasonably well in New Zealand – by contrast their mid-sized stablemates generally struggle against the Hiace, iLoad and V80.

Mercedes-Benz’s big Sprinter found 285 buyers between January and October, and fellow German brand Volkswagen retailed 211 of its similarly-sized all-new Crafter.

Mercedes’ impressive but pricey Vito mid-sizer managed only 52 sales, but VW’s mid-size van, the T6 Transporter, is a star in its segment. VW sold 340 to October 31, compared to the 235 sold by the end of October 2017. That showing maintained its sixth place on the 2018 sales ladder, ahead of Sprinter and Crafter.

VW’s small van, the Caddy which sells in short- and longwheelbase versions, slotted into ninth place and easily outdistanced its car-based city van rivals, the Renault Kangoo (27 sales) and Peugeot Partner (21).

Completing the top 10 was the Italian Iveco Daily whose truck DNA gives it strong appeal in the heavy-duty large van segment of the market. Iveco sold 112 in the first 10 months.

CUSTOMISE YOUR CANOPY TO SUIT YOUR LIFESTYLE

YOUR AMBITION DRIVES US ACTIONMANUFACTURING.CO.NZ 37 Kaimiro Street, Hamilton +64 7 850 2410 sales@actionmanufacturing.co.nz

1

6 Brand

Sales

Brand

Sales

Toyota Hiace

1716 (–)

VW Transporter T6

340 (–)

2

7 Brand

Sales

Brand

Sales

Ford Transit

757 (–)

Volkswagen Crafter

285 (–)

Brand

Sales

Brand

Sales

Hyundai iLoad

621 (–)

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

211 (–)

3

8

4

9 Brand

Sales

Brand

Sales

LDV V80

414 ( 1)

Volkswagen Caddy

161 (–)

5

10 Brand

Sales

Brand

Sales

LDV G10

366 ( 1)

Iveco Daily

112 (–)

NEW SPRINTER LANDS T HE NEW THIRD-GENERATION SPRINTER ARRIVED IN October 2018 with a reinterpreted design, more safety, and an infotainment and telematics package designed for the next era.

More than 1700 different Sprinter variants can be generated by combining body types, drive configurations, cab designs, body lengths, tonnages and load compartment heights. From constructionsite vehicle to a luxuriously equipped minibus, the panel van, minibus conversion and cab chassis variants have launched, with the tractor head versions due early 2019.

Now supplemented with a new front-wheel drive system, payload of this version increases by 50kg, while an 80-millimetre lower loading sill makes loading/unloading and access/egress considerably easier.

FWD models also include two newly gearboxes, a nine-speed auto

and a six-speed manual.

Safety extras include Active Brake Assist, reversing camera (not cab chassis) and Attention Assist. Options include radar-based distance control, Active Lane Keeping Assist, and a Parking Package with 360 degree camera, along with the continuation of Crosswind Assist.

A new Telematics system features a seven-inch HD display, with optional 10.25-inch, controlled either via the touch-capable steering wheel controls, the touchscreen already or a new voice control system.

The 3.0-litre six-cylinder produces 140kW/440Nm, while the 2.1-litre four-cylinder makes 105 or 120kW in RWD, and 84 or 105kW in FWD models.

New Merc Sprinter arrived in October, with a new front-drive platform, and new tech inside. And in right-hand drive, of course…

LCV | 49

ndles and black grille, door ha anges, along with a ch the e lin ad he s ck BGW wheel ve terms: 20-inch bla -out, at least in relati nd sta to ard nd sta From mirrors, plus badges.

Trying to stand out, just like everyone else, is a little challenging, says Arna Evans.

WE’VE NOW RACKED UP TWO MONTHS with our latest additions to the family: our newborn boy Oscar, and our three-year old Hyundai Sante Fe Elite seven-seater.

Child number three effectively forced us into a vehicle with seats numbering seven, and we’ve been rather pleased with our adopted Sante Fe. Though we did encounter a totally unexpected problem: the initial plan was to put baby and middle sister in the second row, in their respective capsule and booster seat; eldest sister would happily claim the third row as her own, along with the associated AC vent and storage bin. Her own Recaro booster seat would sit there neatly, and though lacking an ISOFIX mounting point, would strap in safely via the three-point belt.

So hubby fitted the baby capsule on the driver’s side, while our Recaro booster seat clicked into the passenger side ISOFIX mounting point. Which left no easy passenger access to the third row...

While the Sante Fe’s second row of 60/40 split seats separately slide fore-aft, and the passenger side flips and slides forward with a single handle pull, the fact that both second row seats were occupied by semi-fixed child seats effectively disabled their functionality.

One of those obvious problems that isn’t obvious until it’s upon you.

Option one was putting both booster seats into the third row, but sibling warfare – made more volatile by the third row seats being positioned close together - didn’t make for

50 | LCV

pleasant drives; plus neither third row seat offers ISOFIX, which kind of defeated the purpose of those seats. So we arrived at a solution of the third row access being via the tailgate, using the tow bar as a step, and one dropped seat to allow access, the Sante Fe effectively being downgraded to a six-seater; five, really, with the second row centre seat rendered unusable by both the capsule and booster seat.

The other issue was popularity related: with so many Santa Fes on the road, I’m not one for mixing in with the masses, so part of the deal of choosing the Hyundai, was being able to do a few personalised touches. The 2016 Haydon Paddon Edition detailed a few of the mods I’d wanted, with a lot of black detailing: the big chrome grille was dechromed and blackened, as were the front and rear undertrays, along with black door handles, mirrors and badges. All this cost around $700 from a local painter. A black roof is another $330 to vinyl wrap, but that will come later.

I also wanted black wheels to set it all off, and we were faced with a few options here: paint the standard 18-inch Elite wheels (around $800), or look at different/larger black wheels and tyres, with most packages ranging around $3000-$4000 – a bit too high for our budget.

But then we found a compromise, in a set of 20-inch BGW Pursuit alloys and tyres from Cranefield Automotive, who was displaying at the Auckland CRC Speedshow. We had

a choice of 235 or 245 wide tyres, and after some calculations, choose the 245s as their respective profiles and slightly larger overall diameter helped minimise speedo error at 100km/h, from 95km/h to 98km/h.

Fuel use, however, also increased a similar three-percent, and while we were just under 10.0l/100km initially, we’ve crept up to mid10s around town. Impressively, it’s still around 7.0l/100km on the motorway, a reminder that this 2.2-litre diesel is such a great engine, Hyundai is still using it in the latest model.

The total wheel and tyre bill was $2200, and what sealed that deal were a few TradeMe listings advertising used factory Santa Fe Elite 18-inch wheels around $1200 with their new-near tyres – so ours are now up for sale to recoup some of the outlay.

Impressively, the ride quality has barely changed, and though I’m now a little more stressed about scratching the wheels in narrow drive-throughs or when parallel parking, our Santa Fe has arrived at a styling point where I’m happy. Its mods don’t make it cutting edge or one-off by any means, as we’ve already seen a few similar SUVs in the area, but for a big family seven-seater, I’m now a little prouder to park both in the school drop off, and the office carpark. And the kids are pleased, too.

Best of all, we didn’t need to resort to a people mover. That would have been a step too close to mundane for this family of five.

Arna Evans

kW

Nm

Stelvio

Model

alfaromeo.co.nz

Website

$82,990-$99,990

Price Range

A

Trans

D/P

Fuel

4/2000-2200

Cyl/CC

148/206

470/400

4.8-7.0

L/100km

Q2 Q3 Q5 Q7

audi.co.nz

$54,900-$63,400 $62,400-$73,900 $92,900-$109,900 $113,900-$141,100

A A A A

P P P P

4/1395-4/1984 4/1395-4/1984 4/1750-V6/1500 V6/2967

110-140 110-132 140-210 160-200

250-320 250-320 400-620 500-600

5.5-6.4 5.9-6.7 5.1-7.1 5.8-5.9

Bentayga

bentleymotors.com

$398,000+

A

P/D

W12/6000

320-447

900

8-13.1

X1 X2 X3 X4

bmw.co.nz

$59,900+ $60,900-$70,900 $59,900-$69,200 $96,700-$130,400

A A A A

4/1995-4/1998

220-450 220-280 220-280 500

4.1-6.6

4/1968-4/2967 4/1995-V6/2993

110-170 100-141 100-141 140-230

X5/M

$111,950-$206,700

A

V8/4395

170-330

500-740

3.4-9.6

X6/M

$144,500-$236,100

A

P P P P P/D/ Hybrid P

V6/2979-V8/4395

190-330

400-740

6-9.7

Issue

5.6-5.9 5.2-6

C4 Aircross

citroen.co.nz

$31,990-$35,990

A

P

4/1998-4/1998

110

197

8.1

Journey

dodge.co.nz

$44,990-$59,990

A

P

V6/3604

206

342

10.4

EcoSport Escape Everest Endura ST

ford.co.nz

$29,990-$32,990 $37,990-$54,990 $75,990 $73,990

A A A A

P P/D D D

4/1498-4/1498 4/1498-4/1999 5/3198 4/2000

82 132-178 143 154

140 240-400 470 450

6.5 5.4-8.6 8.5 5.9

June/July 17 Nov/Dec 18

H2 H6 H9

haval.co.nz

$25,990-$27,990 $30,990-$34,990 $43,990+

A A/M A/M

P P P

4/1500 4/1998 4/1998

110 145 180

210 315 350

8.2 9.8 10.9

Sept/Oct 18

Captiva Equinox Trailblazer Trax

holden.co.nz

$40,990-$56,990 $43,990-$59,990 $62,990 $32,990-$36,990

A A A A

P/D P P/D P

4/2231-V6/2997 4/1998 4/2776 4/1364-4/1364

123-190 100-188 147 103

230-400 320-353 500 200

8.5-10.7 5.7-8.4 8.6 6.7

Aug/Sept 17 May/June 18 Dec/Jan 18 Oct/Nov 17

CR-V HR-V

honda.co.nz

$37,900-$47,900 $29,990-$42,600

A A

P/D P

4/1496 4/1800-4/1800

140 96-105

8240 155-172

7.3-7.4 5.3-6.9

Kona Santa Fe Tucson

hyundai.co.nz

$31,990-$41,990 $60,990-$73,990 $39,990-$63,990

A A A/M

P/D P/D P/D

4/1591-4/1999 4/2199-V6/3342 4/1591-4/1999

110-130 138-199 121-136

180-265 241-440 203-400

6.7-7.2 7.7-9.4 6.4-7.9

MU-X

isuzu.co.nz

$65,990

A

D

4/2999

130

380

8.3

E-Pace F-Pace

jaguar.co.nz

$50,744+ $95,000-$130,000

A/M A

P/D P/D

4/1998-4/1999 4/1999-V6/2995

150-300 132-280

380-500 365-700

4.7-8.0 5.3-8.9

Niro Niro PHEV Sorento Soul Sportage

kia.co.nz

$34,990-$55,990 $49,990 $55,990-$73,990 $32,490+ $35,990-$54,990

A A A A

P/D P/Hybrid P P/D P

4/2231-V6/2997 4/1600 4/1998 4/2776 4/1364-4/1364

123-190 104 100-188 147 103

230-400 147 320-353 500 200

8.5-10.7 1.3 5.7-8.4 8.6 6.7

Urus

lamborghini.co.nz

$350,000+

A

P

V8/3996

478

850

9.7

Discovery

landrover.co.nz

$115,900-$139,900

A

P/D

V6/1999-V6/2995

132-250

430-600

7.5-10.9

LX NX RX

lexus.co.nz

$160,100-$179,990 $82,400-$96,000 $95,990-$126,400

A A A

D P/Hybrid P/Hybrid

V8/4461 4/1998-4/2494 V6/3456

200-270 114-175 193-221

530-650 210-350 335-370

8.5-20.2 5.6-9.5 5.9-6.9

XUV500

mahindra.co.nz

$29,990-$36,990

A

D

4/2179

103-129

330

7.4-8.1

Levante

maserati.com/maserati/nz/en

$136,990+

A

P/D

V6/2979

202-316

500-600

CX-3 CX-5 CX-8 CX-9

mazda.co.nz

$31,395-$40,195 $39,995-$57,495 $53,495-$62,495 $54,995-$64,995

A A A A

P P/D D P

4/1998-4/1998 4/1998-4/2488 4/2200 4/2488

109 114-140 140 170

192 200-420 450 420

6.1-6.7 6.0-7.5 5.7-6.0 8.4-8.8

G-Class GLA G-Class Professional

mercedes-benz.co.nz

$186,500-$253,900 $60,900-$67,900 $129,900+

A A A

D P/D D

V6/2987-V8/5461 4/1595-4/2143 V6/2987

180-420 90-130 135

600-760 250-350 400

9.9-13.8 4.5-5.7

Countryman

mini.co.nz

$45,750-$71,990

A

P/Hybrid

3/1499-4/2000

100-170

220-385

2.3-7.4

ASX Eclipse Cross Outlander Pajero Sport

mmnz.co.nz

$36,690-$45,990 $41,690-$45,590 $39,990-$56,995 $61,990-$66,990

A A A A

P/D P P/D D

4/1998-4/2268 4/1499-4/1499 4/1998-4/2360 4/2442

112 112 112-126 135

200-366 254 193-366 437

6.0-7.6 7.3 6.2-7.2 8

Jan/Feb 19

May/June 18 May/June 18

Feb/Mar 17

Sept/Oct 18 Sept/Oct 18

Jan/Feb 19

LCV | 51

Model

Website

Juke Pathfinder Patrol Qashqai X-Trail

nissan.co.nz

2008 3008 5008

Price Range

Trans

Fuel

Cyl/CC

kW

Nm

L/100km

Issue

$39,990 $55,490-$69,990 $107,500-$127,500 $35,590-$43,995 $39,990-$53,490

A A A/M A A

P P P P/D P

4/1618 V6/3498 V8/5552 4/1598-4/1997 4/2488

140 202 298 96-106 126

240 340 560 200-320 226

7.4 9.9-10.1 14.5 4.9-6.9 8.1-8.3

peugeot-newzealand.co.nz

$32,990-$34,990 $39,990-$54,990 $47,990-$57,990

A A A

P P/D P/D

3/1200-3/1200 4/1598-4/1997 4/1598-4/1997

81 88-133 121-133

205 240-400 240-400

4.8 4.4-7.0 4.8-7.0

Cayenne Cayenne S Macan

porsche.com/australia/_newzealand_/

$147,800-$261,200 $187,800+ $113,600-$184,300

A A A

P/D P/Hybrid P

V6/2900-V8/4000 V6/2894 4/1984-V6/2997

250-404 324 185-250

340-770 550

11.5 9.4 7.4-9.7

Evoque Sport Velar

landrover.co.nz

$81,000-$118,000 $128,000-$233,000 $134,900-$157,850

A/M A

P/D P/D P/D

4/1998-4/1999 4/1999-V8/4999 4/1999-V6/2993

110-213 177-405 180-300

380-430 450-700 430-700

4.2-7.6 6.2-12.8 5.4-6.4

Captur Koleos

renault.co.nz

$35,990 $44,990-$59,990

A A

P P/D

4/1197 4/1995-4/2488

88 126-130

190 226-380

5.4 6.1-8.3

Arona Ateca

seat.co.nz

$29,900+ $38,900-$52,900

A A

P P/D

3/999 4/1395-4/1968

85 110-140

200 250-400

5.3-7.0

Karoq Kodiaq

skoda.co.nz

$38,990-$48-490 $42,990-$58,290

A A

P/D P/D

1498-1968 4/1395-4/1984

110 110-140

250-340 251-400

N/A 5.7-7.4

July/Aug 18 Dec/Jan 18

Korando Rexton G4 Tivoli

ssangyong.co.nz

$32,990-$43,990 $59,990-$67,990 $25,990-$34,990

A A A/M

P/D D P

4/1998 4/2157 4/1597

109-129 133 94

197-360 420 160

7.5-8.0 8.3 6.6-7.2

May/June 18

Forester Outback XV

subaru.co.nz

$39,990-$54,990 $44,990-$59,990 $34,990-$39,990

A A A

P P P

H4/1998-H4/2498 H4/2498-H6/3630 4/1995

126-177 129-191 115

235-350 235-350 196

8.1-8.5 7.3-9.9 7

Nov/Dec 18

Grand Vitara Ignis Jimny S-Cross Vitara

suzuki.co.nz

$31,990-$38,990 $18,990-$22, 500 $19,990-$24,500 $29,990-$33, 990 $29,990-$37,990

A/M A/M A/M A A

P P P P P

4/2393 4/1242 4/1328 4/1373-4/1586 I4/1400

122 66 110 88-103 103

225 120 110 156-220 220 5.9

8.8-9.9 4.7-4.9 7.1-7.4 5.9-6.3

Model X

tesla.com/en_NZ/

$151,000-$210,700

A

Electric

N/A

193-375

249-649

0

C-HR Fortuner Highlander L Cruiser Prado L Cruiser 200 RAV4

toyota.co.nz

$37,990-$39,990 $65,990-$70,790 $64,890-$81,490 $70,890-$91,790 $120,190-$134,190 $37,990-$61,690

A A A A A A

P D P D D P/D

I4/1200 4/2755 V6/3456 4/2800 V8/4500 4/1987-4/2494

85 130 218 130 200-270 107-132

185 420 350-440 450 650 187-340

6.4-6.5 8.6 9.5 8 9.5 6.6-8.5

Tiguan Touareg

volkswagen.co.nz

$41,990-$66,990 $89,990-$135,990

A A

P/D D

4/1395-4/1984 V6/2967-V8/4134

110-162 150-250

250-350 450-800

5.7-7.8 7.4-9.1

XC40 XC60

volvo.co.nz

$75,900-$86,900

A

P/D

4/1969-5/2400

A

P/D/Hybrid

4/1969

162-225 P235/E65235

350-440 P400/ E240-480

5.7-7.7

$99,900-$138,900

XC90

July/Aug 18

SU

B

July/Aug 18 Nov/Dec 18

Oct/Nov 17

2.1-8.6

MAZDA CX-3 EVOLVES The award-winning Mazda CX-3 scored an update in October for model year 2019, with the addition of the luxurious Takami grade, which features Nappa leather, an automatic day/night rear view mirror and powered sunroof, plus a range of new-for-2019 features such as reversing camera across the range, plus emergency braking, increased storage, and in the GSX, Blind Spot Monitoring, Traffic Sign Recognition, and Radar Cruise Control, plus on-demand All-Wheel Drive.

LCV28756

A new grille features on all models with GSX, Limited and Takami grades showcasing new 18inch alloy wheels, new front and tail lamp designs, piano black door pillar garnish and new dashboard decoration. Two new colours include Mazda’s signature Soul Red Crystal Metallic and Machine Grey Crystal Metallic. CX-3 pricing starts at $31,995 for the FWD 2.0L GLX 6AT, up to $41,695 for the FWD 2.0L Takami.

52 | LCV

SUV • UTE • VAN • LIGHT-TRUCKS

SUBSCRIBE AND

BE IN TO WIN 1 of 5 Shimano Aqua Tip 6-10kg rod with Bait Runner 8000oc Reel

Competition ends 31st January 2019 EASY WAY TO

SUBSCRIBE

Post PO Box 112062 Penrose, Auckland 1642

Ph 09 571 3544

Email accounts@trucker.co.nz

www.alliedpublications.co.nz

NZ LCV MAGAZINE

1 year (6 issues) for $36 incl. GST For NZ subscriptions only

FOR ME

A GIFT

RECIPIENT DETAILS FOR GIFT SUBSCRIPTION NAME:

MY DETAILS NAME:

ADDRESS:

ADDRESS: PHONE (day): EMAIL:

PHONE (day):

SEND A GIFTCARD TO (tick one):

EMAIL: PAYMENT

VISA

MASTERCARD

LCV28756

CARD HOLDER NAME: SECURITY CODE:

AMEX

CHEQUE

EXPIRY DATE: SIGNATURE:

Please contact us directly for overseas subscriptions.

TO ME

TO RECIPIENT

ONLINE PURCHASE OPTION Alternatively you can purchase an LCV magazine subscription online at www.alliedpublications.co.nz by selecting LCV magazine subscription on the home page then add to cart and fill in your details as requested.

L/100km

Issue

Ranger

Model

ford.co.nz

Website

$42,640-$69,640

Price Range

Auto/Manual

Trans

Diesel

Fuel

5/3198

Cyl/CC 147

kW 470

Nm

8.1-8.9

May/June 18

Tunland

foton.co.nz

$29,990-$ 36,990

Manual

Diesel

4/2776

130

365

8.7

Apr/May 17

Steed

greatwall.co.nz

$26,990-$31,990

Manual

Petrol/Diesel

4/1998 - 4/2378

100 - 110

205 - 310

8.1

Nov/Dec 18

Colorado

holden.co.nz

$39,990-$66,990

Auto/Manual

Diesel

4/2766

147

440 - 500

7.9-8.6

May/June 18

D-MAX

isuzu.co.nz

$39,890-$61,990

Auto/Manual

Diesel

4/2999

130

430

7.7-7.8

Aug/Sept 17

T60

ldv.co.nz

$33,338-$40,238

Auto/Manual

Diesel

4/2766

110

360

8.6-9.6

Feb/Mar 18

SportsCat

hsv.com.au

$73,990-$82,990

A/M

Diesel

4/2800

147

440-500

8.7

Genio

mahindra.co.nz

$22, 989-$30,990

Manual

Diesel

4/2179

89

280

8.6-9.6

BT-50

mazda.co.nz

$35,295-$59,795

Auto/Manual

Diesel

5/3198

147

470

8.9-10.0

Nov/Dec 18

X-Class

mercedes-benz.co.nz

$56,500-$69,000

Auto/Manual

Diesel

4/2998

120-140

450

6.6-7.0

July/Aug 18

Triton

mitubishi.co.nz

$36,790-$62,990

Auto/Manual

Diesel

4/2422

135

437

7.2-7.6

Toyota Hiace, number one again in 2018, with two months of sales still to go.

New Merc Sprinter arrived in October, with a new front-drive platform, and new tech inside.

Navara nissan.co.nz $37,990-$63,990 Auto/Manual Diesel 4/2298 And in right-hand drive, of course…

Laramie

Words: Mike Stock

ramtrucks.co.nz

$149,990-$169,990

Auto

Diesel

I-6/6690

Jan/Deb 19

Automatic gearbox has helped the 6.1-7.0 450 July/Aug 18 Transit shift gears in 2018. See that clever wordplay there?! Genius.

120-140

276

1084

AUTO SHIFTS INTO SECOND FOR TRANSIT Actyon

ssangyong.co.nz

$33,338-$36,788

Auto/Manual

Diesel

4/1198

114-131

360-400

7.4-7.9

Hilux positions toyota.co.nz $36,390-$54,990 Auto/Manual run, Diesel 4/2775 7.3-9.0 Ford, 123-130 34 -450 May/June 18 As sales settle for final new products from

Mercedes andvokswagen.co.nz LDV try$52,990-$82,990 to minimise the gap to 132-165 the runaway Hiace.

Amarok Auto/Manual Diesel 4/1968 8.0-9.0 420-550 Nov/Dec 18

S

ALES OF FORD’S TRANSIT VAN UNDERLINE THE importance of having an automatic gearbox option on the New Zealand market.

Kiwi van buyers, no matter what vehicle they’re choosing, gravitate to an automatic rather than a manual gearbox. It’s an understandable choice for drivers in the major cities where a manual gearbox can be a real pain in stop/start rush-hour traffic.

In New Zealand, the lack of an automatic gearbox option hampered Transit sales over the years. Though an automatic option became available in 2017, supply restraints didn’t see it available here in numbers until early this year.

In recent years, the multi-model Transit range – including versions of the mid-sized Custom and the large Cargo vans – battled sale-for-sale with Hyundai’s iLoad. But with the auto freely available in both variants around mid-2018, the Transit broke well clear of the iLoad and settled into a solid second place.

To October 31 this year, Ford sold 957 Transits to Hyundai’s 621 iLoads, with the duo taking the minor podium places. The Transit’s 10 month total compared with 930 sales during the whole of 2017, putting it on track for a 23 percent increase and total sales around 1150 units.

So that means it’s clearly no threat to Hiace over the final two months, the Toyota already firmly on the top step of the dais with 1716 van sales at the end of October, and on track to pass 2000 – and around double

54 | LCV

the market share of its nearest competitor.

Chinese brand, LDV, filled fourth and fifth places, with the front-wheel drive V80 achieving 414 sales, and the smaller rear-drive G10 managing 366 units by the end of October. The electric-powered version of the V80, the EV80, also found 14 buyers in the first 10 months of 2018.

JUKE NISMO RS FOR NZ? Big European vans do reasonably well in New Zealand – by contrast Nissan Australia hasagainst introduced the Juke their mid-sized stablemates generally struggle the Hiace, iLoad Nismo RS, with a more aggressive grille, and V80. diffuser, red mirror caps and badging.

Mercedes-Benz’s big Sprinter found 285 buyers Alcantara between January Inside is a Nismo gearknob, wheel red stitching and suede sports211 seats. and October, and fellowwith German brand Volkswagen retailed of its Limited to 240 units, it also gets more similarly-sized all-new Crafter. power via an ECU retune and free-flowing Mercedes’ impressive but pricey Vito mid-sizer managed only 52 exhaust, boosting its 1.6-litre turbo four sales, but VW’s mid-size to van,160kW the T6 Transporter, is for a star in six-speed its segment. and 280Nm the manual, and 157kW/250Nm CVTof VW sold 340 to October 31, compared to the 235 soldfor by the the end – compared to 140kW/240Nm October 2017. That showing maintained its sixth place onfor thethe 2018 standard Turbo model. The manual also gets sales ladder, ahead of Sprinter and Crafter. a shorter, faster final drive ratio and LSD. VW’s small van, the Caddy retuned which sells in shortlongLowered, suspension and and steering keep into it a ninth total place package. starts at wheelbase versions, slotted and Pricing easily outdistanced $37,790AUD for the manual, overand its car-based city van rivals, the Renault Kangoo (27just sales) $40kNZD in a straight conversion. Given the Peugeot Partner (21).

NZ Juke Turbo is $39,990, we could expect Completing the topcloser 10 was the Italian Iveco Daily truck to $50k for the Nismo RSwhose if it lands.

Wouldinyou a Nismolarge RS? See more picsof DNA gives it strong appeal thebuy heavy-duty van segment and comment our Facebook page. the market. Iveco sold 112 in the first 10atmonths.

Model

1

Ducato

Transit Cargo Transit Custom

2

Website fiat.co.nz

Price Range $54,990-$67,990

6

kW

Nm

130

L/100km

Issue

400

Sales

Brand

Sales

1716 (–)

VW Transporter T6

340 (–)

$61,640-$72,340 $51,990-$60,990

Auto/Manual Auto/Manual

iLoad/iMax

hyundai.co.nz

$42,990-$59,990

Daily

Ford Transit iveco.co.nz

G10 V80

ldv.co.nz ldv.co.nz

Partner

Cyl/CC I4/2999

Brand ford.co.nz

Sprinter Vito

Fuel Diesel

Toyota Hiace

Diesel Diesel

i4/1995-4/2198 i4/1995

Auto/Manual

Diesel

i/2497

757 (–) $65,366-$112,918

Manual

Diesel

4/2300-4/3000

$25,990-$53,900 $32,190-$53,900

Auto/Manual Auto/Manual

Diesel Petrol/Diesel

i4/1890-i4/2499

Brand

3

Trans Auto/Manual

Brand

7

Sales

Sales

114-125 125

385-405 405

100-125

343-441

May/June 18 Nov/Dec 18

Brand

8

100-165

Auto/Manual Auto/Manual

Diesel Diesel

4/2766 110 Mercedes-Benz i/1598-i4=2987 100-140

peugeot-newzealand.co.nz

$26,990

Manual

Diesel

i4/1560

Petrol/Diesel

i4/2694-i4/2987

285 (–)

200-330

Brand

$33,338-$40,238 621 (–) $51,120-$73,850

4

Sales

Volkswagen 93-125 Crafter 320-430

mercedez-benz.co.nz

Hyundai iLoad

7.1

Aug/Sept 17 June/July 17

Sales

360

Sprinter 270-440

211 (–) Apr/May 17

66

215

8.6 - 9.6

Brand 100-118

3243-300

8.6 - 9.6 Sales

9 Brand toyota.co.nz

Sales $45,780-$65,880

LDV V80

414 ( 1)

Kangoo Master Trafic

renault.co.nz

$31,990-$35,990 $59,990-$74,990 $52,990

Auto/Manual Auto/Manual Auto

Diesel Diesel Diesel

i4/1197-i4/1461 i4/2299 i4/1598

Caddy Crafter Multivan Transporter California

volkswagen.co.nz

$29,990-$61,490 $57,490Sales = $92,190 $73,490-$94,990 366 ( 1) $39,990-69,490 $137,000

Auto/Manual Auto/Manual Auto/Manual Auto/Manual Auto

Petrol Diesel Diesel Diesel Petrol

i4/1197-i4/1395 i4/1968 i4/1968 i4/1968 4/1968

Hiace

5

Brand

LDV G10

Auto/Manual

Volkswagen Caddy

10

NEW SPRINTER LANDS Model

T

Aumark

Website

foton.co.nz

Price Range

$29,995 +

Trans

Manual

Fuel

Diesel

Cyl/CC 12/2780-17/3760

81-84 120-140 103-129 62-92 Brand 90-130 132 Daily Iveco 75-150 150

161 (–)

190-240 360-400 340

June/July 17

160-220 340-410 400 250-450 450

kW

Nm

110-115

360-500

Sales Dec/Jan 18 112 (–)

Aug/Sept 17

L/100km

Issue

8-13.1

HE NEW THIRD-GENERATION SPRINTER ARRIVED IN and a six-speed manual.

Safety extras 4/2998 include Active110-129 Brake Assist, reversing camera (not OctoberCanter 2018 with a reinterpreted design, more safety, and an fuso.co.nz Auto/Manual Diesel 370-430 Dec/Jan 18 Fighter and telematics package designed for the next era.

Manual cab Diesel 6/7545Attention Assist.

184-207 761-802 chassis) and Options include radar-based infotainment More than 1700 different Sprinter variants can be generated by distance control, Active Lane Keeping Assist, and a Parking Package 300 Manual 110-121 420-550 with Diesel 360 degree camera, along with the continuation of Crosswind combining body types, drivehino.co.nz configurations, cab designs, body lengths, tonnages and load compartment heights. From construction- Assist. seven-inch HD display, with site vehicle to aTrucks luxuriously equipped minibus, the panel van, minibus MK udtrucks.co.nz Auto/ManualA new Diesel Telematics 4/7013 system features 180-206 a 716-883 Manual optional Diesel 10.25-inch, 4/7013 controlled180-206 either via716-883 the touch-capable steering conversion andTrucks cabPKchassis variants have launched, with the tractor wheel controls, the touchscreen already or a new voice control head versions due early 2019.

Mighty hyundai.co.nz Manual Diesel 4/3933 102-125 289-608 Feb/Mar 18 Now supplemented with a new front-wheel drive system, payload of system.

The 3.0-litre six-cylinder produces 140kW/440Nm, while the this version increases by 50kg, while an 80-millimetre lower loading 8418or sill makes loading/unloading and access/egress considerably easier. 2.1-litre four-cylinder makes 105 N Series isuzu.co.nz 110-139or 120kW in RWD, and May/June 151-257 FWD modelsF Series also include two newly gearboxes, a nine-speed auto 105kW in FWD models.

MAZDA JOINS WARRIORS Mazda has announced a multi-year deal with the Vodafone Warriors to become the club’s official automotive partner. The partnership sees Mazda on the lower back of the Vodafone Warriors’ NRL playing jersey when the club opens its 25th season in March.

Mazda MD David Hodge said the Vodafone Warriors’ nationwide appeal was a key factor in bringing about the partnership: “The Vodafone Warriors generate tremendous interest wherever you go in New Zealand. It’s a powerful brand and we’re looking forward to bringing supporters even closer to their team and working with the club to enhance the overall fan experience.

“Like the Vodafone Warriors, we have a nationwide presence with our dealer network of 50 locations throughout the country,” he said.

LCV | 55

Brought to you by Beaut Utes, quality accessories for all popular utes.

Owner: MTE Hamilton Vehicle: 2017 Holden Colorado Z71 Opinion: We won the Colorado through Isuzu. Bryan is the boss’s brother, so we kept it in the family. We have Rangers, too, everything’s user friendly. I’d like to have the adaptive cruise the new models get. We’ve had Nissans, and they’re a small ute, but not the cheapest - not the dearest though. Most of our Rangers are 2WD, and we even have a single cab.

Owner: Matt Scoble Vehicle: 2017 Ford Ranger Wildtrak Opinion: We have Rangers for the company and our staff uses the XLTs, with Wildtraks for the managers. I’ve done over 20,000km and love it. It does everything, it’s comfortable, has heaps of power and plenty of storage and even practical little things like the chilled glovebox.

Toyota Hiace, number one again in 2018, with two months of sales still to go.

Owner: Ten4/Paul Christie Owner: Andrew Hazelhurst Vehicle: 2014 Ford Ranger Vehicle: 2018 Isuzu D-Max LS 4x4 Opinion: We don’t have any brand loyalty, and have a few different Opinion: Quite like the models in the fleet. We have four Rangers, new models and old Isuzu’s and it’s a 2018 LS models. We were getting them wrapped but we’ve stopped doing 4x4. Love it, there’s just that. They’re value more to add on it yet. for money, and we’ve never had a problem with them; they look New Merc Sprinter Automatic gearbox has helped the good, and they’re arrived in October, with a new front-drive platform, and new tech inside.

And in right-hand drive, of course…

Transit shift gears in 2018. See that quality.

WINNER

clever wordplay there?! Genius.

Words: Mike Stock

AUTO SHIFTS INTO SECOND FOR TRANSIT As sales positions settle for final run, products from Ford, Owner: Jono Gabrielle Owner: new Lawrence Fisher Vehicle: 2018 Isuzu D-Max LX Vehicle: Ford Ranger Opinion: Heaps of extras added!LDV try to minimise Opinion: goes anywhere!

It’s a PX with iDRIVE, a tune, bras and and the Itgap to the runaway Hiace.

Mercedes of course a camper trailer.

S

ALES OF FORD’S TRANSIT VAN UNDERLINE THE importance of having an automatic gearbox option on the New Zealand market.

Kiwi van buyers, no matter what vehicle they’re choosing, gravitate to an automatic rather than a manual gearbox. It’s an understandable choice for drivers in the major cities where a manual gearbox can be a real pain in stop/start rush-hour traffic.

In New Zealand, the lack of an automatic gearbox option hampered Transit sales over the years. Though an automatic option became available in 2017, supply restraints didn’t see it available here in numbers until early this year.

Owner: Justin King In recent years, the multi-model Transit range – including versions of Vehicle: 2018 Holden Colorado Z71 theOpinion: mid-sized vans – battled sale-for-sale GotCustom a remapand fromthe thelarge guys Cargo up at Hampton Downs and it’s much better after the tune, with so much grunt towing, far with Hyundai’s iLoad.

But with the auto freely available in both variants more torque down around mid-2018, the Transit broke well clear of the iLoad and settled low and even a little economy; intobetter a solid second place. went from roughly To October 31 8.5l/100km to this year, Ford sold 957 Transits to Hyundai’s 621 7.7l/100km. Great iLoads, with the duo taking the minor podium places. The Transit’s 10 weekend whip as month well! total compared with 930 sales during the whole of 2017, putting it on track for a 23 percent increase and total sales around 1150 units.

So that means it’s clearly no threat to Hiace over the final two months, the Toyota already firmly on the top step of the dais with 1716 van sales at the end of October, and on track to pass 2000 – and around double

56 | LCV

the market share of its nearest competitor.

Chinese brand, LDV, filled fourth and fifth places, with the front-wheel drive V80 achieving 414 sales, and the smaller rear-drive G10 managing 366 units by the end of October. The electric-powered version of the V80, the EV80, also found 14 buyers in the first 10 months of 2018.

Big European vans do reasonably well in New Zealand – by contrast their mid-sized stablemates generally struggle against the Hiace, iLoad and V80.

Mercedes-Benz’s big Sprinter found 285 buyers between January and October, and fellow German brand Volkswagen retailed 211 of its similarly-sized all-new Crafter.

Owner: Gavin Wood Mercedes’ impressive but pricey Vito mid-sizer managed only 52 Vehicle: 2014 Toyota Hilux sales, but VW’s mid-size Opinion: Awesome ute. van, the T6 Transporter, is a star in its segment.

VW sold 340 to October 31, compared to the 235 sold by the end of October 2017. That showing maintained its sixth place on the 2018 sales ladder, ahead of Sprinter and Crafter.

VW’s small van, the Caddy which sells in short- and longwheelbase versions, slotted into ninth place and easily outdistanced its car-based city van rivals, the Renault Kangoo (27 sales) and Peugeot Partner (21).

Completing the top 10 was the Italian Iveco Daily whose truck DNA gives it strong appeal in the heavy-duty large van segment of the market. Iveco sold 112 in the first 10 months.

Show us your ute, plus 50 words of likes & dislikes about it, and you could win a $100 voucher from Beaut Utes. Post to facebook.com/NZLCVmag.

56 | LCV

INTAKE SNORKELS FENDER FLARES WEATHER SHIELDS BONNET GUARDS LIFT KITS HEAD & TAIL LIGHT COVERS TYRES - MUD & ALL TERRAIN FLOORLINERS & CARGOLINERS HITCH STEP

FORD RANGER | HOLDEN COLORADO | ISUZU D-MAX | MAZDA BT-50 | MITSUBISHI TRITON | NISSAN NAVARA | TOYOTA HILUX + MANY MORE!

ORDER YOURS ONLINE AT STAPARTS.CO.NZ Segedin Truck & Auto Parts Ltd (STA Parts) 53 Andrew Baxter Drive, Airport Oaks, Auckland Call Us: (09) 256 1120 | Email: parts@staparts.co.nz

LE B A L I A V OW A N 0 8 V T FACELIF

WORKING HARDER FOR YOU. V80.

THE FACELIFT V80 CARGO VAN IS HERE. LDV V80 NOW HAS ALL THE MOD CONS. When you think about how far the world has advanced in terms of technology, the V80 has not been left behind. Centre of attention is the massive touch screen entertainment system, complete with Apple CarPlay and Android - Interconnected; meaning you can navigate, make calls, send and receive messages, and listen to music, taking your smartphone into the driver’s seat. Bluetooth keeps you connected and two USB ports keep you powered, your work-day has just become a lot easier.

V80 now has driver assist technology such as Blind Spot Monitor (BIGGER and BIGGEST only) and Lane Departure Warning (BIGGER and BIGGEST only). Added eyes provided by the reversing camera and rear parking sensors (BIG, BIGGER and BIGGEST). You can feel confident driving the V80 knowing it is packed with safety assurance features.

V80 is better than ever and ready to go to work for you. For a demonstration of all the great new features in the LDV V80 Facelift, contact your nearest LDV dealer or contact Warren Willmot on 021 949 218.

Please phone Warren Willmot, National Van Geek on 021 949 218 or email warren@ldv.co.nz

All- new Exterior Styling Colour coded bumbers and door handles New alloy wheel styling 10in Touch Screen Entertainment System (BIG, BIGGER and BIGGEST)

Reverse Camera (BIG, BIGGER and BIGGEST)

Apple Carplay (BIG, BIGGER and BIGGEST only)

Blind Spot Monitoring (BIGGER and BIGGEST only)

Lane Change Assist (BIGGER and BIGGEST only)

Multi-Function Steering Wheel

WORKING HARDER EVERY DAY 0800 LDV VANS | ldv.co.nz