What’s New

Kiwi ROX

Stunning work utes are starting to come out of Australian body shops and now it’s New Zealand’s turn, with the Kiwis unveiling two dynamic upgrades from Retro Vehicle Enhancement (RVE). The first is a Holden Colorado that sprung from Holden NZ’s marketing team and was then passed to RVE. Now wearing Colorado ROX badges, the ute has 35inch Blackbear mud terrain tyres arced by custom-made monster flares. It also has a 150mm suspension and body lift, Rock Sliders with removable drop steps, a carbon-fibre bulging bonnet, and hand-crafted bespoke front and rear steel bumpers. The ROX also has a rear deck cargo system and 500mm tray extender, extended roof bar with retractable lights and a roof basket. Inside is front and rear RVE leather-covered sports seats. The ute retains the standard Colorado’s 3.5-tonne towing capability. RVE is an Auckland-based operation that has been going for more than 50 years as a designer of aftermarket vehicle products. For the Colorado, it used suppliers from the US, Poland and Taiwan with some of the more challenging components made by RVE’s CAD engineering.

The second ute massaged by RVE is a Mercedes-Benz X-Class X350d that received the company’s EXY EXTREME package. The build was done by RVE on the design of Pickup Designs that also worked in conjunction with Mercedes-Benz NZ and Christchurch NZ dealer Armstrong Prestige. It has a body kit with new bumpers and wheel arches, diffuser and headlight and tail light frames that are finished in a black structural protective paint. The suspension is raised with a 100mm body kit and a 300mm suspension lift and 18-inch wheels with Black Bear mudterrain tyres. The exterior also has a tonneau bar and side steps. Inside is a Nappa leather and Alcantara upholstery. RVE will make 250 of the EXY EXTREME utes that will be sold in other markets, including Mercedes-Benz’s home market of Germany. This ute also gets the TUV certification that allows it to be sold in new-car dealerships. Pickup Designs’ EXY EXTREME is one of three designs available, with the EXY PRIME and EXY OFFROAD also applicable to the X Class. These are marketed through RVE International in Australia and NZ.

For further information, contact RVE's WA Agent:

Phone 08 9279 5466 Email sales@tleng.com.au

Colorado Up-specs

Holden has introduced a new Colorado series headed by the LSX that transforms from a limited edition model to a permanent line-up of the ute range into 2020. The LSX is Holden’s new entry-level ute primarily aimed at work, but because of its budget price and no-frills features, will appeal equally to the leisure market. The LSX is joined for the MY20 model range with changes to the flagship Z71 version that now adds fender flares and a bash plate as standard features, along with a new ‘soft drop’ tailgate. The mid-range LTZ 4WD is also upgraded, adding leather-trim seats with the front ones now heated. A new fleet customer focused, tow bar equipped LTZ+ variant is also available with its payload re-rated to just under 1000kg. That means it is now accessible to customers seeking to acquire a Colorado via novated leasing. Both Colorado Z71 and LTZ also gain a premium DuraGuard spray on tub-liner as standard equipment. This liner was developed for its extra convenience and utility for customers. Holden’s general manager of LCV marketing, Andre Scott, said more than 60 per cent of Z71 and LTZ customers fitted tub liners. “So we took the initiative to factory fit a premium product that delivers a quality fit, and a more functional and better-looking solution for our customers,” he said. “The new DuraGuard tub-liner surface minimises cargo slipping and sliding around in the rear, and it’s a seriously tough and durable liner that produces fewer warranty claims according to US experience on large pick-ups.” “The addition of the DuraGuard tub-liner means that MY20 Z71 and LTZ Colorado are the only pick-ups that retail for under $70,000 to feature this premium technology as standard equipment.” Holden has also introduced an accessory pack for Colorado owners designed to simplify any customisation. This resulted in accessory packs known as Tradie, Farmer, Black, Rig and the range topping Xtreme. “These enable Colorado to connect effectively with potentially a much larger customer base,” said Mr Scott. As an example, the Tradie pack includes a towing package, side and rear steps, a roof tray, 12V auxiliary power, floor mats, canvas seat covers, weather shields, bonnet protector and cup holders.

Mahindra No Tractor

Indian vehicle and tractor-maker Mahindra has updated its seven-seat XUV500 SUV that gets a new seven-slot grille, chrome highlights, a larger chrome surround, a light-strip of daytime running lights and fog lights with a redesigned front bumper. There is also a new tail gate and tail lights and a new rear bumper. The 2019 upgrade includes a tweaked mHawk 2.2-litre turbo-petrol engine with a fifth-generation turbocharger for 103kW/320Nm. It is mated to an Aisin six-speed automatic transmission and allwheel drive is an option. The suspension - designed in partnership with Lotus - has also been revised for greater comfort and improved handling. The suspension upgrade and additional noise damping is claimed to dramatically reduce the noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) inside the cabin. The XUV500 is available in two models - W6 and W10 - that both come standard with alloy wheels, cruise control with a multifunctional steering wheel, Arkamys audio system, a conversation mirror (deleted on the W10 with sunroof), reach adjustment to the steering wheel, rain-sensing wipers and automatic headlights, puddle lamps and fully automatic temperature control. In addition, the W6-grade features premium cloth upholstery. On the W6 models and above, Mahindra has also added hill hold and hill-descent control and electronic stability program with rollover mitigation. The W10 model is also equipped with a 7-inch full-colour infotainment system with voice commands and turn-by-turn sat-nav system. The brand, which also owns SsangYong, has a five-year warranty with a four-year capped-price service program.

Mahindra opens its range with the W6 version priced at $26,990 drive away. The W10 AWD is $34,990. The sole WA dealer is Bunbury Mahindra.

Light it up with Narva

Automotive lighting specialist Narva has released new LED lights for vehicle and caravan interiors. There’s a range of types on offer, including pendant lamps for reading, interior downlights, courtesy lamps and ceiling lights. Pendant lights are available in either warm white (3200°K) or cool white (6000°K) colour temperatures and have a built-in touch-sensitive switch with a blue night light and a dimming function. All metal parts are chrome, fittings have concealed mounts and styles include glass and frosted-glass reflectors. The new range of downlights have a compact profile design and are easy to install with mounting screws concealed behind decorative trims. Some versions have integrated switches with on/dim/ off and a blue night light, while others are turned on by a traditional wall-mounted switch. These lamps have either warm white (3200°K) or cool white (6000°K) colour temperatures. Narva’s courtesy lamps are suitable for surface mounting and have an even, non-directional light output. Features include a built-in, touch-sensitive switch with blue night switch and dimmable output and the choice of warm white and cool white colour temperatures. There’s also LED ceiling lights including circular, square and rectangular shapes with some models also equipped with integrated touch switches with blue night light and dimming functions. These are 12V or 10-30V multi-voltage options, have very low current draw and come with a five-year warranty. Narva has also launched a seven-pin flat trailer socket that has a built-in heavyduty battery connector. It is designed for camping, caravanning or boating enthusiasts who regularly tow vehicles requiring battery maintenance to the trailer or caravan, to power on-board equipment. The 7-pin trailer plug delivers power to operate the standard stop, tail, reverse and licence plate lights, while also providing a built-in, heavy-duty battery connector that delivers up to 50 amps of power to the battery to charge, maintain or power equipment such as fridges.

Seltos Small SUV

Yet another small SUV is on the horizon with Kia planning the launch of its Seltos in October. It shares its platform with sister company Hyundai’s Kona and along with the Kona, goes into showroom battle with the Mitsubishi ASX and Nissan Qashqai. The Seltos is built in India and Korea (we get the Korean build) and arrives with a 110kW 2.0-litre petrol four mated to a CVT automatic for the front-wheel drive version, and the more enthusiastic 130kW 1.6-litre turbo-petrol and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission with all-wheel drive. Though sharing the Kona platform, the Seltos is 150mm longer (at 4315mm), the same 1800mm width, is 70mm higher (1620mm) and has a 10mm longer wheelbase at 2610mm. It has a 190mm ground clearance, up 20mm on the Kona’s 170mm. Depending on the grade, there are three alloy-wheel choices - 16-inch, 17-inch and 18-inch - with 205/60R16, 215/55R17 or 235/45R18 tyres. Kia said the Seltos would have suspension tuning designed and tested in Australia for local conditions and drive demands. Cabin features, depending on the version, include a large 10.25-inch central touchscreen that can be customised to display up to three applications simultaneously, Bose eight-speaker audio, sound-mood lighting that pulses with the music coming through the audio, and UVO Connect telematics system for live traffic and news and a link to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Prices and specifications will be announced closer to the Seltos’ launch in October. It is likely to follow the Kona pricing which now ranges from $25,500 to $39,000.