Bay Driver - 22 February 2019 by Sun Media

Friday 22 February 2019

Brought to you by

Little green monster Suzuki Jimny

See page 4

Page 2

Friday 22 February 2019

Friday 22 February 2019 Richard Scott 027 499 9668 Darren Smith 021 346 700 Peter Findlay 021 355 580

For over 45 years we’ve been making it easier for New Zealanders to get the things they need. We offer personal and business lending including pre-approval so you know exactly how much you have to work with.

07 577 6604 54 First Avenue firstavenue@mtf.co.nz

mtf.co.nz/firstavenue Terms, conditions and lending criteria apply.

Weekend Sun Friday 22 FebruaryThe 2019

Bay Driver

Weekend Wheels March 8-10: Speed Works Motorsport NZ Championship, Hampton Downs Motor Sport Park

The summer season comes to a close this weekend for many New Zealand motorsport championships, and that means the biggest winners of the year will be crowned at Hampton Downs. There’s something for everyone this weekend in a mammoth two days of racing action, with V8s, turbos, rotaries, VTECs and even VWs on show. Modern machines, icons of the past and brutal prototypes all line up for this Speed Works Motorsport NZ Championship ﬁnals weekend. Practice day is March 8 from 9am-5pm, and race days are March 9-10, from 9am-5pm on each day. Tickets cost $46 for the three days or $28.12 for a single day if purchased online (both including booking fees). Tickets will be available on the gate for both Saturday and Sunday at $50 per person, per day. For more information and to buy tickets, visit: www.eventﬁnda.co.nz and search ‘Speed Works Motorsport NZ Championship’.

March 27-31: Whangamata Beach Hop

It’s the event of the year - the biggest classic, custom and hot rod car show in New Zealand with the best nostalgia fair and the greatest rock ‘n roll bands and dancers for miles around. There will be a beach party, parade, bands and a classic car fair and auction, followed by a nostalgia fair. For more information, visit: www.beachhop.co.nz

April 6-7: 2019 NZSBK Championship: Round 5, Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park

The 2019 NZSBK Championship will be some of the best all-action, high-octane entertainment you’ll catch all summer. Don’t miss the chance to see New Zealand’s top motorcycle racers battle it out on the track, with a few visiting international racers in the mix this year. NZSBK extends to ﬁve rounds for the 2019 season, with two in the South Island in January, three in the North Island during March-April and all at New Zealand’s premier track facilities. A weekend pass costs $28.62 for adults (including booking fees). An adult pass for Saturday costs $10.25, and an adult pass for Sunday costs $23 (both including booking fees). Children under-16 can attend free of charge. For more information, and to buy tickets, visit: www.eventﬁnda.co.nz and search ‘NZSBK Championship: Round 5’.

If you have a vehicle or motorsport listing, please email details to: ofﬁce@thesun.co.nz at least two weeks prior to the event.

The Weekend Sun

Bay Driver Friday 22 February 2019

TMC USED CARS.

Friday 22 February 2019

With over 30 used cars in stock, we will have what you are looking for!

2012 Nissan Tiida NZ NEW ……. $11,990 Only 58km, airbags, chain driven engine

2015 Kia Rio hatch ……………. $15,990 Alloys, cruise, cheap to run, two in stock

2013 Mazda 3 SP20 hatch……. $19,990 Limited ed. model, leather, cruise ctrl

2012 Nissan Dualis SUV…………. $20,990 Only 27km! Very tidy, rear camera, fogs

2012 Kia Sportage LX……………...$21,990 Top selling SUV, only 46km, spacious and economical. We have four in stock.

2010 Nissan Qashqai NZ NEW…$19,990 2 litre petrol, only 49km, cruise ctrl, well specified and looks sharp in Silver

2014 Holden Trax SUV……………$20,990 1.8, camera, leather, bluetooth, cruise ctrl, rear camera, alloys, fog lights, tints

2010 Kia Sorento R EX 7 seater…$27,990 4WD, 2.2 turbo diesel, great tow and family wagon, alloys, sensors, cruise ctrl

2014 Isuzu MUX 7 seater SUV…$43,990 Leather, side runners, alloys, bonnet guard, tinted windows, 3 tonne towing

2014 Isuzu D-Max d/cab ………… $34,990 2014 Isuzu D-Max LX 4WD………..$35,990 2017 Isuzu D-Max LS …………….. $46,790 Auto, canopy, towbar, alloys, 3tn towing Another tough 4WD D-Max, manual, Decked out with 20” alloys, black nudge side runners, bluetooth, only 73km nudge bar, tray liner, towbar bar, door visors, tints, tray liner, towbar

Friday 22 February 2019

Page 3

Page 4

Friday 22 February 2019

Weekend Sun Friday 22 FebruaryThe 2019

Bay Driver

The horse is finally obsolete

You might be forgiven for not knowing that there’s such a thing as a Suzuki Jimny. But this is about to change, and probably quite dramatically. Suzuki’s understated workhorse has been reinvented, and their baby SUV has been relaunched as Scrappy Doo. No, it’s not named after Scooby’s nephew, but it resembles him in more ways than one. The all new Jimny is still a small SUV, but it comes out swinging - ready to ﬁght anything that wants to take it on. You half expect it to pull up next to those ridiculous sized utes, cock its wheel and tinkle on its tyre. On the surface, the new Jimny looks like a cute baby SUV and not much more than a shopping cart. Look again. Underneath the new ruggedized surface lays an incredibly capable four-wheel-drive. With a genuine, bona ﬁde four-wheel-drive system called ALLGRIP PRO, the Suzuki Jimny can be changed from two-wheel-drive for normal driving, full on four-wheel-drive for mild off-roading, and even low ratio four-wheel-drive for climbing cliffs.

SPECS ierra

ny S m i J i k u z u S rra

Jimny Sie Model: trol 1.5-litre pe tic e: in g n E eed automa sp ru o F n: Transmissio ORC $27,500 + : m o fr d ce Pri

The Jimny even comes with hill hold, hill descent control, shift interlock and electronic brake force distribution. That’s just a whole lot of words to say one thing – awesome. The Jimny probably belongs more on the farm than it does the high street, but with the new styling and what is actually a really comfortable cruiser, you’ll probably see a lot more farmers venturing in to town. But it’s not simply a farm hack. The Jimny comes with all mod cons, and I’m not just talking about the cruise control, speed limiter and other toys you expect from modern cars. There’s also Sat Nav and Bluetooth hands-free. Not enough? How about a full touch screen system, MP3, Apple Carplay, Android Auto and USB connection, air conditioning and climate control, lane departure warning and even weaving alert? It’s all in there. The Jimny Sierra range comes in four variations. Mostly, everything is shared across the range, with the only significant differences being manual or automatic transmissions and a two-tone colour scheme. The Jimny is powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine, churning out 75kW and 130Nm of torque. It’s very well suited to the size of the vehicle, so you won’t be left wanting. It is built on a rigid ladder frame, known for strength and zero flex in off-road conditions, and coupled with all round three-link coil spring suspension with rigid axels – the hallmarks of a real 4x4. It’s a small package, at just 3.5m long and 1.65m wide, however tall drivers will have no issue getting behind the wheel. There’s also room in the back to carry everything for a hiking, camping, fishing or skiing trip, all at the same time. In regular town driving, the Suzuki Jimny is an incredibly fun car to drive. You feel very connected to the car, and it does what it’s told and behaves like a grown up most of the time. It has a cheeky, childish side to it though, as it whips around and pulls faces at spectators. Although I didn’t get to test the Jimny off-road, I did test all the functions in some harsh suburban surroundings. Shifting to four-wheel-drive, you can feel something has changed

immediately. It’s hard to describe - a feeling of certainty, sure-footedness and dependability. Change it up again, to low ratio four-wheeldrive, and the Jimny feels like it could go anywhere. There’s a certain whine that comes from low ratio systems that just screams “ready for anything”. Inside, the Jimny has also been given a dose of tough love. Everything is made to look and feel rugged, with big bolt heads protruding and bold, rounded lines all over the place. There’s a lot of cool in here. The touch screen is easy to navigate, simple to understand and is pretty much set and forget. Even with all this ruggedness, the seats are soft and comfortable, and the steering wheel is graced with a lovely soft leather. There’s a lot of different readings to choose on the dash too, so you know exactly how your Jimny is performing. Suzuki, you’ve done yourselves proud with this one. You’ve managed to retain and greatly improve the workhorse, and have totally nailed making it look stylish, rugged and incredibly cool all in one package. For serious fun in a serious off-roader, you’ll drive away without feeling like you’ve been hung upside down by the schoolyard bully and ﬂeeced of all your money. The all new Jimny starts at just $25,990 for the manual variant. If you want the two-tone colour scheme which comes with a different colour roof, just add $500. The automatics are a little more, starting at $27,500 or $28,000 for the two tone model. Our acid-green monster is the two-tone automatic, and is currently sitting on the forecourt of Tauranga Motor Company Jay Burston waiting for you to go and play. Do it, go play.