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Ford Territory Ghia by Bob Nettleton

Ford recently face lifted its popular 4WD Territory - not that it really needed one because it is still one of the sharper looking SUV's on our market.

Toyota Aurion Sportivo sedan by Bob Nettleton

Appearances can be deceiving especially in the car business, where there are plenty of models that look racy numbers - but deliver pedestrian handling and performance

Peugeot 308CC by Bob Nettleton

Open top motoring has got whole lot easier these days, thanks to a combination of smart technology and the creative minds of those in the car industry.

Hyundai Santa Fe R Series diesel by Bob Nettleton

Hyundai has built an engine that shows the Europeans no longer have sole bragging rights when it comes to producing great diesels.

Toyota Avensis Wagon by Bob Nettleton

The Avensis Wagon is one of the forgotten names in the Toyota New Zealand stable � so can a new European designed, engineered and built model raise its profile and sales stats?

Holden Commodore Omega wagon by Bob Nettleton

Holden has gone global in a bid to protect its big car champ the Commodore from the rapidly rising popularity of small cars.

Citroen C4 turbo by Bob Nettleton

The car business is many things and one of them is fickle and it is this fickleness that can condemn good cars to the sales wilderness for no apparent reason

Volkswagen Polo hatch by Bob Nettleton

It is easy to dismiss the new Volkswagen Polo as simply a shrink wrapped version of its awarding winning big brother the Mark 6 Golf.

Alfa Romeo MiTo by Bob Nettleton

Alfa Romeo has created with its new MiTo a car that offers the best and worst attributes of Italian cars and showcases these in a diminutive and quirky looking three door hatchback.

Hyundai i30 wagon by Bob Nettleton

The top selling Hyundai i30 hatch is an even more tempting proposition when morphed into a versatile and good looking wagon.

Peugeot 407 turbo diesel sedan by Bob Nettleton

When it was launched in 2005 the bold styling of the Peugeot 407 generated plenty of compliments and the odd brick bat

Kia Rio diesel - a mixed bag by Bob Nettleton

The last of our year long series on the Kia Rio Diesel

Kia Soul Burner by Bob Nettleton

Every so often cars come along that are unashamed attention seekers dedicated to chasing the limelight, with the Kia Soul one of the first Korean models to fit this genre

Holden Cruze by Bob Nettleton

Holden has moved into Cruze control in a desperate bid to change its patchy four-cylinder past, a past littered with small car failures including the Gemini, Camira, Chevette and Viva.

Peugeot Partner Van by Bob Nettleton

To create its Partner van Peugeot has grafted a van body to what looks suspiciously like the front end of its 308 hatch, in a bit of automotive surgery that they hope will prove a commercial success

VW Golf twin supercharged and turbo diesel by Bob Nettleton

It has been evolution, not a revolution over the last 35 years that has made the Volkswagen Golf one of the world's most popular cars

Toyota Yaris RS Hatch

Toyota has finally produced a performance version, albeit a limited edition one, of their economical Yaris hatchback.

Kia Rio diesel - Shock Revelations - Long Term Car Test (6)

This is the sixth in our series from Bob Nettleton of the 2009 long-term car test on the Kia Rio Diesel

Holden Colorado turbo diesel double cab Ute

One of the oldest names in our 4WD Ute market the Rodeo has been saddled with a new name.

Suzuki Jimny Sierra

The cheap and cheeky Suzuki Jimny is a small 4WD with a big reputation for its "Go anywhere" off-road abilities

Skoda Superb turbo diesel sedan

Any car maker bold enough to name one their models Superb is bound to find itself under much closer scrutiny than most.

Honda Odyssey

The Honda Odyssey has been one of the most influential Japanese people movers for nearly 15 years but how much longer can it hold than mantle?

Toyota Hilux 4WD Ute

There are few longer running automotive love affairs than the one we have with the Toyota Hilux Ute.

Kia Rio diesel - a model of reliability - Long Term Car Test (5)

There is a lot to be said for the virtues of reliability and dependability, especially where cars are concerned, because without these attributes motor vehicles can make your motoring life a misery.

Volvo XC60 turbo diesel

You could easily dismiss the new Volvo XC60 recreational 4WD as a shrink wrapped imitation of its larger sibling theXC90, but it’s a much better vehicle than that.

Honda Jazz

Honda's Jazz has been rocking the small hatch world with a winning combination of space, versatility and fuel economy that has seen it waltz its way to best seller status around the world

Holden VE Commodore wagon

Function has always won easily over style, where large Australian wagon design was concerned, with several generations of ugly Aussie wagons testimony to that, with many of them still plying our roads.

Toyota RAV4 Petrol and turbo diesel

A sure fire hit with recreational 4WD buyers here for more than a decade, the Toyota RAV4 should get even more sales traction, even in these sticky economic times, with the addition of a turbo diesel version.

Lexus IS250 Elect Sedan

If there is a better looking compact premium luxury Japanese sedan on the market at the moment than the Lexus IS250 sedan, then it has not passed my peepers.

Kia Rio turbo diesel sedan long term road test � what you see is what you get

This is the forth in our series from Bob Nettleton of the 2009 long-term car test on the Kia Rio Diesel.

Audi TT S3

One of the coolest looking Audi’s ever the TT Coupe now has a super hot engine that delivers scorching performance.

Ford Focus

For the best part of a decade the Ford Focus has been the ride and handling star on the world small car stage.

Jeep Cherokee turbo diesel

Enjoying 4WD icon status is not always a ticket to instant success in our fiercely competitive 4WD market as Jeep has discovered.

Kia Rio turbo diesel sedan long term road test

This is the third in our series from Bob Nettleton of the 2009 long-term car test on the Kia Rio Diesel

Nissan X Trail turbo diesel

While the Nissan X-Trail is light on the X-Factor its appeal has been boosted with the arrival of a turbo diesel version.

Toyota Corolla turbo diesel hatch

Toyota has belatedly added a couple of diesels into its top selling Corolla stable, but do not expect sales of this new arrival to break into a gallop.

Euro Accord sedan and Tourer

When a new band bursts on to the music scene with a massive hit song, there is huge pressure for them to produce a follow up song that is equally as brilliant.

In for the long haul -Blenheim to Bluff via Rio

This is the second in our series from Bob Nettleton of the 2009 long-term car test on the Kia Rio Diesel

Volkswagen Tiguan

Volkswagen expected their newest and smallest recreational 4WD the Tiguan to be a winner and it has more than delivered on that expectation.

Peugeot 308

Peugeot has replaced its 307 with the yes you guessed it - the 308.

Honda Accord V6

The recently replaced Honda Accord V6 never scaled the popularity heights of its more attractive and agile four-cylinder Euro Accord sibling, so will its successor do any better?

Hyundai H1 Van

Vans are to the automotive world what the Clydesdale is to the equine world - solid uncomplicated workhorses.

Holden Astra turbo diesel wagon

A regular on the late arrivals platform at Holden in recent years has been the Astra wagon.

Fiat 500

The small car, big star tag is one that sits perfectly with the new Fiat 500.

Kia Picanto

Kia's smallest car the Picanto has played a huge hand in getting this Korean car maker accepted in the notoriously tough European and UK car markets

New Mazda 6

Replacing a super successful model is one of the most daunting challenges a car maker can face, ask Mazda who have just produced a successor to its incredibly popular first generation Mazda 6.

Volvo C30 hatch

Volvo has hatched something funky and fashionable called the C30 whose mission is to attract younger buyers into the Volvo camp.

Hyundai i30 hatch

One model that really shows the huge engineering, design and quality improvements in Hyundai cars over the last three years is the i30.

Toyota Highlander

There is a new Highlander at clan Toyota that is tough and dependable but lacks the individuality of an authentic Highlander.

Volvo C30 hatch

Volvo has hatched something funky and fashionable called the C30 whose mission is to attract younger buyers into the Volvo camp.

New Ford Mondeo

With fuel prices heading into the stratosphere at the speed of a laser beam, six cylinder models like the Falcon could become an endangered species, but Ford may have a saviour in its new Mondeo should the Falcon fall off its sales perch.

Holden VE Commodore Ute

Holden six cylinder and V8 Ute's have been part of our automotive landscape for sixty years, but you have to wonder for how much longer in the current environment of never ending fuel price hikes.

Holden Astra

Even though a car may have the measure of its rivals in the way it rides, drives and handles, it does not necessarily guarantee success in our tough new car market as the Holden Astra has discovered.

Landrover Defender

In the brutally competitive car industry the life of expectancy of most vehicles before they are replaced by a new improved version, is usually only five years.

Skoda Roomster turbo diesel

Every so often a car comes along that is so clever it can frighten buyers off especially in a conservative new car market like ours.

Dodge Avenger

Staging a successful comeback in the motor industry is incredibly challenging, especially when you have like Dodge been off the New Zealand passenger car scene for nearly 40 years.

Lexus IS250 Sedan

The latest IS250 sedan is easily the sharpest looking model Lexus has produced since it burst onto the luxury car scene 18 years ago.

Suzuki SX4

Up until recently Suzuki was very much a minnow in our new car fishbowl, but with new car buyers falling hook line and sinker for its current model range that has changed.

Holden Epica CDXi sedan

While Holden may be king of the six-cylinder kingdom with its all conquering Commodore, finding winners in the four cylinder world has almost been “Mission impossible” for the company.

Toyota Previa

With its modest 2.4 litre engine the Toyota Previa does not fire too many performance shots, unlike its V6 sibling that comes armed with some serious performance fire power.

Land Rover Freelander 2 turbo diesel

When a new Land Rover is launched the automotive world tends to stand to attention a little more, because it involves a great British company who does not launch new models that often.

Kia Magentis turbo diesel sedan

There has never been a time when purchasing a modern diesel car made so much sense, yet lots of buyers in this country are still reluctant to take the diesel car plunge.

Ford Ranger v Holden Rodeo turbo diesel double cab Ute

Two of the most evenly matched rivals among the current crop of double cab 4WD turbo diesel Ute's are the Holden Rodeo and Ford Ranger.

Dodge Caliber turbo diesel hatch

Some times carmakers opt for style over substance and that is what Dodge seemed to have done with their Caliber hatch.

Honda CRV v Mazda CX7

While Mazda has introduced some styling dash and panache to the urban recreational 4WD market with its stylish CX7, Honda has come up a bit short in that direction with its third generation CRV.

VW Golf Hatch TSi

The pint sized 1.4-litre twin super charged motor used in the VW Golf TSI seriously challenges the notion that big is best as far as engine capacity is concerned.

Volvo XC90 V8

One of the biggest gripes about Volvos’ XC90 is that it needed some genuine under bonnet muscle to be taken seriously in the highly competitive premium SUV market.

Toyota Land Cruiser Prado

Toyota 4WD''s are hot property in this country and one of the hottest is the Land Cruiser Prado.

Nissan Primera hatch and wagon

The updated version of the Nissan Primera demonstrates what a strange and complex car world we live in.

Nissan Micra RX hatch

Individuality and flair is no guarantee of success in our brutally competitive mini hatch market as the Nissan Micra has discovered.

Mitsubishi i Car

These days there are i Pods, i Tunes and i Mac’s, so why not throw an i Car into the mix.

FPV Force 6 and 8

Some people are closet Aussie muscle car fans; they like the sledge hammer power but are much less passionate about the extrovert looks that go with these models.

Daihatsu Terios

The first generation Daihatsu Terios was a bit of a “lets pretend” 4WD a vehicle that appealed to those who liked the idea of 4WD and their styling but did not want or need the genuine article.

Toyota Camry

Sensible cars sell and sell in serious numbers when they are as sensible as the Toyota Camry sedan.

Range Rover V8 turbo diesel

Jaguar, Land Rover and Aston Martin are about all that remain of any note from the once proud British car making industry.

Hyundai Getz and Accent turbo diesels

There is an old saying “that too many cooks spoil the broth” and I get the impression Hyundai may have done that by adding the Accent to their mini car model mix.

Alfa Romeo 159 turbo diesel sedan (1/8/2007)

With its stunning looks, the Alfa Romeo 159 sedan is the sort of shapely number that might revive Alfa Romeo’s dwindling profile in this part of the world.

Subaru Legacy GT-B and Outback wagons

New Zealanders love station wagons, even though their popularity is declining on many overseas markets and one wagon many kiwis love with a passion is the Subaru Legacy.

BF Ford Fairmont Ghia

The golden years can be difficult for a car as the current Ford Falcon is discovering.

Dodge Caliber

Being different and I mean seriously different is the formula Dodge is adopting to a stage a comeback on the New Zealand passenger car market it deserted 40-years ago.

Fiat Grande Punto turbo diesel

In the race for new car market share in this country, Fiat has been a long time member of the wooden spooners club.

Lexus GS450 Hybrid

Anyone with nagging doubts about how good hybrid engine technology is will soon have such thoughts extinguished by driving the Lexus GS450 Hybrid sedan.

Toyota Yaris sedan by Bob Nettleton

If anyone conjures up an award for the ugliest looking car sold here in recent times then the Toyota Echo sedan would be a very strong contender.

Skoda Octavia vRS

Strange as it may seem, producing cars that are better than most is still no guarantee of sales success in this country, as Skoda has found out.

Ford Escape

For seven years, the Escape has been one a stalwart of Ford’s recreational 4WD range but the inescapable fact that its looking a tad and tired and jaded amidst a sea of fresh faced rivals.

Hyundai Santa Fe

In second-generation form, the Hyundai Santa Fe recreational 4WD delivers the sophistication, style and all round class that was lacking in its enigmatic predecessor.

Kia Picanto

The mini sized Picanto has finally found its way to our shores, its arrival delayed by heavy demand in other markets. In Europe, it is a sales star racking up nearly 120,000 sales last year just the sort of numbers to silence some of the critics. The last two years have boomers for Kia in this country and it now ranks as one of the fastest growing car brands.

VW Passat and Jetta turbo diesel sedans

While you cannot pass them off as identical twins there are remarkable similarities between the Volkswagen Passat and Jetta sedans.

Nissan Tiida

The Tiida is a product of the Nissans-Renault marriage a few years ago with this cars appearance definitely throwing to the French side of the marital equation. Visually it looks like a narrow-bodied version of the Renault Megane, one of the more attractive hatches in the small car class. With its narrower girth, the Tiida lacks the well-proportioned lines of the wider Megane.

Nissan Maxima

Nissan hopes a smart new CVT automatic gearbox will allow its Maxima to stay on the pace in the large six-cylinder market, a pace that is about to get much more frenetic with the arrival of several new models.

Mazda 6

Extracting a further top two inches out of a proven champion is a challenge Mazda has had to rise to with its popular Mazda 6 range, when its appointment with the mid model life make over artists rolled around a few months ago.

Toyota Yaris

With soaring petrol prices sending the car buying pendulum swinging strongly in favour of smaller more fuel efficient cars, Toyota have timed the arrival of its new mini hatch the Yaris to perfection.

Hyundai Grandeur

On just its second attempt, Hyundai has produced a large luxury sedan worth taking seriously, in stark contrast to its first effort which a bit of a joke.

Lexus GS Sedan

There is a sophisticated and handsome looking new Lexus on the luxury car block, that is primed and ready to give its European rivals a run for their money.

Peugeot 407 turbo diesel wagon

With the power of a six and the fuel economy of a four-cylinder engine, Peugeot�s two-litre turbo diesel wagon should prosper in this new age of terrifying fuel prices.

Toyota Caldina

When your car buying heart says performance but your head says practicality, you can have both rolled into the one package with Toyota's Caldina GT-T turbo wagon.

Ford Focus

Trying to replace one class act with another was a challenge facing Ford when they had to find a successor to their phenomenally successful first generation Focus.

Peugeot 206 GTi and Sport Hatches

This is a tale of a couple of Peugeot 206 hatches that claim to be sporty, one is the real deal the other a real pretender.

Kia Rio Hatch

Kia's current marketing slogan is "The power to surprise", but a few years ago its slogan could have easily have been the "Power to under whelm", which was the affect its range of cheap but uninspiring had on our market.

Honda Civic Sedan

For the last 25 year's hatchbacks have ruled the small car roost in this country, but the perch this model has occupied for so long is set for a serious shake from the new Honda Civic sedan.

Subaru Legacy Wagon

Subaru's Legacy has been hitting the right spot with wagon buyers in this country for nearly 15 years with its full time 4WD technology a big factor in its success.

Hyundai Getz

It may be smallest member of the Hyundai New Zealand family, but the Getz played a huge role in turning around the company's fortunes in this country.

Honda Jazz Sport hatch

The mini sized Honda Jazz is now rocking along harder and faster than ever before thanks to the arrival of a punchy 1.5-litre Sport version

Ford C-Max

The Ford Focus may be a relatively smaller player in our market, but during a recent visit to the UK, I discovered they are all over the roads like a rash in that part of the world

Hyundai Sonata

If just a few of the bold sales predictions Hyundai have for its new Sonata actually happen, then the company will have a highly successful car on its hands in this country

Subaru Forester XS

Not every new recreational 4WD sold here is destined for stardom with many simply working away steadily to build a solid and loyal customer base.

BMW 5-Series diesel sedan

In the last decade, BMW has played a huge role in cementing the place of the diesel as not only an acceptable, but highly sort after engine at the top end of the luxury car market.

Toyota bB Hatch

Weird, wacky bizarre and quirky are all words that could reasonably describe the slightly mad looking Toyota bB.

Ford Courier 4 x 4 double cab V6

King for just one day is how it has panned out for Ford�s V6 double cab Courier that enjoyed a fleeting reign as the most potent petrol powered Japanese ute on our market.

Nissan Pathfinder

Nissan's Pathfinder badge is back and attached to an all new model that should give the company some real sales traction in our competitive recreational off roader market.

Daihatsu Sirion Hatch

More people than ever are considering ditching their larger car for a smaller one, as soaring fuel prices burn up more of their hard earned cash than every before.

Toyota Hiace turbo diesel

Considering its taken Toyota 15 years to update the Hi Ace, its replacement launched earlier this year is more of a treading water effort than a quantum leap forward in Japanese van design.

Ford Fiesta Hatchback

More than 10 million Fiesta�s have been sold in the UK and Europe since it made its debut in the late 1970�s, now some 25 years later it has finally hit our shores.