New Zealand Company Vehicle June/July 2009

· Cover Story         New Mazda 3 · Briefings · Dealer News · New Models · Executive · Workhorses · Road Reports · Tracking & Navigation · Service & Repairs · New Products · New Prices

Crunch time for the Holden Commodore

At the April press launch of the all-new Mazda3, Mazda New Zealand managing director Andrew Clearwater said that there couldn’t be a better time for the arrival of this new model.

The HSV Clubsport R8 Tourer finds itself in a niche market segment, the nearest competitor in terms of size and pricing would be Chrysler’s 300C SRT 6.1 litre V8 Hemi Touring. HSV say that they will only produce 120 R8 Tourers this year.

After enjoying the wild child European sourced 1.8 litre Yaris RS hatch earlier this year the Japanese sourced 1.5 litre Yaris hatch is a little more circumspect in behaviour and performance. It’s ideally suited to the fleet as an office pool car or urban runabout.

The Toyota Hilux has been around since 1968, and I remember seeing some of these as a young man, small utes with 1.5-litre engines, and absolutely totalitarian in terms of comfort features.

A  face lifted version of the Škoda Octavia which was first presented at last year’s Paris Motor Show has now gone on sale in New Zealand.

Right car for the times
While New Zealand Ford buyers have only had access to the Fiesta range since 2003, Ford of Europe introduced the nameplate in 1976 after the first oil shock of the 1970s, when the market was demanding a small yet attractive economical car with low fuel costs.
Thirty Three years on in the midst of another volatile energy market, consumers are once again demanding such a vehicle, and the all-new Fiesta is the first car produced under the "One Ford" global development strategy put in place by CEO Alan Mullaly.

The heat is on in middle management user-chooser land to downsize from the usual six-cylinder Falco-dores, but the fifty thousand dollar question is what do you get to enjoy power, performance and economy?

The answer is a turbocharged four-cylinder powerhouse. Enter stage left the HSV Astra VXR (Red Baron) and the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart (Black Ninja).

There’s much to like about the top of the line Mondeo XR5 Turbo, especially for drivers who like changing gear.

In keeping with its European performance heritage, the XR5 turbo is only available with a six-speed manual gearbox (there is no automatic option with this engine), and if you think the five cylinder engine sounds like a Volvo unit, you’d be right again.