Updated Outlander, new Forester for Fieldays
/Mystery Creek brings out new dirt road products.
LATEST versions of two all-wheel-drive sports utilities popular with Kiwis will have debut showings at the country’s biggest rural show, held near Hamilton next month, and both land with neighbourly assistance.
The new Subaru Forester (top) and the updated Mitsubishi Outlander (immediately above) are the only new vehicles two far signalled as being set to debut at the national Fieldays held annually at Mystery Creek.
On-sale availability for both has yet to be shared, but in case of the gen six Forester, Subaru NZ said today it will have a launch date to share before the end of this month.
Visual changes to the Mitsubishi are mild - there’s a new front grille insert, fresh 20-inch alloy wheel design, clear lenses for the LED tail-lights, and a new Moonstone Grey hero paint finish.
Also included are improvements inside the cabin - there’s a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen from the related Nissan X-Trail that introduces wireless Android Auto alongside the existing CarPlay function - and a suspension retune, dictated by feedback from owners in Australia.
Plug-in hybrid versions benefit from a larger 22.7kWh battery pack, which promises to boost electric driving range closer to 100 kilometres, while the ICE editions continue on without revision.
The Forester is all-new and the example secured is availing thanks to assistance from across the Tasman.
Subaru NZ’s display car is pre-production example borrowed from Australia - and has to be returned once it’s been examined by visitors to the June 11-14 event.
Don’t ask for a test drive; it’s not road-registered.
However Auckland-based Subaru NZ says the car will give fans a good insight into the local specification that will avail when the NZ market Forester releases, on a date the distributor says will be shared later this month.
“While not a road-registered vehicle, it closely reflects the specification planned for the New Zealand market and is being used exclusively for promotional purposes,” explained Kym Mellow, general manager of Inchcape NZ, the distributor for Subaru of New Zealand.
“This display vehicle is on loan from Subaru Australia and will be returned after its role in our local launch activities is complete.”
Subaru hasn’t previously been at Fieldays and arrives in a year when a big brand that has worked the show hard in previous years, Hyundai, seems set to take a break.
The massive marquee that Hyundai has used in past events has been advertised for sale.
The new Forester will debut a fresh hybrid system, different to the one in the outgoing model in that it isn’t a wholly in-house effort but instead used components from Toyota, which has shareholding in Subaru.
Mellow believes Fieldays is a good fit for his make, given that all but one product Subaru sells here has all-wheel-drive, which he says is beneficial for “the kind of back roads many Fieldays visitors travel every day.”
Another attraction of Subaru’s site is a racing simulator, lending experience of Taupo Motorsport Park. The fastest sim participant will earn a WRX track experience at the venue.
Subaru will also host representatives of Street Smart, a circuit-based driver education programme it supports.
If Outlander’s NZ specifications run in sympathy with Australia’s, then expect ventilated front seats, a new Brick Brown tone for the leather on high-grade models, a digital rear-view mirror and new Yamaha sound systems. The centre console has been given a fresh, with repositioned cupholders to unlock more space under the armrest.
Fieldays’ were once a huge benefit to ute buy-in - June was, until a few years ago, the top month for tray deck registrations. That period has passed, but Mitsubishi Motors NZ i still keen to hook any remnant interest by showing off limited edition versions of the Triton, in GSR and GLX Sport formats.
It has 100 of the first and 300 of the latter; both with special features and exclusive accessories.
The GLX Sport stands out from the regular GLX in featuring 18-inch black alloy wheels, a black sports bar, leather steering wheel and leather gear shift. The GSR has 20-inch black alloys, all-terrain Nexen tyres, a front nudge bar, sailplane sports bar and electric roll top.