Thanks but no thanks for the hybrid

OPINION: These vehicles are helping clean up New Zealand’s emissions act – but bureaucracy won’t recognise them. Why?

Toyota has led the way with hybrid systems … and has reaped reward as result.

PITY the poor petrol-electric hybrid. You know – the vehicle that is electrified but doesn’t need to be plugged-in to be charged. Yeah that’s the one – the vehicle that’s currently selling like the proverbial hot cakes in New Zealand.

So why pity the hybrid? Its because as a vehicle type, it’s stuck in a sort of environmental no-man’s land.

On one hand, the Government refuses to recognise them. Its Ministry of Transport says hybrids cannot be considered electric vehicles because their batteries cannot be charged from an external electric source. So hybrids are not included in Government statistics on the size of this country’s EV fleet.

But on the other hand, the motor industry does recognise them. The Motor Industry Association says the Government view is too narrow and ignores technologies which are achieving fuel consumption the equivalent or better than plug-in hybrids.

That includes hydrogen by the way, because vehicles carrying that new technology can’t be plugged-in either, despite the fact the so-called ‘green’ hydrogen is 100 per cent emissions-free.

But through all of this, the hybrid itself probably doesn’t care. That’s because it is selling in far greater numbers than EVs. Last month, for example, 1045 hybrids were registered new in New Zealand.

As an aside, within that statistic there’s another statistic that dramatically underlines the current popularity of hybrids. Of those 1045 registrations, 641 of them were Toyota RAV4 hybrids – which represented 80.5 per cent of all RAV4s registered last month.

RAV4 hybrid has become a strong seller in 2020.

The overall story of Toyota hybrids is impressive. In 2017 the brand sold 1337 of them, this increased to 5159 last year, and to July this year there have been 3627 sold. And the hybrid sales growth will surely continue next year following the recent launch of the new Yaris hybrid, and scheduled future launches of hybrid versions of the Highlander SUV and possibly even Hilux ute.

Not only that, but we’ve also now got Suzuki in the game with the new Swift hybrid, and Subaru with the e-Boxer models.    

Meanwhile, while hybrid sales are going great guns, EV sales aren’t. Last month a measly 90 EV and 69 PHEV vehicle were registered new, and 317 registered used. All this goes to show that despite the Government’s push to encourage kiwi motorists to buy EVs, the change isn’t happening anywhere near as quickly as anticipated.

Back in 2016 the Government introduced its Electric Vehicles Programme, which among other things exempted owners of EVs from paying Road User Charges until the end of 2021 or until EVs made up 2 per cent of the national vehicle fleet, whichever came first.

The aim was to have at least 64,000 EVs on our roads by the end of next year. It’s now obvious that’s not going to happen – as of July this year the national EV fleet size (both those purchased new and imported used from Japan) was 21,568 vehicles, which represented about 0.5 per cent of the total national light vehicle fleet which has just moved past 4 million.

Prius introduced New Zealand to petrol-electric drivetrains and thousands roam our roads. But consumer tastes have moved on.

It’s a pity, because it is a given that action must be taken to protect New Zealand’s climate by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The light vehicles we drive are a vital part of this action, as transport accounts for nearly 20 per cent of all this country’s CO2 emissions – and light vehicles account for 70 per cent of that.

But the reality is that at this stage EVs are simply too expensive to buy, and range anxiety remains a big issue, particularly in regional New Zealand. And remember, while they are impressively inexpensive to run now, from December next year EVs will be hit with RUCs of $76 per 1000 km, which will add an average of close to $900 to their annual operating costs.

So what’s a motorist with an environmental conscience to do? The obvious economical answer is to buy hybrid until the market has finally reached the stage where full EVs are fully affordable, with better range on a single charge, and there is a comprehensive nation-wide charging network properly up and running.

That way, the motorists concerned can at least make some contribution to reducing the nation’s exhaust emissions. That’s because while hybrids still run on the dreaded fossil fuel (aka petrol), they are generally far more economical than standard petrol models – for example, whereas a 2.5-litre all-wheel drive petrol-engined RAV4 has average exhaust emissions of 156g/km, the hybrid version’s emissions are 112 g/km.

Adding to this scenario is the matter of what the Government – whichever one it is in the wake of the September election – is going to do next.

Subaru and Suzuki both joined the hybrid club this year. Will that effort pay off?

Last year the current Government proposed its Clean Car Initiative which contains some very good ideas. It envisages a Clean Car Standard (a fuel efficiency standard) and a Clean Car Discount (a feebate scheme that would apply a rebate or penalty depending on exhaust emissions), all to financially discourage motorists away from gas guzzlers and towards smaller, more fuel efficient cars – and in particular, EVs.

Trouble is, a few weeks ago Government coalition partner New Zealand First put a stop to that plan, and the Greens responded by promising they would make the feebate proposal an election issue. The re-emergence of Covid-19 has prevented this from happening yet, but it is most likely it will happen.

Meanwhile, we have the transport and environmental bureaucrats desperately hoping kiwi motorists will join the EV cause. Truth be told, many would love to – but a lack of financial incentive other than not having to pay RUCs for a further 16 months, presents as a major barrier to this happening.

Let’s hope then that the incoming Government is quick off the mark in introducing fresh incentive, preferably the proposed Clean Car Initiative. Meanwhile, there are tens of thousands of motorists throughout New Zealand who are doing their environmental bit by opting for vehicles with obvious clean credentials but which the bureaucrats won’t officially recognise: hybrids.

TNZ boasts market-beating emissions counts

The market leader and its luxury offshoot are cleaning up among car brands when it comes to CO2 emissions.

RAV4 hybrid has been a huge success for TNZ

COMBINED average fleet emissions from Toyota and Lexus product sold here are already below the national standing and should fall even more in coming months. 

This contention comes from the brands in a spruik relating how its hybrid models are achieving increasing popularity, in part driven by enhanced fleet interest.

Toyota and Lexus say their combined carbon dioxide emissions profile year to date stands at an average of 167.5 grams per kilometre. The industry average across all manufacturers is sitting at 175.9g/km year to date, the makes claim.

 Toyota New Zealand says introduction this month of the new Yaris in its hybrid state will further reduce Toyota’s fleet emissions profile. The car is claimed to deliver fuel efficiency of 3.3 litres per 100km and emissions of just 76g/km in optimal test conditions.

The Palmerston North-based market leader says it is selling, on average, 15 hybrid models a day.

It also states that it has gone from selling 1337 hybrids in 2017 to 5159 in 2019 and is on track to increase further in 2020, with 3627 petrol-electric cars sold by the end of July.

Neeraj Lala, chief executive officer for Toyota and Lexus here, says parent Toyota Motor Compnay in Japan is on a mission to reduce greenhouse gases.

Neeraj Lala is pleased with his brands’ increasing petrol-electric presence.

“It’s satisfying to report that the high number of hybrids sold is helping Toyota achieve two objectives – reducing our overall emissions as a brand and helping us support the New Zealand Government’s target to reduce gross carbon emissions by 30 percent by 2030.”

“CO2 reductions are a journey for Toyota and our customers,” he says. 

“This is why hybrids help us achieve reductions as we transition to alternatives when supply, infrastructure, and demand is ready.

“The customer transition has been more evident as the new generation of hybrid have the capability to outperform traditional petrol alternatives.” 

One particular hybrid hit has been the RAV4, with demand outstripping supply. Forty-nine percent of the 8313 examples sold since the model released in March 2019 have been with the hybrid drivetrain and interest has grown this year to the point where those types accounted for 81 percent of RAV sales in July. That translates to 2141 units.

TNZ cited an example of one customer, beverage supplier Frucor Suntory, being so convinced by hybrid technology it is transferring its entire Australasian fleet to the battery-electric RAVs.

The Griffin’s Food Company has also adopted a Toyota hybrid fleet for its vehicle eligible employees while Silver Fern Farms has a fleet of 39 Toyota RAV4 Hybrids. 

Lala says that while the extra technology required for a hybrid vehicle makes the car more expensive to build, but Toyota has intentionally kept the price differential between a petrol and hybrid versions of vehicles minimal.

“We deliberately keep the price difference down as we genuinely want people to access our fantastic hybrid options,” says Lala.

“We have seen through customer demand for hybrids that our pricing strategy has paid off.”

Yaris hybrid is expected to be influential for the remainder of the year.

Sky’s the limit for innovative powertrain

As NZ introduction nears, it’s timely to remind what a breakthrough this tech potentially represents.

Mazda is now hinting the SkyActiv-X tech won’t restrict to the 2.0-litre engine likely to provision to NZ drivers soon.

“IT is a combustion technology – and that combustion can work on any size of engine, so it doesn’t need to be a 2.0-litre; it can be in other things…”

As New Zealand ramps up to receive our first Mazda vehicles with the brand’s SkyActiv-X engine technology, this comment from the marque’s marketing director in Australia is a good reminder about the full potential of the world’s first production-ready petrol that uses compression ignition.

For now, two models off a common platform have adopted what Hiroshima formally calls it’s SPCCI – for spark plug controlled compression ignition – tech: The Mazda3 and the CX-30 crossover.

Those cars run together in every market where SkyActiv-X places; including in Australia, though there the introductions are staged. The road car first, from this month, and the CX-30 following in September.

Will that double act also provision in New Zealand? All odds favour that outcome, but the local distributor isn’t yet ready to make an announcement. Media have been notified of a conference dedicated to SkyActiv discussion will occur in four weeks’ time.

Anyway, when Mazda Australia staged its press introduction to the cars last week, marketing head Alistair Doak made a good point by reminding that simply because SPCCI – and the mild hybrid involvement it also delivers (more on this in a bit) dubbed Mazda M Hybrid - only packages for now in a 2.0-litre four cylinder form doesn’t mean it cannot reach into other displacements or cylinder counts in the future.

compact crossovers and SUVs are on a sales roll, so a SkyActiv-X provision in the well-received CX-30 is a logical enhancement.

Doak provided the comment that introduces this story as a response to being asked whether the new 2.0-litre four-cylinder could power a vehicle as large as the Mazda CX-9, as an example.

He went on to suggest hinted that Mazda might choose to upscale SkyActiv-X to an engine of larger displacement. But equally true, he suggested, there was no reason the maker couldn’t develop a smaller engine employing the same process.

Which means? Sorry, Doak – doubtless because he is a former motoring writer – was too canny to fall into letting out any secrets in respect to future rollouts.

However, he hinted that the option likely won’t remain the preserve of flagship models in the Mazda3 and CX-30 ranges for long.

Currently, he said, there were no plans to expand SkyActiv-X in other models, “but it’s certainly available to us in Mazda3 and CX-30. It’s available in Europe in those models, across all grades… or most grades…

“So there is that availability… should the desire from customers be there. But ultimately, it’s up to us, from a marketing and brand point of view to tell the story, and explain what SkyActiv is,” he explained. 

“If people like that story, and are curious, then hopefully they’ll come and test-drive, and hopefully they’ll buy.

“If the demand is there, then absolutely, we’ll meet that demand. But we haven’t started yet, so it’s very much a hypothetical at this point.”

SkyActiv-X is certainly a new chapter, in that it marks the start of Mazda’s corporate goal to reduce ‘well-to-wheel’ emissions by 50 percent from 2010 to 2030.

It has been in production since last August, and was first revealed to the world in 2018, so you might wonder why it has taken so long to get here.

reduced emissions are a strong plus point with SPCCI.

Coronavirus likely hasn’t been much help but even before that global calamity Mazda had determined to focus first on servicing western Europe, for simple reason that countries there encourage low CO2 engines. The Mazda3 hits that button, if not quite as effectively as a hybrid, with a claimed emission of 127 grams per kilometre. 

Sure enough, the make has seen a brisk take-up of the technology in those initial target markets, to the point where the acceptance rate has been much higher than it anticipated.

"Since we launched the engine, we are seeing a very encouraging feedback: 60 percent of the orders for the Mazda3 are currently for cars equipped with the Skyactiv-X engine, as well as 45 percent of orders for the Mazda CX-30 crossover," Mazda Europe CEO Yasuhiro Aoyama said last August. That rate has not decreased since then and the demand has stretched Mazda’s capabilities.

Still, it seems to have now found ability to service our part of the world. Our neighbour reckons it can achieve good supply of the Mazda3, which it takes in manual and automatic formats, and the CX-30, which it will achieve purely in auto. NZ might be even more selective and take just the auto.

SPCCI’s potential to deliver will be eagerly monitored. For one, everyone will be keen to establish the value aspect; a focus that becomes important because this is a premium priced engine, more expensive than the ‘regular’ four cylinders that provision in the two models in 2.0-litre and 2.5-litre formats.

In our neighbour’s case the SkyActiv-X models cost $NZ3300 more than the priciest 2.5s. It’s expected Mazda NZ will do as other markets have and package the powertrain into its plushest trim level, which in this market is called Takami. That’ll be a new fit out for the CX-30, where the current trim line tops with a Limited provision.

As said, SkyActiv-X uses compression ignition typical of a diesel, but with a petrol engine which the brand says helps blend the high-revving character of a petrol engine with the fuel efficiency and torque of an oiler. 

Capable of both spark ignition and compression ignition, the engine can utilise the two types of combustion while operating in tandem.

To further maximise fuel efficiency, the engine features an integrated, belt-driven starter generator and 24-volt lithium-ion battery which assists the engine and recoups lost energy during deceleration. 

The addition qualifies this to be considered the first hybrid offering in Mazda’s local line-up. Next year, of course, it seems set to deliver its first electric car, with the MX-30.

As explained in previous stories, the attraction of SkyActiv-X is that it presents an intriguing ‘cake and eat it’ proposal – decent pep and yet also potential to deliver very good parsimony.

European numbers show the new 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine will generate 132kW and 224Nm of torque, while fuel economy of 4.3 litres per 100km from the manual is getting close to Toyota Prius levels of efficiency. Be aware that this figure is the result of Mazda using the NEDC testing regime, a format that has now been largely shelved on grounds it’s results are difficult to achieve in everyday driving. Using the now preferred 'real world' (WLTP) fuel economy formula, the claimed consumption is 5.4L/100km.

Still, that thrift and the power outputs place it above the existing 114kW/200Nm 2.0-litre unit and, while the 2.5-litre engine has more punch, with 139kW/252Nm, it also achieves it by using more fuel, 6.6 litres per 100km in an automatic Mazda3 on the test cycle.

Get ready for GMSV … and Corvette

It’s all over for HSV … but, don’t worry, there’s a good reason.

 CONFIRMATION today that Holden Special Vehicles is going, GM Speciality Vehicles is taking over within a couple of months and from now on the push is with American Chevrolets, pick-ups and a certain two-seater sports car … to start with.

Nothing about the above will surprise: Talk about a re-emergence as GMSV traces back to comment aired during the General Motor’s announcement on February 17 about Holden heading for the grave.

The one twist in today’s announcement from the remnants of the soon-to-go Holden operation is that the guy who has developed GMSV for New Zealand and Australia won’t be holding the reins when this new enterprise springs into operation.

Peter Keley, a General Motors and Holden ‘lifer’ who in rising up through the ranks of the Lion Brand served a popular term from 2005 to 2008 as managing director of Holden New Zealand, has elected to leave the brand at the end of October.

The amiable and energetic Australian will work with Joanne Stogiannis, announced today as Director – GM Speciality Vehicles, to establish the GMSV dealer network in Australia and New Zealand in the lead-up to his departure.

She’s been Holden’s dealer development manager, with more than a decade of experience working with the lion brand.

GMSV establishes alongside GM’s existing business units in the region, Holden Aftersales and Isuzu New Zealand.  It is scheduled to commence operations in the fourth quarter of this year.

Full clarification on what this means for those dealers currently flying the HSV flag in is yet to be spelled out. Currently, HSV has 56 dealers in Australia and eight in New Zealand, all but two in the North Island. Does GMSV need that many outlets?

There’s also no word about what this means for any employees of HSV in New Zealand.

When this writer last spoke to Andrew Lamb, the specialist make’s New Zealand regional manager, it was on April 28.

 His comment was sought then on talk then that has also come to prove true now – that central to the future programme is a deal between GM and Walkinshaw Group, the powerhouse behind HSV, which dates back to 1988. 

As was speculated then is confirmed now. GMSV be a joint venture between Walkinshaw Group and GM and its task initially will be to continue exactly what HSV has been doing now; take North American-built, left-hand-drive GM product and convert it to right-hand drive in Melbourne.

Specifically, that’s just the Silverado. HSV ceased remanufacturing of the Camaro into right-hand drive in April. There’s no plan to restart this. 

Speculation about GMSV and what it meant for HSV rose at an interesting time for Kiwis as it was when dealers here were finally told that the Silverado 1500 pickup was coming here.

GMSV comment today is that this model will be core to ongoing operations, though the larger 2500 will also be expected to pull its weight.

However, it’s clear that if any one vehicle will pull punters in for tyre-kicking, it’s the world’s first factory right-hand-drive Corvette, whose availability in 2021 has been signalled. No more news than that, however.

And then? Well, there’s already conjecture GMSV will want to add in more metal to fill in some gaps. So, conceivably, the Chevrolet Tahoe and some Cadillac variants might also show.

Thar set to invade Jimny’s wicket

Jeepers, does this look familiar? Kiwis will get to evaluate the new Mahindra Thar, just revealed in home market India.

“IT’S not only a vehicle – it’s a beast.”

If that soundbite from the promotional video featured here today comes across as fighting talk … well, it’s intentional.

Rhetoric in tune with somewhat, erm, ‘familiar’ styling for the Mahindra Thar reminds this is a maker hellbent on being noticed. Potentially at any cost. Including, perhaps, in legal fees? Who can say. 

Kiwis won’t have to wait long before they get to judge this model’s ‘jeep-ness’ for themselves.

Mahindra’s New Zealand distributor has confirmed intent to add the Thar to their lineup, the push beginning – coronavirus lockdowns notwithstanding – with an example displaying at the Big Boys Toys show in Auckland in mid-November, a preamble to it releasing for sale … well, some time after that.

The exact launch timing is not the only matter to be sorted. Price and specifications for our market are still being worked through as well, a spokesman says.

However, the primary target has been identified and, for all its Wrangler-esqueness (not a word but, hey, it works), Mahindra assuredly isn’t hunting Jeeps.

Instead has sights on another off-road hero, one firmly stuck in the budget end of the mud-flinging sector – the $25,990 Suzuki Jimny. Whether that’s the measuring stick for the higher-end AX model or entry LX is unclear.

Exactly how closely will this second-generation shape up against the country’s favourite small SUV?

Go Thar and you’re getting a machine that’s also in dual-range part-time four-wheel-drive but is a bit bigger and around 540kg heavier, though it also offers a longer wheelbase, a roomier cabin (with four or six seat layouts depending on trim) and comes with a diesel engine, an option Suzuki doesn’t have. With the Mahindra, too, there’s a mechanical locking rear diff, front swaybar disconnect and larger fuel tank. It also provisions in soft top or hard top formats.

Some of these features represent as upgrades over the old one. Thar arranges with two engines in India, both four-cylinders and both new.

Thar sits on a ladder-frame chassis, has front-axle disconnect, differential on both ends via brakes, and a mechanical rear locking differential. The off-roading angles are a 41.8 degree approach, 36.8 degree departure and 27 degree breakover.

When equipped with 18-inch wheels and 225/65 tyres as an option to the entry 245/75 R16 set the ground clearance is 226mm and 650mm wading depth.

The Jimny has a 37 degree approach, 28 degree rampover and 49 degree departure angle, ground clearance of 210mm and wading depth of 300mm. Kerb masses are 1650kg versus 1090kg, Thar’s GVM has to be announced.

Thar’s revision brings a fresh grille, LED round headlamps and driving lights, new fog lamps and new taillights. Seat coverings are cloth or vinyl and it has a height-adjustable driver’s seat, 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, driver’s display with LCD display, multi-function steering wheel with controls for voice, audio and cruise functions, and roof-mounted speakers.

Tyre direction monitoring, electronic stability, hill hold assist, and hill descent control are features. India-market models have only dual airbags and basic electronic safety aids, but it’s expected export vehicles will achieve more safety inclusions.

Thar LX (above) is a four seater while AX seats six.

D heading for A-plus?

The D-Max utility’s release in Australia points to exciting news for Kiwi buyers of this model – and its impending Mazda sister ship.

BOUGHT a Ford Ranger or Toyota Hilux in the past few years purely on strength of these being considered well-kitted for driver assists and safety equipment? 

If so, then perhaps the replacements for those models should be two rigs that until now have been overshadowed on those ingredients.

Impression that this model and the Mazda BT-50 that derives from it are set to deliver enough advanced safety and technology to reset market expectations has been cemented by how the D-Max has just presented in Australia.

While Isuzu and Mazda in New Zealand have yet to set release dates for the new-gen one-tonners in this market – beyond saying it’ll be before year-end -  and even though the BT-50 has also yet to touch down in Australia, the D-Max’s specification for Australia, its first export market, have been fully laid out.

That act - which includes the video here today, made because the Australian media were introduced by way of a virtual launch, because of coronavirus - lends accurate insight in what’s coming here, given that the NZ market representatives of both makes have never made any secret that we can expect basically identical provisions that are being delivered across the Tasman.

If so, then ute market leader, Ford, and consistent runner-up Toyota are going have to become used to now treating the Isuzu and Mazda products more seriously as direct equals than they might have done previously. 

Isuzu essentially shocked the Australian industry in announcing every single model in the 2021 D-max range – including the basic tradie versions – will come with an advanced safety package, including class-first advances of perimeter sensing technology and a centre airbag.

It’s highly likely everything that goes into the Isuzu will transfer to the Mazda, given those model lines are already so closely aligned in every other major mechanical and design aspect.

As is, all D-Max models announced for our neighbour – and that’s four variants, from base SX to a new flagship X-Terrain fitted with plenty of flash kit - come with the new Intelligent Driver Assistance System (IDAS) with a unique twin-camera system used by independent partner Hitachi. Enabling 3D effect, the cameras substitute the usual radar sensors which mount lower in the vehicle and can be easily fouled by mud, dirt and accessories.

Yes, it might well come at a cost. The new flagship D-Max X-Terrain Crew Cab is $A58,990 ($64,648 in our money), so some $A7000 ($7676) more than its current range-topping D-Max LS-T.

However, this provision also means that what has until now been a stalwart work ute has become an especially advanced offering.

The full capabilities of the safety system include Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), AEB with turn assist, forward collision warning, post-collision warning, mis-acceleration mitigation and adaptive cruise control (but only on automatics), lane departure warning and prevention, lane keep assist (also not for manual), traffic sign recognition, speed limited, blind-spot monitoring, auto high beams, rear cross-traffic alert and driver attention assist.

This big step up in safety tech is supported by the ute having also gone new in its design: A new look, fresh – though still, of course, old-school ladder frame - chassis and an all-new engine and improved drivetrain are also likely to be appreciated. 

Three D-Max cabin types are offered to our neighbour - Single Cab, Space Cab and Crew Cab – and aside from X-Terrain there are SX, LS-M and LS-U variants. 

D-Max’s renowned robustness is still a core ingredient, Isuzu assure; it says the development programme included more than four million kilometres of “vigorous” testing to ensure it has improved in every area of ride and handling and performance yet retained that acknowledged toughness.

Though it maintains the 3.0-litre capacity associated with the current D-Max, the ‘4JJ3-TCX’ turbo diesel engine is new. It produces 140kW at 3600rpm 450Nm of torque at 1600-2600rpm, an increase of 10kW and 30Nm over the old motor.

Isuzu speaks to a quieter, more refined performance with noticeable real-world driveability improvements. Just as importantly, in the legislative world, it now complies with Euro 5 emissions regs. Be prepared for a slight change of pace in respect to fuel burn. In some variants it sits at 7.7 litres per 100km

But others are up to 8.1L.

Transmission choices are a six-speed manual or auto, the latter being a new Aisin Rev-Tronic unit with sports mode and manual shifting.

A body that has grown wider (with a 30mm longer wheelbase) provides more cabin space, yet the shape is more aerodynamically efficient. The interior fitout has been covered previously, but one turnup is that the multimedia system (seven-inch screen at base, nine-inch for the luxury provision) is capable of wireless Apple CarPlay connectivity – a first for a ute in this market. Android users need a USB cable to use the Auto service. 

The larger touchscreen has built-in sat nav and interior appointments have also been given the upmarket treatment with new finishes and soft-touch surfaces.

The flagship has electrically operated leather-accented seats, piano black trim, remote engine start, dark grey alloy wheels, aero sports bar, roller tonneau cover and tub liner.

Ride and handling have improved, with new independent double-wishbone front and the same three-leaf spring setup in the rear but with 30mm of axle travel and tuned to light or heavy load work depending on the grade of model.

It also delivers upgrade to off-road ability, with all 4×4 models now offering an electromechanical rear differential lock, improved ‘Terrain Command’ that can shift from low to high range within one second on the move at up to 100kmh.

The D-Max has an 800mm wading depth. Aussie’s LS-U and X-Terrain also have a higher 240mm ground clearance with 30.5 degrees approach, 24.2 degrees departure and 22.8 degrees ramp-over. All four-by-two and four-by-four also offer hill start assist and hill descent control as standard.

For touring and working, the payload goes up to 1320kg in the SX cab chassis, and towing capacity is 3500kg braked with a 350kg tow ball limit. GCM is 5950kg and GVM goes up to 3100kg.

Oh yeah, we need to talk about the accessories – no ute being complete without a few add-ons, right?

The Aus market is taking more than 50 accessories -  bullbars, tow bars, electronic brake systems, roof racks, cargo organisers, alloy trays and tonneau covers, as well as toolboxes and oddments. 

Take note that the Isuzu factory nudge or alloy/steel bullbars will work with the IDAS system.

Towers will be able to select a tow pack with tow ball kit rated to 350kg and meeting expectations of the 3500kg braked towing capacity, and a Redarc electric braking system. There’s also a weight-distribution hitch on the list.

And what will all that tech do for the crash test rating? Conceivably, it should go well. Isuzu itself is said to be highly confident D-Max will score a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating. However, that’s yet to be proven. crash testing has been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

S4 Avant and M3 Touring add spice to school run

High-performance wagons are rare now, but two German brands are keeping the faith.

SO you think performance wagons are being pummelled into extinction by high-powered sports utilities?

Audi and BMW beg to differ. Two brands that admittedly, have produced plenty of big hoofed huge horsepower SUVs and crossovers in the past decade are nonetheless still showing commitment to the purer format of a proper high-practicality family performance car by announcing new additions. 

One is here now – that that’s the S4 Avant, the silver medal earner on the Audi A4 wagon performance podium behind the full-out RS4 (which has also just been updated) – and the other will be along in a couple of years.

That second offer sounds exciting because it’s a car BMW has always been theoretically able to make for years, but never has: A M3 Touring.

Munich announced this week that this derivative, set to sit along the M3 sedan  and M4 coupe, will soon begin testing and development at its plant near Garching, Munich, and on the Nurburgring Nordschleife, before launch in 2022.

There are no details yet, save the obvious connection use of the S58 turbocharged straight-six petrol M engine, which produces 352kW and 600Nm in the sister models.

BMW New Zealand, which choses to speak to NZ media via a publics relation company in Auckland (that generally has to relay everything through BMW Australia, home to the overall regional office, for approval) has not directly communicated thought about it coming on sale here.

However, the odds of it doing so seem very high, as, BMW Australia has given the nod, telling one outlet there: “We plan to introduce the M3 Touring and will advise arrival timing closer to the launch date.”

Just the shadowy image has been released, though spy photographer assert having seen what they believe to be heavily disguised mules in testing.

Meantime, Audi NZ has begun delivery of the S4 Avant, which costs $122,500 plus on roads.

This model runs a 260kW/500Nm 3.0-litre V6 TSFI engine via an eight-speed Tiptronic automatic gearbox and is, of course, all-wheel-drive. Audi claims 0-100kmh in 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 250kmh. Sports suspension is standard here.

Matrix LED technology with fully automatic high beam and a Bang & Olufsen premium sound system are among gloat-worthy standard features for NZ.  Driver assist systems include adaptive cruise assist, active lane assist and park assist and there are Tour, City and Park packages.

Owners can use a myAudi app on their smartphone to connect with the car, with a key option allowing remote lock and unlock and engine start. It also allows up to 14 myAudi users to store their preferred settings in individual profiles.

The wagon format brings luggage capacity of 495 litres, expanding to 1495 with the rear seats folded down. The tailgate and luggage compartment cover are electrically operated, of course.

Lexus NZ to join pure battery power play

The first EV from Lexus is coming to NZ. But does a core question remain unanswered?

CONFIRMATION the UX 300e, the first EV production vehicle from Lexus, will come to New Zealand leaves uncertainty about whether parent Toyota also has a battery car heading this way as well.

Toyota New Zealand, of which Lexus New Zealand is an operational aspect, is declining to offer elaboration.

This comes after Neeraj Lala, chief executive of both, confirmed the 300e will be sold here. He would not say when that will happen and no other details have been forthcoming.

Lexus has cited China as a primary market for the model, hence why they chose to stage the international reveal at last year’s Guangzhou motor show. And while it also cited Europe and Japan as other recipient markets, it has never been clear about what other countries might be in line. Until now, of course.

With Lexus in the EV-sphere, where does that leave Toyota? It and Lexus have said they plan to release three EVs by the end of 2021. Also, in past discussions with media, but specifically during a media conference on August 3, Lala said the main brand will have its first EV on sale in NZ in 2021. The broader gameplan involving, as well as the single EV, a PHEV and more mild hybrids, was outlined on August 6 (https://www.motoringnz.com/news/2020/8/6/extra-electric-involved-product-for-tnz).  

So is that the Lexus – bearing in mind that TNZ is always adamant, in the face of the obvious ownership situation and occasional engineering and technology cross-pollinations, that Lexus and Toyota are separate entities – or is it another car?

That question has been put directly to Lala today. However, the response, via TNZ’s communications channel, is no comment.

And so to the UX 300e. Built on Toyota’s GA-C platform, it runs a front-mounted motor that produces 269kW and 300Nm of torque. Energy comes from a 54.3kWh underfloor lithium ion battery offering a claimed range of around 315km on the official WLTP testing regime. It's capable of 0-100kmh in 7.5 seconds and has a top speed of 160kmh.

The model is capable of DC replenishment and rapid-charging from zero to 80 percent takes 52 minutes. It features a number of driving modes so that the performance of the motor can be better managed, along with paddles to alter the strength of the regenerative braking.

Lexus says the drivetrain has been developed with a focus on on-road performance and the goal of offering a quiet and refined driving experience. Extra bracing has been added over the regular UX hybrid and the dampers reworked to maintain optimum weight distribution.

The first market to announce intent to sell the right-hand-drive has been the United Kingdom.

It says it will take a single model, with two options: Premium Plus and Takumi. Standard equipment runs to LED headlights, heated seats, parking sensors, a reversing camera, 17-in alloys and smartphone integration.

Premium Plus, adds leather upholstery, a heated steering wheel and heated rear seats, keyless entry and a wireless smartphone charger.

The Takumi option comprises an upgraded sound system, a 10.3-inch infotainment screen, surround view camera, 18-inch alloys and a sunroof.

Special features include Active Sound Control  that “transmits natural, ambient sounds to communicate the driving conditions”. Smartphone integration will allow owners to check battery charge and remaining range remotely, be notified when charging is complete and pre-condition the car using the climate controls.

The 300e has not diverted from the general US styling, but of course has specific badging and has picked up aerodynamic wheels.

Stinger update reveal leaves question mark

A mid-life facelift gives the Stinger a racier look. But does it step up to an engine that delivers extra performance punch?

SUBLTE exterior styling tweaks, specification improvements but will there be an engine change?

Kia is still sparing its Stinger audience core detail about what changes, if any, have occurred under the bonnet in divulging a mid-live revision of the rear-drive sports fastback after three years on the road.

Information and images have been sent out from Seoul today, but there’s no word yet about specific local market plans for the car, whose availability to international markets is expected to begin from year-end.

Changes to the front end are limited to revised headlights, with completely redesigned internals and LED signatures and the rear’s LED signature now lights up across the width of the boot lid. Plus the indicators comprise a collection of 10 individual LED units each, arranged in a grid pattern to mimic the appearance of a chequered flag used in motorsport to signal the end of a race.

A slightly updated bumper design can also be seen at the rear, along with larger exhaust tips that will hopefully result in a more resonant exhaust note.

As for talk of it moving to Hyundai group's new and more powerful 279kW and 530Nm 3.5-litre twin turbo V6 in place of the current 272kW and 510Nm 3.3-litre turbo six?

Kia’s response to that conjecture is to feed the speculation machine all the more.

It simply says it will “reveal more details … including its new powertrain lineup and technologies” at a time closer to when it hits the road in South Korea. In respect that, it offers only that this will be a third quarter introduction. 

The brand says changes to the extertior appearance are to amplify its gran turismo character and add a new touch of drama. The intent is also to give buyers more options for customisation.

Two new 18-inch and 19-inch aluminium alloy wheels are also introduced with intricate, geometric designs which enhance the sporty, grand tourer nature of the car.

Inside? While the basic cabin architecture remains unchanged, there are visual and material upgrades to create a more luxurious ambience. 

The lower section of the steering wheel features a new metallic finish, matching the chrome bezel that now surrounds the 7.0-inch fully-digital instrument cluster. The latter is designed to provide crystal clear information to drivers via its high-definition display. The rear-view mirror is now frameless.

Depending on specification, the dashboard and doors are finished with new contrast stitching while the centre console is available with aluminium or carbon fibre-style trim. 

Sitting atop the dash is Kia’s upgraded 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment and navigation system, accented by a new glossy black finish along the front of the dash. The cabin also features a new mood lighting system, allowing drivers to select one of 64 colours to subtly alter the character of the cabin.

Interior trims also alter. For Kia’s global markets, new choices include Nappa leather upholstery finished in Saturn Black, Red or Beige, alongside existing leather and synthetic leather options. A new Saturn Black option finishes the seats in black suede with contrasting red stitching in a ‘chain’ pattern designed to mimic the links in a watch strap.

Exterior packages have also been announced. For high-performance variants in many markets worldwide, a new ‘Dark Package’ brings with it a gloss black diffuser surround and black wide-bore muffler tips. The Stinger emblem on the tailgate is also finished in black.

Sadly, only North America achieves a ‘Black Package’ that includes new 19-inch matte black lightweight wheels, a new rear wing for the boot lid, and blacked out mirror caps and side fender trim.

The bigger question aboiut Stinger is this: Will it last beyond this current generation?

There’s no doubt that, for all the halo effect it’s had on the Kia brand image, the car itself has done nothing much to support ‘build it and they will’ come thought in respect to their being a healthy market for reasonably priced rear-drive six-cylinder sports sedans. Frankly, that hasn’t happened: In many markets, where volumes have likely failed to hit prediction. NZ likely stands as the only place where it has achieved about expectation.

Kia’s concern about this has been long-standing. It obviously feels it has to stay the course with the current car and why not? The big investments have been made. The cost of building it are relatively minor by comparison to those that went into its creation.

However, don’t imagine they’ll simply laugh it off. At last year’s Frankfurt auto show, Gregory Guillaume, VP and head designer for Kia in Germany and one of the designers, acknowledged that global sales have not met expectations at the automaker, and that the North American market has proven to be particularly disappointing.

“We did want to be successful at least in America, the market where we thought there is a chance that it works.”

Ioniq brand delights Hyundai NZ

The Ioniq car has become an EV brand – but Hyundai-badged electrics are also set to keep coming out.

THE answer is yes – it’s just the arrival timing that remains uncertain.

That’s Hyundai New Zealand’s response to the parent brand’s determination to turn a model name into a full-blown electric vehicle sub-brand, while continuing to produce EVs with Hyundai badges as well. 

The Auckland-based operation is hugely enthusiastic about the potentials that Ioniq will bring and is excited by Hyundai Motor’s intent to release three new models, each identified by a numerical designation.

It further affirms it is fully on board with the South Korean giant’s intent to fast-track its strategy of becoming a global giant of EV-dom, in part because Kiwi enthusiasm for battery-driven products is strong and continues to climb, and has expressed its desire to offer every Ioniq model that is made available in right-hand drive.

However, at the moment it knows too little detail to say when and how it will involve.

So even though the make has vowed to deliver the first of this new breed, the Ioniq 5 - a crossover SUV inspired by the 45 concept car (below) from the 2019 Frankfurt motor show – within 12 months, the local operation says it cannot yet offer specific comment about whether this means that car will avail locally in 2021, simply because it’ll be in production by then. 

Company public relations manager Kimberley Waters says there’s optimism more information will come out soon.

“At the moment, though, we just cannot offer any specific comment about when product might be available to us. We just don’t know that yet.

“However, yes, we have made a commitment to electric so are keen to see these products. The potential they offer is obvious.

“With Hyundai Motors commitment to developing a dedicated EV range with the customer experience in mind, it in turn will enable us to provide our customers with more EV choice that suits their Kiwi lifestyle.”

In making the branding announcement that could not have come as a surprise to anyone, Hyundai Motor released images here that lend suggestion to what its immediate fleet of three vehicles could look like.

The suggestion is that these will be in showrooms by 2025, or perhaps even a year earlier.

The model identification strategy is simple, if rather BMW-esque. All Ioniqs will be identified by numerical badges - even numbers for sedans, wagons and sports cars, and odd numbers for SUVs. Ioniq, by the way, is a fusion between “ion” and “unique”.

The cars will place on an all-new electric-vehicle underpinning, called the Electric Global Modular Platform. This brings up to 800 volt fast charging, long-range driving, spacious packaging ability, and new-age connected technologies, Hyundai Motor says.

The international roll-out time frame suggested by head office is for the ‘5’ to be followed in 2022 by the Ioniq 6, which is styled with lines and inspiration of the Prophecy concept electric sports sedan, above. The Ioniq 7 SUV is expected to go into production in 2024.

Exactly how Ioniq will present is another issue for Hyundai NZ to address.

The tenor of head office comment suggests expectation that this branding exercise is expected to stand apart from the Hyundai push, just as the Genesis luxury brand was intended to.

Whether that means a dedicated space in a shared showroom – as per the failed Genesis experiment - or something more extreme remains to be seen. Conceivably, given the size of the national Hyundai dealer chain, the modest volumes our market entertains and the cost involved in creating separate retail operations, it would be logical for head office to cut NZ some slack, and allow sales from regular outlets.

One thing is for sure, you won’t be challenged picking what’s coming with the two Hyundai electrics that already sell here.

What will happen to those? Somewhat ironically, the Ioniq as it currently offers in NZ – that is, as a compact hatchback in hybrid, plug-in and full-electric guises – is not going to transfer to this platform. 

Moreover, talk is that it and the Kona EV will also not form part of the Ioniq-sphere, according to overseas’ reports, but remain – assuming they still have a long-term role - as a Hyundai. So is it possible there could be as many – if not more – Hyundai electric models as Ioniqs?

The rollout is in line with Hyundai Motor Group's ‘Strategy 2025’, which sets a target of achieving one million battery-electric vehicle sales and at least 10 percent of the global EV market by 2025.

The latter would see HMG become one of the top three global EV manufacturers, with around 560,000 produced each year by mid-decade.   

The term itself is a with the current Ioniq being the result of Project Ioniq – a long-term research and development project focused on eco-friendly mobility.

To help commemorate the launch of the new brand, HMC took to the London Eye with dozens of illuminated lights to turn the landmark into a giant letter Q at the tourist attraction’s official reopening to the public after being closed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Stonic sizing up for NZ?

A mid-life refresh has seen Kia make its cheerful sub-Seltos crossover available to more markets.

WITH the Seltos setting the compact crossover sector alight, will Kia here try its luck with an even smaller offer? 

The question arises with the brand have determined to allow its Stonic baby into this part of the world.

Kia in Australia, which often works in conjunction with the brand’s New Zealand operation to secure specific models, has already confirmed it’s having a punt with the model.

Release across the Tasman is timed for late year, with detail about price and specification has yet to be revealed.

Designed to take on the Mazda CX-3, Nissan Juke, and Hyundai Venue and based on a platform shared by the Rio small hatch, Stonic has been in production out of South Korea since 2017, but to date has been restricted its home market, China, plus western Europe, the United Kingdom and Ireland.

However, the release of a mid-life update has also determined Kia to allow it to roam into new territories and, though the local distributor’s comments’ provider says it is unable to offer thought, conceivably New Zealand could be on the touring agenda.

Certainly, the car could be seen as a valuable asset to provide as permanent fill-in within the sub-$30,000 zone, which Kia knows is a sweet spot to pull first-time crossover buyers. That’s exactly where the Seltos was aimed on launch last November, with a limited-time introduction that allowed the entry LX to be offered for $26,990 – so, $4000 below the full list price is now carries. This strategy delivered a great start for the car – with 1000 sales within three months – and created a waiting list that took months to clear.

The Stonic’s update would surely be tasty to Kiwis as it brings an extensive rework in looks, technology and safety equipment for the street-sharp five seater. 

Safety credentials include autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, and automatic high beams and wipers.

An 8.0-inch infotainment system hosts Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The facelift introduces a new 1.0-litre turbo petrol mild hybrid, augmented by a 48volt integrated belt-driven starter generator and a small lithium-ion battery. The output varies, with the seven-speed DCT auto producing 88kW and 200Nm, and the manual developing 74kW and 168Nm. By comparision the Seltos runs a four-cylinder 2.0-litre petrol making 110kW and 180Nm in marriage to an eight-stage transmission.

The latter transmission is Kia’s bespoke iMT ‘box which uses ‘drive-by-wire’ to electronically manage the clutch operation.

Stonic’s primary role in the UK and Europe has been to conquer customers who remain stubbornly loyal to European volume brands.

Kia identified the subcompact SUV/crossover segment as a niche market that had become Europe's fastest-growing sector, accounting for seven percent of the total SUV and crossover market and also displaying the lowest brand loyalty, with customers open to change and with no tradition or history.

Design has been the main purchasing driver in the sector, Kia says, and effort has been made to make this model stand out. Hence, for instance, why it has the highest customisation options of any Kia with 20 two-tone body colour combinations in nine body colours and five roof colours. 

Although Kia calls the Stonic an SUV, it lacks four-wheel-drive. And hasn’t suffered for it. Uptake of four-wheel-drive models was less than 10 percent in the subcompact market three years ago and it has since fallen further.

And if you’re wondering about the etymology of the name? According to Kia it’s a name is a portmanteau of ‘speedy’ and ‘tonic.’ The first apparently refers to the car’s small size and agility. Meanwhile, the tonic is referenced here is the first or primary note in a diatonic musical scale, not the stuff that works with gin.

Summerfield takes Catlins

Rangiora driver holds off strong early challenge.

Matt Summerfield on his way to victory in the Mitsubishi Mirage AP4

all images:Geoff Ridder

NEW Zealand rallying restarted today with Rangiora’s Matt Summerfield claiming victory in the 20th annual Catlins Coast Rally.

The six-stage event in coastal South Otago featured 81 crews and very quickly became a duel between top-seed and four-time winner Andrew Graves (Gore) and second seeded Summerfield.

Graves won the opening stage in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo3 before Summerfield recorded a string of four fastest times to propel his Mitsubishi Mirage AP4 into a 52 seconds lead.

A more conservative run through the final stage allowed the final margin to settle at 38.8s in Summerfield’s favour.

The event was only the second gravel rally staged in New Zealand during 2020 due to recent Covid-19 restrictions. The season-opening Westland Rally had been completed in mid-March. 

Hayden Paddon’s objective of running on pace notes ahead of the field as a test session for his Hyundai i20 AP4 proved short-lived and the former WRC star only completed two stages before retiring. His stage times weren’t published. 

While Summerfield and Graves raced clear by more than three minutes a late reshuffle of the leader board saw Kaikoura’s Regan Ross (Ford Fiesta R5) climb to third place ahead of Balclutha’s Dean Bond (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6.5) as Josh Marston (Christchurch) slipped from third to fifth in his Holden Barina AP4.

Another strong drive on the Catlins roads by Christchurch driver Deane Buist was rewarded with sixth overall and he led home the two-wheel-drive competitors in his Mk2 Volkswagen Golf GTI. 

Reigning New Zealand rally champion Ben Hunt (Auckland) had a low-key outing in a Subaru Impreza H6 lease car and finished 11th. 

The next rally on the New Zealand calendar is the Maramarua Clubmans event on Sunday, September 6.

Balclutha's Dean Bond finished fourth in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6.5

Deane Bust led home the two-wheel-drive field in his VW Golf GTI

Top-seeded Hayden and Andrew Graves finished second after leading the early stages

Late-entry Regan Ross climbed to third place in his Ford Fiesta R5

1600cc class winner Richie Chadwick drive to 14th overall in his Toyota Levin

Stephen Gill won the Classic category in his Nissan-powered Ford Escort

josh marston races through the Catlins countryside

Tim Smith on a spectacular run to 16th place in his Toyota Starlet

Aucklander Kingsley Jones left his Skoda Fabia R5 at home and drove a Classic Mk2 Ford Escort

Diesel only for Sorento’s start

Kindred Koreans the Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe remain in a race to reach New Zealand. Which will be first with a breakthrough hybrid drivetrain?

Europe has first dibs on these Kia Sorento hybrids heading down the production line.

FACTORY determination to give Europe priority means headline-making high-tech hybrid petrol drivetrains will not include on the launch menu for Kia’s Sorento here.

This has been made clear in additional information provisioned in the wake of a recent media update about the car from the New Zealand distributor.

The extra comment confirms the model’s local release is running late, as result of the factory having retuned production to favour larger more important, left-hand-drive markets, but also reiterates the model will be here before year-end, though in respect to actual timing the only comment is “fourth quarter.”

Nonetheless, Kia NZ opened the order book on August 3 and has advised potential customers to lodge their interest on a dedicated web channel. 

The Auckland-sited make has not discounted getting the hybrid powertrains, according to the information received, but when is not clear. 

“The hybrid only just went into production recently in Korea and Europe has first dibs of initial supplies.”

The petrol-electric units format in mild and plug-in recharged formats and marry to a 1.6-litre petrol engine, and Hyundai New Zealand is also chasing them for Sorento’s sister ship, the Santa Fe, which is also arriving here soon in an altered 2021 guise.

the updated Sorento (above) and Sante Fe (below) move to a new platform and adopt fresh technologies.

The hybrids give the brands opportunity to retire the long-serving 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine but the cars still configure with a 3.5-litre V6 engine, though the latter has not featured in the NZ spec for some time.

The conjoined brands international view is that the hybrid units have potential to ultimately become the key choice for the seven-seater sports utilities, on strength of their performance and efficiency.

In June Hyundai New Zealand’s boss, Andy Sinclair, expressed particular enthusiasm for the powertrains, seeing them as a key factor in elevating Santa Fe’s status, particularly as a foil for the Toyota Highlander, which will become a hybrid model when it arrives in a new generation next year.

“We’d definitely take hybrid. I think it is very important to give our customers a choice,” Sinclair said at the time.

 The Sorento and Santa Fe still continue with the 2.2-litre turbodiesel that’s been the core choice for the past three generations of both lines. It has a new fuel injection system and improved internal components, which help to reduce the engine’s friction and improve fuel economy. Power is 148kW and torque stands at 440Nm.

It mates to a new eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, called Smartstream. A video about how this operates is attached today. 

The information relating to Kia’s strategy also says it has been affected by supply constraints from the ongoing effects of Covid19 that are being shaken out. 

“So shortages of some models are inevitable, but Kia is working hard to smooth these out.

“The run-out of current Sorento is going well and should be pretty well exhausted as the new model arrives, so timing shouldn’t be too much of an issue there. Always a bit of a balancing act, regardless of the market conditions.”

The new Sorento marketing programme that started on Monday is to build awareness of the new model ahead of its arrival and elicit forward orders, much like Kia did very successfully with the Seltos last year, the information states. 

the hybrid drivetrain, seen here in a Sorento, is a big pitch by the conjoined Korean makes.

The 1.6-litre is the smallest-capacity engine yet for the Santa Fe and Sorento yet is hardly a weakling, being turbocharged. Though efficiency data has yet to be released, its maker – Hyundai, of course - has indicated a huge improvement in respect to economy and emissions. 

The unit has been designed expressly to work in a hybrid setting and initially comes in a ‘mild’ format, outputting 169kW. The plug-in rechargeable format has even more oomph. It swaps out the 1.49kWh lithium ion battery for a 13.9kWh unit that can be replenished off household mains or a fast charger.

The PHEV model’s electric motor makes 97kW in isolation, but the drivetrain’s combined maximum output is 194kW and 350Nm of torque.

Both hybrid powertrains are hitched to a newly developed six-speed automatic transmission.

They feature a new low-pressure exhaust gas recirculation system and continuously variable valve timing, which Hyundai claims improves fuel efficiency by five percent and decreases emissions by 12 percent in its own right.

The hybrids also have the same four-wheel-drive system as the diesel, but are also being built in front-drive format.

The models’ all-wheel drive now takes a terrain mode selector, which offers specific setups for snow, gravel and mud. The drivetrain also comes with three driving modes – Eco, Comfort and Sport – which can deactivate drive to the rear axle to improve fuel efficiency or distribute the engine’s torque across the  axles for extra stability, sending either 35 percent or 50 percent of the engine’s power to the rear wheels.

kia sorento (above) and Hyundai Santa Fe (below). Which do you prefer?

The new models are easily picked in the streetscape, with much updated styling for each. What is not so obvious is that they have switched to a completely different platform to that underpinning the outgoing cars, this being a platform developed for a Hyundai Sonata sedan sold in the United States and China. The footprint has grown slightly, but more importantly the change unlocks additional interior room.

The national distributors have yet to provision specification details however some inkling about what’s coming, at least for Sorento, can likely be gleaned from detail shared out of Australia, where the car is launching in a couple of weeks.

The line there spans four derivatives. Standard fare includes a “segment-first” front centre side airbag, between driver and passenger. A 10.25 inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Multi Connection Bluetooth also configures. Australia’s flagship, called GT-Line, represents with a 12.3 inch digital instrument cluster, Blind Spot View Monitor, a shift-by-wire dial instead of a gear lever and remote smart parking assist.

Extra electric-involved product for TNZ

A plug-in version of the RAV4 and a fully electric car have been cited to join more mild hybrids heading into Toyota’s local showroom.

is one of these concepts shown last year destined to become toyota’s first electric car sold in new zealand?

FIVE more mild hybrids, a plug-in replenished battery-assisted model and a fully electric car are on Toyota’s national agenda, though sign-off for several – including the EV – has yet to be fully sorted. 

What’s being sought and when it might arrive, all going to plan, has been shared by Toyota New Zealand.

Aside from the Yaris Hybrid covered extensively this week, the roll-out starts with another hybrid CH-R, but in a sportier-looking format that leverages the GR (Gazoo Racing) pitch that TNZ continues to develop. It’ll be here before the end of the year.

Following, apparently in the first half of 2021, are two vital volume products. The heavily revised Camry and a new Highlander, are also primarily – if not wholly – running battery-fed petrol drivetrains next year. So, if you still prefer a petrol V6, act fast. That choice will not transfer to the new lines.

Also tied down for New Zealand introduction, but with time yet to be fully sorted, is a hybrid Hilux. Toyota New Zealand’s chief executive, Neeraj Lala, says he hopes to see it in the latter part of next year, but accepts release could yet spill into 2022.

So that’s five: What else is in the thought stream? Two potential big-hitters that draw off mains power.

There’s the RAV4 PHEV/Prime, which replenishes its plug-in petrol-electric drivetrain off the grid. After debuting in North America last year, it’s now being built in right-hand-drive in Japan, but only for sale there at this time.

the rav4 prime was introduced to North America last year but has now entered right hand drive production, but just for Japan. TNZ has pitched for it. The car’s drivetrain (below) delivers around 90kms’ pure electric operation. It’s also designed to give a performance edge.

In this variant the front motor and inverter achieve more powerful output than the RAV4 hybrid system, the maximum system output cited at 225kW, which Toyota says, facilitates a 0-100kmh time of six seconds and “sporty, powerful driving”. 

The make also claims a wholly electric driving range of 95 kilometres. That’s well above the cited range for Japan’s only logical competitor already sold here, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. The EV range, and the car’s claimed total range of 1300km, is a calculation based on Japan domestic market processes.

Lala is keen to see it and says introduction as a domestic Japan model is a good thing.

“We’ve asked Toyota Motor Corporation if that car can be made available to New Zealand. We have not had confirmation yet but it is a car we would definitely like to have in our market. 

For 2021? He hopes so. One alternate option for TNZ is to introduce it as a brand-backed used import, via the Signature Class channel, but Lala’s preference would be to represent it as a brand-new product.

But that can take time. “Introducing a new car isn’t easy … there has to be a lot of testing and compliance to ensure it meets our conditions. But generally, if something has been available as Japanese domestic it has been pretty much a safe choice for NZ compliance so we’re hoping there won’t be too many hoops to jump through.”

And then the ultimate step …  a fully electric product. Which is what exactly; a completely new model or something based off an existing product?

No help here, from Lala. He’s sworn to absolute secrecy. “I cannot tell you anything about it.”

Highlander hybrid has already been confirmed for 2021 launch.So has Camry (below)

That doesn’t mean nothing is known. Toyota’s determination to branch away from being the global kingpin in hybrid drivetrains and start plugging into the zero emissions EV-sphere was announced 14 months ago, when it announced intention to create pure electrics not only for itself but also for other Japanese marques in which it has tech agreements.

Toyota then unveiled a new platform with enough flexibility to entertain what could be a very wide span of different kinds of vehicle – from small city cars to large sports utilities – using a "next step" solid state battery it also racing to get into production.

The starter project is an all-electric platform for midsize and large vehicles jointly developed with Subaru. Those brands are also working together to produce an electric crossover far more advanced than the mild hybrid Forester and XV recently launched here.

That vehicle, which will be sold separately under each brand, will debut in the early 2020s and, though the US is cited as a main target market, other countries where Subaru performs well (and that’s NZ) are expected to stand a chance.

Toyota is also working with Suzuki and Daihatsu to jointly develop a compact EV.

It revealed last year that its new platform would initially underpin six variations in all - a large SUV, a medium SUV, a medium crossover, a medium minivan, a medium sedan and the compact. Styling concepts of these proposals were presented at a forum on June 7.

TNZ’s intention to take an EV is an acknowledgement, after years of denial, that nothing less than a fully electric car with actual external recharging functionality has become a must-have in this market.

Even though it has long delivered battery-involved cars across the Toyota and Lexus line-ups that have a degree of regenerative capability, presently only one product in the showroom – Prius Prime PHEV – even counts as an EV.

That’s why Government departments and companies looking to include EVs in their fleets have had to bypass the Camry, Corolla, RAV4 and Prius mild (non mains-replenished) hybrids.

plug-in capability is a requirement to achieve electric vehicle status.

Toyota Motor Corporation has said its EV deployment plans will not slow down its hybrid imprint; hence why TNZ – which has 17 already, just two less than Lexus – is able and keen add more.

Yet Japan headquarters has also acknowledged a "sudden surge" of international EV popularisation – and the repercussion of increasingly stringent emissions requirements in China and Europe - has meant it has to reconsider its thinking, which until now has been that electrics are an unnecessary step between its petrol-electric hybrids and the hydrogen fuel cell vehicles it still sees as being the ultimate cars of the future.

Accordingly, it cites that of the 5.5 million battery-assisted vehicles it aims to build by 2025, almost one million might well be pure EVs.

TMC had intended to showcase unveil a solid-state battery for electrified vehicles ahead of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which were to have begun this week but instead have been delayed until 2021, assuming the world is by then on top of the coronavirus crisis that has caused so much disruption since March.

Solid state technology promises lighter, more powerful and safer batteries and could well be a breakthrough in popularising EVs.

Toyota is still forging ahead with a plan to start making EVs in China, purely for sale in that country. The first was expected to be a variant of the CH-R.

The new dedicated EV platform it has developed with partners is dubbed e-TNGA, a play on the company's new-generation Toyota New Global Architecture modular platform used by Corolla, Camry, RAV4 and the latest Yaris, also about to come on sale here, including in a mild hybrid form.

Toyota’s decision to also give Hilux a hybrid drivetrain was announced some months ago. Lala ‘s enthusiasm for this product is very high; he sees a big potential. Some others in the sector are looking to going all-electric – just this week the New Zealand importer for the LDV brand reckoned it will have a purely battery-compelled edition of the current T60 ute here next year. Production is set to kick off in the second quarter, with NZ market arrivals stated to start in the third quarter. Detail about the potential range, outputs and price ate still under wraps. LDV already has an electric van in the market with another on the way.

It’s far from clear whether a Hilux hybrid will be petrol-electric or diesel-electric. The latter would be a first for Toyota, which favours petrol-electric hybrid technology over diesel in its passenger car line-up.

Toyota out to cuff police contract

Commodore today, Camry tomorrow? Toyota NZ is investigating if it can join the thin blue line.

will the 2021 Toyota Camry report for duty as a Commodore replacement?

PROVISIONING police with a patrol car remains a Toyota New Zealand consideration, particularly in the wake of the collapse of rental car business.

The Palmerston North brand has acknowledged it is on the hunt to snare lucrative Government fleet opportunities including the biggest plum of all – delivering a replacement for the Holden Commodore police car, whose days on the beat are numbered with its production having ended and its maker soon to become extinct.

It is understood police are now trialling potential replacement cars for frontline duty and that they have renewed interest in the Camry sedan, thought to have been the runner-up to ZB Commodore when the tender was last contested, four years ago.

One example configured by the brand for front-line duty as part of the trial still appears to be operational in the Wellington area.

The Camry as tested by the thin blue line previously was a potent six-cylinder but perhaps the determination to use only four-cylinder ZBs is a sign police tastes have changed. TNZ’s certainly have. The distributor signalled some months ago that the V6 won’t feature in an update Camry arriving early next year.

However, it believes its 2.5-litre full petrol four-cylinder engine – which TNZ now suggests might yet provision in the update range, should perceived demand warrant it -and the hybrid would be just as good.

Do police agree? A reluctance to employ anything other than fully fossil-fuelled cars in the line of duty was expressed in the wake of last December’s announcement about Commodore production ending, when a spokesperson said that while they wanted to use as many hybrid and even fully electric cars as they could, it would only be in non-patrol roles.

TNZ chief executive Neeraj Lala isn’t sure that attitude still applies.

“My understanding of that is a little bit different. They have specifications, like a 0-100kmh specification, that they would need for a pursuit car, but currently we have a hybrid that would meet that. 

“The 2.5 also meets the standards they expect of pursuit cars.” Lala acknowledged the wholly petrol engine was initially not expected to be provisioned in the 2021 Camry update but could yet show if there was enough support for it, if just to meet all-of-Government contract requirements. “When we talked about being hybrid-only for Camry from next year it was before we knew about the Holden situation.”

In any event, it wasn’t just about get up and go. There was a host of criteria to meet, including technical standards to ensure nothing in the applicant vehicle conflicted with police equipment, especially the frequencies electronic law enforcement hardware operated at.

“As infotainment gets more complicated, as powertrains become more complicated with sensors, radars, safety equipment, hybrid and EV batteries … testing and compliance tends to become more structured and rigid. And there have been issues in the past,” he said.

TNZ chief executive Neeraj Lala

He believes one area Toyota has a lead on is with backup; the national sales network was fully up to pace on  keeping any fleet operational with excellent parts, service and support. 

Police are also building up their fleet of unmarked cars and Toyota has recently provisioned some Highlander SUVs, also currently V6 and set to revert to a hybrid-only format with a new 2021 model. It also provision Land Cruisers for specialist work and some hybrid cars for community constable work.

Lala explained that was not a signal of any favouritism in respect to the patrol car pitch.

“It’s been made clear that it’s certainly not a confirmation that Toyota has won the tender but we certainly have some cars in their fleet and we are working hard to see if Camry can be an alternative.

“I’ve been quite firm that I think the relationship needs to be mutual for us to engage. It’s certainly not something that we are chasing hard, but it certainly something that we would appreciate if it came towards our brand.”

Holden’s contract with police goes back many years – it started with the Kingswood in 1968, but really cemented with Commodore, with VT, VX, VZ, VE and VF lines siting as generic road vehicles of choice, outlasting the Ford Falcon and Nissan Maxima.

Terms of the association are never discussed but the fleet size alone suggest it will be lucrative.

Certainly, it was so highly prized by Holden that police were allowed to trial the ZB in Australia in secrecy more than a year before it became production ready. The current contract was also signed off well ahead of the car’s public release here, in May of 2018.

The car proved controversial – with complaint about the lack of headroom in the rear of the sedan causing a shift to the station wagon edition – yet announcement of Commodore’s demise was a shock to police.

It clearly still held hope of seeing through the latest contract with Holden, which conceivably ran to around 2023, according to past brand acknowledgements, by taking other products in the brand’s portfolio, including the Acadia and Equinox SUVs and Colorado ute. However, that’s now no longer a goer with GM having killed Holden completely, with the retail arm set to cease very soon.

Holden had formed a really strong marriage that in any other circumstance would have been hard to break up, TNZ’s boss suggests.

“We’ve been pitching to police for as long as I’ve been with the company; we’ve put our best foot forward and been unsuccessful because they have had a really good relationship with Holden and they clearly felt no need to move.

“For us in the past it has been about good due diligence – just making sure they were testing other products in the market for when, and if, a change was needed.

“Obviously all this has moved up a gear given Holden’s departure.”

Discussion about this arose from TNZ revealing how hard it has been hit by the virtual wholesale collapse of the rental car sector as result of the coronavirus lockdown kyboshing international tourism.

A sector that took 9619 new Toyotas and accounted for 31 percent of the Palmerston North-domiciled make’s sales last year has this year taken 172 cars for a two percent slice of sales to date.

TNZ’s response has been to divert energy into building up sales to the private sector and to fleet operators, primarily the Government, with positive result. It says it has just won a tender to provision a significant count of vehicles, mainly hybrids, to the Ministries of Justice and Education.

It’s also pumping up private sales, with particular success with the RAV4 hybrid. Fleet sales, either facilitated directly through TNZ or via its dealer network, including those to Government have collectively grown from delivering 41 percent of registrations to 63 percent.

Of course, while the percentages are up, actual sales counts are down. For instance, while private sales now represent a 35 percent share of current trading – so almost double the 2019 imprint – the counts are much lower; 235 units to date in 2020 against 6001 for all of 2019. As of end of June, fleet and Government have accounted for roughly a quarter of the just over 16,000 Toyotas they secured for all of last year.

the zb commodore has transferred police drivetrain allegiances from six-cylinder and rear-drive to four-cylinder and front-drive. However, police have yet to put a hybrid into the front line.

How will the rest of the year pan out? Notwithstanding that last month was huge for new car sellers and the Japanese giant had the top-selling car (RAV4), retained comfortably as the passenger sector leader and enjoyed the biggest monthly retail count (1755 units) since the launch of the new Drive Happy business model in April of 2018, its long-term forecast is cautious.

The entire market is down almost 25 percent year-on-year and industry perception that today’s rush is being fuelled by a short-range fuel – people are spending money on cars that they had set aside for overseas travel that cannot be taken – seems to be accepted by the leader, which believes a rocky road is ahead.

Even though TNZ has identified that the loss of the rental car market and a subsequent significant de-fleeting of stock by some operators had synched with a considerable market shift in used car tastes, away from ex-overseas used (which are in short supply) to low-mileage, late model NZ-new, Lala says it’s fair to say this is “experiencing changes like we’ve never seen before.”

An industry that had recorded a decade of quite considerable growth, reaching peak of just over 161,000 units in 2018 before softening slightly last year, was now facing a further 35 percent decline.

Or worse? Lala is confident Toyota is on target in predicting 100,000 registrations this year, even though others have suggested lower returns.

“Some of our competitors are suggesting a reduction more dramatic than 100,000 but I personally cannot see that happening … even if the wheels completely fall off in the fourth quarter, I can’t see the market fall below 95,000, maybe 90,000 as an absolute worst case scenario.”

When and if the rental car market would re-open was a question without any quick resolution, he suggested, and obviously TNZ, as the dominant supplier, was hard hit.

“When you remove 30 percent of our sales overnight … well, it’s never easy losing that volume.

“The pain of that tourism loss in the lockdown has certainly transferred throughout our entire business. It’s probably safe to say that this volume will not return … while the borders remain closed.”

As for the long-term forecast for car distributors? “We are, I think, heading toward a tough time – whether that’s late in the fourth quarter or early first quarter (of 2021) we have to wait and see - but at this stage we will go as hard and as strong as we can.”

At last, a sequel to the McLaren F1

So you’ve won Lotto. How to spend $34 million? Fortuitously, Gordon Murray Automotive has finally pulled the covers off its T.50 hypercar

ONLY 100 in road trim will be built, each will cost around $NZ5 million … and, yeah, it’s understandable if you’re already looking for Gordon Murray’s email and have a hand down the back of the sofa looking for any spare change to go toward his latest car.

Unveiled overnight, the new Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 is an amazing achievement by any standard, perhaps destined to be the ultimate opus of the man who created the original 1993 McLaren F1 and was behind F1 title-winning racing cars.

The T.50 has been designed as a kind of ultimate evolution of the original F1 concept. It has huge power, but top speed is incidental in a design that's far more focused on driver pleasure. Hence the car is light, just 986kg, and compact, the same physical size as a Porsche Boxster.

It apes the F1 is also having a three-seat cockpit, with the driver in the central seat and passengers set back on either side. The chassis is, of course, carbon-fibre, with an aluminium honeycomb core.

The really clever bit is the aerodynamic package. As with the McLaren F1, and the seminal 1978 Brabham BT46B Formula One car that Murray designed, and which was pulled from entry because it was too fast, the T.50 uses a huge rear fan to aid its aero performance. Primarily it’ll deliver genuine ground effect, by sucking air out from under the car, but there are modes in which it can feed air into the car's wake to reduce drag, cut the braking distance and act as performance booster, by ramming high-speed air into the engine's air intake.

And the engine is? Designed for the car by Cosworth, it's a naturally aspirated four litre V12 (Murray hates turbos), with 494kW – yes, that’s in the top league for power-per-litre for a naturally aspirated engine – and 467Nm of torque. It redlines at 12,100rpm, peak power delivering at 11,500rpm. Power goes to the rear wheels, via a six-speed manual, again bespoke built for the car by XTrac.

Murray hasn't given any specific performance figures for the T.50 yet, but the 0-100kmh time should be pretty special. It's not the point, though - the T.50 has been designed to be fun and rewarding to drive.

Only 100 T.50s will be built as road cars. There’ll also be a small count of track day specials and Murray has talked about taking the car racing. Delivery starts in January of 2022.

Stay at home, buy a car

Latest monthly registration figures have surprised the industry, but it’s not expecting this boom to last.

RAV4 was a sales star for Toyota last month.

CASHED-up Covid-19 returnees look to be contributing to a spike in national new vehicle sales – with the July count almost at record level.

Motor Industry Association data for last month suggest registrations of 12,263 new vehicles; that’s 3.1 percent and 366 units better than the count for July of 2019 and also the second-strongest July ever recorded by the MIA.

The result was also in stark contrast to June, when sales of 11,514 vehicles were recorded. That count presented as a 17.5 percent on the same month of the previous year.  Yet June was in itself way better than April and May when, in the midst of the Covid-19 lockdown, 1039 and 8313 registrations were respectively recorded.

MIA chief executive David Crawford describes the July result as surprisingly strong, given the current worldwide economic conditions.

“Returning cashed-up Kiwis and alternative spending to international travel are thought to be behind the July result,” he says.

Market leader Toyota New Zealand says no-one could have anticipated the level of sales last month, given that it is usually a cooling off period in the wake of May and June, which have traditionally been big sales months.

Colorado is leading Holden’s sales runout

“The level of new orders across our entire range has surpassed our expectations,” says chief executive Neeraj Lala, adding that TNZ’s July result was the biggest retail month since the launch of the brand’s Drive Happy business model in April of 2018.

Crawford warns however that as the year progresses the economic outlook is for a continuing tightening market.

Despite July’s good result, the tough three month during the opening half of 2020 have meant that year to date the new vehicle market is down 24.8 percent or 21,694 vehicles.

July saw 8200 passenger vehicles and SUVs registered which was 3.5 percent up on July last year, while 4063 commercial vehicle registrations were up 2.3 percent.

The top three models for the month were the Toyota RAV4 SUV, followed by two utes, the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux.

Toyota remained the overall market leader with an 18 percent share, followed by Ford with 10 percent and Mitsubishi with eight percent.

Toyota also led passenger and SUV sales with a 17 percent share thanks to solid sales of the RAV4, Corolla and C-HR, followed by Kia on nine percent largely due to sales of Sportage and Seltos SUVs, and Mitsubishi with eight percent, thanks to continuing good sales of ASX and Outlander.

Ford regained the market lead in the commercial vehicle sector with a 22 percent share, resting on the imprint of its top-selling Ranger ute but also good sales of Transit van. Toyota was second on 20 percent thanks to Hilux and Hiace van, while soon-to-disappear Holden was third with a 10 percent share via sales of 381 Colorado utes.

Overall the top segments in July were dominated by SUVs. Top spot went to SUV Medium with a 22 percent share, followed by SUV compact on 19 percent. The Pick Up/Chassis 4x4 segment held 16 percent share.

Last month’s top 15

Toyota RAV4                 796 sales
Ford Ranger                  781
Toyota Hilux                 627
Mitsubishi Triton          383
Holden Colorado          381
Kia Sportage                 320
Mitsubishi ASX              265
Suzuki Swift                  251
Toyota Corolla              230
Nissan Navara               229
Mazda BT-50                227
Mazda CX-5                  222
Mitsubishi Outlander    220
Hyundai Tucson            206
Kia Seltos                     184

Paddon on point for Catlins

New Zealand’s most successful rally driver is leading from the front – kind of – as the sport races back into action this weekend.

Hyundai driver Hayden Paddon will make his first appearance at a local rally since winning the South Canterbury event in June 2019.

Photos: Colin Smith

HAYDEN Paddon and his NZ title-winning Hyundai i20 AP4 make a return to local rallying this weekend with no chance of winning anything.

Paddon and co-driver Samantha Gray will race ahead of an 83-car field when the South Island’s Mainland Rally Series returns to action in South Otago with the 20th edition of the Catlins Coast Rally.

The former World Rally Championship star is using the event as a test session and rather than enter the rally and be eligible for a result he’ll make pace notes for the six special stages.

“My last blind (non pace-noted) rally was 15 years ago and I’m not quite brave enough to attempt one now in this kind of car,’’ said Paddon. 

“So we will run at the front of the field and on pace notes. The objective is to blow the cobwebs out and test some new development ideas on the car.

“My last rally was WRC Rally GB in September, so it’s almost a year ago. And my last rally in the i20 was South Canterbury just over a year ago.’’

 While New Zealand’s WRC plans and the 2020 National Rally Championship have been victims of the COVID-19 pandemic, grass roots rally sport is making a comeback.

The Catlins Coast Rally entry list is headed by four-time winner Andrew Graves (Gore) in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo3 who will start ahead of a trio of AP4 cars piloted by Canterbury drivers Matt Summerfield (Mitsubishi Mirage), Josh Marston (Holden Barina) and Robbie Stokes (Ford Fiesta).

Last year’s Catlins winner Garet Thomas (Darfield) is seeded fifth in his Subaru Impreza ahead of Balclutha’s Dean Bond (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6).

Heading the two-wheel-drive ranks are Marcus van Klink in his tri-rotor Mazda RX-8, Deane Buist (VW Golf GTI) and the Ford Escort of Mike Verdoner.

The rally starts from Owaka at 10am Saturday with the six-stage route totalling 152km of competitive driving. The cars return to Owaka twice for servicing and the 3.40pm finish.

 Meanwhile the northern region rally calendar re-started with the South Auckland Car Club’s Maramarua Forest Rallysprint on Sunday.

The event was the fourth round of the ABC Pipe Fitters Northern Rallysprint Series, one of the few 2020 motorsport series left relatively intact in spite of COVID-19 precautions.

Darfield's Garet Thomas was the Catlins Coast Rally winner last year in his Subaru Impreza.

The series had completed three rounds prior to the Level Four lockdown and while dates have changed the series is set to complete its scheduled six rounds at the original venues.

Young Aucklander Jack Hawkeswood was quick on the 9km forest stage in Maramarua on Sunday in his Mazda2 AP4 car - improving on each of his five timed runs and setting his quickest time in the final run-off to pip Matt Jensen (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9) by almost seven seconds.

Former series champion Graeme Featherstone (Te Aroha) was third in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo7 while Aucklander Haydn MacKenzie – a former BNT V8s Touring Car racer - continued to show promise on his switch to gravel surfaces taking fourth place in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9.

The remaining Northern Rallysprint Series rounds are the Hamilton Car Club’s Hoddle Rd event near Otorohanga on August 23 and the Thames Valley Car Club Piakonui Loop Rd event near Matamata on October 4.

Young Auckland driver Jack Hawkeswood won the fourth round of the Northern Rallysprint Series on Sunday in the Maramarua Forest.

New grand plan: 250,000 EVs by 2025

The country’s major electric vehicle supporter has unveiled a new raft of proposals.

NEW Zealand’s grand plan to have 64,000 electric vehicles on the roads by 2021 is proving a failure – so now the sector has hatched an ambitious new plan to have at least 250,000 of the vehicles on our roads by 2025.

Drive Electric, the organisation that wants to make EV ownership mainstream, has announced a new campaign involving five key policy platforms it wants the next Government to adopt to meet that target.

It’s a tough ask, if the poor results of the Government’s Electric Vehicles Programme announced four years ago are any indication.

That plan involved a package of measures with a target of doubling the number of EVs in New Zealand every year to reach 64,000 cars by next year. But the target has nowhere near been reached - by mid-year this year the total had reached just 20,916 – with more than 13,000 of those registrations used cars imported from overseas.

But Drive Electric argues that if New Zealand is going to meet climate change targets set by the Zero Carbon Act, it will need to see at least 250,000 new EVs on the roads by 2025, and for this trend to continue through to 2030. And that number should not include hybrids, it adds, because those non plug-in vehicles are still powered by fossil fuels.

In an interview with MotoringNZ, Drive Electric chair Mark Gilbert, pictured, criticised New Zealand’s lack of action regarding the takeup of EVs.

“Dear old New Zealand seems to be stuck in a time warp,” he said. “But nothing’s going to change if nothing changes. That’s why we are putting this proposal out there – to point out that you’ve got to actually do stuff to make thing happen.

Drive Electric points out that New Zealand must reduce emissions by around 60 per cent by 2030 to stay within 1.5C of warming, which is the target contained in the Zero Carbon Act.

Road transport is the second-largest source of emissions in New Zealand. Our light vehicle fleet constitutes more than 90 per cent of the travel on New Zealand roads. Therefore, e-mobility is an essential part of our transport future.

Gilbert adds that for the desired level of EV ownership to be achieved, New Zealand needs a bi-partisan target and pathway that will create certainty and guide investment in e-mobility.

“It is fair to New Zealanders to be upfront about the changes that are happening when it comes to cars, which for many if their first or second-biggest asset.

“With emissions targets that need to be met, and automotive technology shifting towards emissions-free, the time is now to plan for a future New Zealand that embraces e-mobility.”

Drive Electric proposes five key actions for the next Government.

It wants development of a bi-partisan pathway for the transport sector to deliver New Zealand’s climate change objectives. This should feature clear targets and a well-defined transition pathway which engages industry and has bi-partisan support. This would create investment certainty for future governments, transport agencies, businesses and individuals.

It wants businesses to be encouraged to purchase EVs for their fleets. Such vehicles are yet to reach price parity with new petrol and diesel vehicles, and corporates may need additional encouragement to invest in them in the short term. Policy initiatives such as changing fringe benefit tax to enable private use of corporate EVs, or increasing the rate of depreciation of such cars, would incentivise their uptake. Other tax and purchase incentives could be explored, based on international experience in markets such as Sweden.

It wants the Government to take leadership in EV use. Currently, less than 1 per cent of the government fleet of 16,000 vehicles are EVs, and yet the New Zealand Government Procurement body has a goal to have the government’s fleet emissions-free by 2025. The Government could take a leadership position by executing on this position and moving the entire fleet to electric.

It wants New Zealand made a globally attractive market for EVs. Without a clear target and pathway to transition, the country risks being overlooked by international car manufacturers as a market for new technology, competitive pricing and ranges in EVs. Worse, without clear government guidance on EV targets and emissions standards, we risk becoming a dumping ground for cheap petrol/diesel and hybrid vehicles from UK and Japan as they move to EVs.

It wants New Zealanders to be encouraged to move to EVs. Setting a bi-partisan target and transition pathway would create future certainty for motorists to consider EVs, especially as the cost of ownership reaches parity.

A discussion document produced by Drive Electric in support of its new campaign says transforming New Zealand’s fleet to EVs would have positive impacts beyond reducing emissions.

The country would be less reliant on foreign oil, which would reduce the balance of payments. Air pollution would reduce. Over time, families would save money on fuel and operating costs, particularly as the total cost of ownership of EVs is set to reach parity with petrol and diesel vehicles before 2025.

“Finally, New Zealand is an ideal market for electrification, because our electricity is renewable,” says the document.

Drive Electric is a not-for-profit organisation with a membership that represents the entire e-mobility ecosystem including electricity companies, car manufacturers, and finance companies. The five key policy platforms were devised by these members, supported by external experts including investment consultant Dr Paul Winton, economist Shamubeel Eaqub, and sustainability consultant James Walker.

Dr Winton, the founder of climate action group the 1Point5 Project, says reaching 250,000 EVs in the national fleet by 2025 is a challenging but realistic target for New Zealand.

“If we were to achieve EV adoption rates similar to what Norway has today for new-to-fleet vehicles by 2025, this would result in 250,000 EV in the light fleet. If we continued at that rate, our light fleet would comprise 30-40 per cent electric or zero emissions vehicles by 2030.

Dr Winton claims New Zealand’s transition would be easier than when Norway began 10 years ago, because EVs are becoming less expensive and more capable.

“By 2025 there will be no clear reason for consumers or businesses not to buy EVs. To buy a petrol or diesel vehicle in 2025 would be to buy a car that is more expensive at the outset, more expensive to run and repair, has a shorter lifespan, performs worse, and with higher emissions.”

Toyota Yaris: Tapping into heightened buyer awareness

The fourth generation of Toyota’s baby hatch has finally arrived – here’s what we can tell you without having yet had chance to drive it (you’ll find out why in the story).

MIGHT an incoming high-set crossover version of the new Yaris so overshadow the orthodox models arriving now as to endanger their ongoing showroom presence?

The possibility of this has been acknowledged by the brand’s national boss.

“I believe over the next 12 to 18 months that Yaris Cross will be the Yaris hatch replacement,” says Toyota New Zealand’s newly-installed chief executive, Neeraj Lala, in speaking to changing trends in the light car category. 

“Given the trends in the market and given that this car (the Cross) has such high appeal to a slightly older demographic, I think the Yaris Cross will be the dominant small car for us. 

the yaris cross is about six weeks from release.

“What that means for Yaris hatchback moving forward we will wait and see.”

Though it has never been able to emulate the volumes achieved by Toyota’s most popular car, the Corolla, Yaris has traded as a solid performer across three preceding generations, though registrations have diminished in the past two years, from 2002 in 2018 to 1802 last year.

The light car sector still achieves around 10,000 to 11,000 units per year for an 11 percent share of new car sales, according to Toyota NZ. Yet the market leader’s optimism about where is going seems greater than general industry sentiment. Many brands have struggled and core historic rival, Ford, has become so disillusioned as to pull mainstream editions of the Fiesta and instead pin all hope on a performance ST.

TNZ’s ongoing positivity seems driven in large part because it is strengthening its private buyer business and now has a hybrid drivetrain.

Yet it is also acknowledging change in consumer taste. Hence why the Yaris Cross is just weeks away from introduction.

TNZ has yet to fully unwrap its plans for this derivative, but as a spin-off design off the same engineering and design base as the pathfinder hatchbacks it could well also fully replicate the hatchback line which comprises four 1.5-litre petrols, all driving through CVTs, two with a hybrid drivetrain, and in GX and ZR specification grades. 

Being taller and with greater ground clearance than the donor – though only for show (no additional off-seal competence is claimed) – the Cross will potentially have a premium over the hatches, which range from $25,990 to $32,990, unless a special paint finish is chosen. That adds $500. 

A crossover is just one new direction for Yaris – it is also set to configure here as a fully hot hatch by year-end.

Inspiration for the wild 192kW/360Nm four-wheel-drive turbocharged GR (for Gazoo Racing) car comes from Toyota’s entry in the wavering World Rally Championship and is also fired by the brand’s determination to rev up its showroom image.

The GR will be the basis for a replacement for the Yaris that currently competes in WRC and would assuredly have been seen in action here in September had not our round been skittled by coronavirus.

Interestingly, the brand has already started the GR push in Japan with a curious concoct called the RS. This delivers the same imposing wide-hipped body, bespoke aero package, twin exhaust outlets and ultra-wide stance of the full-fat GR but runs the mainstream petrol engine. There’s no talk of it coming here.

TNZ has already taken 20 firm orders for the GR and says this interest has been enough to persuade Japan to provision more than the five units it originally earmarked for NZ for this year.

TNZ’s enthusiasm for the additional family members notwithstanding, it also sees interest in the Yaris as it presents just now being re-energised.

The model going to a fresh platform promising better driving feel, a lift in safety equipment and the hybrid’s efficiency have been cited as factors expected to raise the car’s game and status.

The latter might seem of especial interest, though the tech has taken its sweet time getting here. While this is the first hybrid Yaris available new here, it’s actually the third Toyota has created: The predecessors were based on the gen three car that NZ took from 2011; the first went into production in 2012 then was radically re-engineered four years on. However, it was only ever available in certain markets, none at this end of the world.

This latest one looks a lot more convincing than the predecessors, even though the pure electric operability is as limited as on any other Toyota hybrid – basically, the battery-only impetus avails at start-up, in reverse and at very low speed, for very limited duration, moving forward. In keeping with the Toyota/Lexus hybrid culture, it of course also lacks capability for plug-in replenishment, a feature required to establish connection as an electric car. 

Yaris misses out on claiming as the country’s cheapest battery-assisted new passenger product - that title being recently snared by the Suzuki Swift hybrid.

Yet it certainly stakes a strong claim for market-leading efficiency (76 grams per 100km) and economy, siting as the most fuel efficient car in New Zealand without the ability to run on batteries alone, with the lithium ion battery-fed 85kW drivetrain eking an official combined consumption of 3.3 litres per 100km. 

That figure gives it a narrow lead over other established sippers, nonetheless. For instance, it’s just a 0.1L/100km advantage over the claimed optimal from a full-sized Prius and a 0.6L/100km advantage over a car that would set to now be bumped from the market, as it’s been around for eight years.

That’s the Prius C, which also sits in a lower tech level by having nickel hydride batteries. The closest rival outside Toyota is the Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid, which delivers 3.4L/100km. As always, all this becomes somewhat theoretical in real-world conditions anyway. 

Still, Lala reckons those factors will be acknowledged by the Green-minded, saying: “With the … hybrid, you know you will be reducing your carbon footprint.”

The 1.5-litre engine also does its bit, through applying the Atkinson-cycle principles that have featured in previous fuel-eking Toyota petrol engines, but in a three-cylinder format. Toyota claims the 1.5 has a rated thermal efficiency of 40 percent, which it says is greater than comparable diesel engines. Emissions are higher that the hybrid, at 114g/km, yet the standard engine is more efficient than the outgoing car’s by some margin. 

So how does it go? Erm ….

Opportunity to independently assess the model’s mettle and verify Lala’s claim of this being “the most premium small car Toyota has built” that “lends a driving experience unrivalled in the segment” and is built to be fun has been left unfulfilled.

 TNZ broke with the convention of a media gathering at a central location with cars on hand to drive, instead favouring a remote internet conference, with 90 minutes of presentations beaming out from TNZ HQ, which last week announced as the first site in Palmerston North to achieve 5G.

 A fallout from Covid-19 concerns? Certainly, several past such national events conducted by other brands have been – but only during lockdown. Now, of course, we are free of restrictions on travel and mingling.

 However, TNZ reckoned it didn’t see potential from a traditional media gathering, on grounds that it couldn’t corral enough cars for a drive programme. (Yes, just to remind, this IS the brand that dominates the market we’re talking about; primarily being serviced by factories in Japan, whose production was largely unscathed by coronavirus). It has promised to stage an orthodox event for the Yaris Cross and GR in October.

 As previously reported, this Yaris runs two kinds of CVT – the pure petrol’s coming, in ZR form, with paddle controls and an astounding, potentially bewildering 10-speeds – and also breaks ground by achieving the latest Toyota Safety Sense package as standard.

 Even the entry-level car gets dynamic radar cruise control and lane-tracing assist. In a Toyota first, front seat centre aisle airbags have been added to reduce the risk of the driver and front passenger colliding during a side-on collision.

 The pre-collision system has also been updated to use a camera, radar and autonomous emergency braking to avoid or mitigate the effects of a crash and it is the first Toyota to gain two collision avoidance systems, delivering automatic braking and steering intervention, previously restricted to some Lexus product.

 Aside from detecting vehicles and pedestrians both day and night, and cyclists during the day, the full system is also claimed to detect and automatically brake to avoid other vehicles and pedestrians when turning at intersections. The on-board camera can also recognise speed signs and alert drivers if they’re going above the posted limits and also facilitates a lane-keep function.

 The ZR variants also feature blind spot monitor plus front and rear parking sensors that can trigger the brakes to avoid contact.

 It is the next Toyota to adopt full smartphone integration including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Functionality is via a large, high resolution touchscreen that stands out as one of the high-quality features now in a cabin in which, Toyota says, trims are now more premium.

 The GX has a black interior, while the ZR has a contrasting grey and black interior with red accents, both with cloth trims. The ZR has sports style seats, climate control air conditioning, smart entry with push button start, digital speedometer and a heads-up display.

 TNZ is promoting this fourth-generation Yaris as being more spacious than predecessors. The front seats have been moved outwards by 10mm to create more space between the driver and front passenger, while the seats are lower in the vehicle also. More storage space has been added in the front console, under the audio unit and in front of the front passenger.

The Yaris and Yaris Cross have the same 2560mm wheelbase, but the hatch is 240mm shorter overall, the crossover adding 60mm to the front overhang and 180mm to the rear, to ensure more interior space. The ground clearance is 60mm higher with the Cross and, with 1550mm height, the hatch is 90mm lower and 20mm narrower overall.

The maker is also asking consumers to take note of the car’s “new energetic and sporty look”. The GX features new 15-inch steel wheels with cover, while the ZR has two-tone machine- finished 16-inch alloys. 

Keeping with that theme, the ZR is available in two two-tone options – an ebony roof coupled with either eclectic blue or coral exterior paint options.

The combined effect of the improvements does hit the bottom line, of course. Take note that the outgoing line priced between $23,290 and $27,490 when it launched back in 2012. However, Lala says the impetus has not been to sell Yaris as the cheapest car but as the best; TNZ research also suggests buyers are increasingly looking for more premium features in the choices, and don’t mind paying a little extra for it.