M enthusiasts, this is for you

A quick trip to BMW’s fantasy burb where everyone drives … well, need it be spelled out?

HERE’S the latest ‘M Town’ commercial, that features some of the company’s finest performance vehicles ever.

BMW says M Town is the most successful digital campaign it has run for the M division and in this film, dubbed ‘The Drop’, the protagonist drives a red E30 M3 from the BMW M Heritage Fleet.

In total, 18 M models are featured in the video, including the likes of the M2 CS, M4 GTS, M3 GTS, M5, and an E46 M3. The film also provides us with a quick glimpse of the upcoming M3 Touring in the clip, with BMW M chiuef executive Markus Flasch leaning the rear. Plus check out the bloke hefting an electric charger wearing the most powerful letter in the world. A hint an electric M car is coming to those who didn’t already know (spoiler alert: It’s based on the i4 sedan) .

 “M Town is the most successful digital campaign from the BMW M GmbH, particularly as the entire BMW M Community throughout the world actively participates and shapes it,” director of global sales and marketing at BMW M Lothar Schupet.

“This enthusiasm and this identification create that very special something that makes BMW M so unique. Therefore, we are happy to continue this success story with the next film whilst also giving a small glimpse into the future.”

Modest revisions with XV’s mid-life update

Apart from the opportunity to order it with a LOUD colour, implementation of an SI drive and a restyling to bring it in line with the XV Hybrid that landed earlier this year are the biggest changes.

THREE years on from original launch, the second-generation Subaru XV has received a freshen, the biggest single change being to implement the make’s Subaru Intelligent Drive.

SI Drive in Subaru speak is a drive-mode system, already seen in other models, that alters engine mapping to influence torque characteristics and throttle efficiencies. In Premium models SI Drive will include X-Mode — a calibration designed for snow and mud.

The 2021 car can be picked out from achieving a new front bumper, fog lights, grille and an altered side-cladding. Most of the changes are designed to mirror those found on the XV e-Boxer Hybrid, launched locally earlier this year.

A new style of alloy wheel (17-inchers on most models, and 18s on the Premium model), and there’s a vibrant new colour — Plasma Yellow Pearl.

Auto door locks become standard across the range and the Premium achieves front and side-view cameras, and an auto-dipping wing mirror on the passenger side.

Subaru defines the XV as its ‘small SUV’ within a family that also includes

Devil of a time with this famous Lamborghini

On release, it imprinted as the world’s fastest production car.

BEST get used to a heavy, truck-like gear shift and best not look underneath: The basic frame construction is … well … particularly artisan enough to suggest the ‘devil’ is not in the detail.

So says John Bellamore, vehicle collections manager for the country’s top car museum, Southward’s on Wellington’s Kapiti Coast, when discussing a rare gem among the hundreds of cars on display. 

“I drove it down here from Auckland and it was … (expletive deleted). It was probably brilliantly in 1997.” But a reality check by today’s standards. “Ah …. yeah.”

Still, despite all its foibles and shortcomings, he loves the Lamborghini Diablo as being an exemplar of where exotic Italian sports car design stood in the 1990s, a time when it imprinted for a period as the world’s fastest production car.

Today the two-seaters greater strength is an eye-catching attraction. It stands few peers in a collection far from short of marvels of automobilia – the dramatic, impossibly low wedge shape almost as wide as it is long, those trademark scissor doors… and, of course, that absolute beast of an engine, a 5.7-litre V12.

On top of that, the Southward collection’s car is an ultra rare open top version, called the Spyder, thought be one of just two of two produced by the factory in the year of its manufacture, 1997.

Why talk about Diablo today? Because Lamborghini has taken time out to recall this being the week when, 30 years ago, this car went into production.

The car’s story, however, began five years before with the Project 132. Styled by Marcello Gandini, it was then revised by Chrysler’s Design Centre, as the American car maker became the majority shareholder in the Italian company in the meantime.

It was tuned with input from famous rally champion Sandro Munari and officially stood as the fastest production car in the world at the time of its launch, capable of a top speed of 325 km/h. 

The first iteration was a handful: No power steering and electronic driving aids, yet it did feature leather upholstery, electric windows, electrically adjustable seats and air conditioning.

Four-wheel drive was introduced in 1993 in the Diablo VT,  also featured other mechanical and visual improvements.  

The SE30 boasted 390kW, a considerable step up from the original’s 361kW and 580Nm of torque, though the 6.0-litre unit in the special series models and racers was even gruntier.

Two years later, the saga continued with the Diablo that was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show and had rear-wheel drive, 380kW and an adjustable rear wing.  

The open-top variant was launched in December of 1995 as the brand’s first 12-cylinder, mass-produced convertible, with four-wheel drive and revised styling. 

With Audi purchasing Lamborghini in 1999, the Diablo was upgraded once more.

Top designer Luc Donckerwolke left his signature on the supercar, which was joined by the VT and VT Roadster.

All three were updated inside and out, and the engine developed 369kW and 605Nm of torque. Moreover, for the first time, the Diablo came with ABS and variable valve lift system.

However, all through its life the Diablo maintained a chassis and construction that was, well, “interesting”, Bellamore says.

“If you ever look underneath one … well, the tube in the chassis is basically all inch box section. It’s just not what you’d expect with a lumping V12 sitting in the back there.”

He is upfront that the Diablo was a second choice car when they got it; the aim was to secure the car it replaced, the Countach, but one could not be bought for love nor money.

In hindsight, though, the Diablo has proven to be worthy of selection, because it’s just a magnet for attention.

The doors were the famous touch and the design was a credit to them, he says.

With 2903 units built, the Diablo was eventually retired in 2001 and was replaced by the Murcielago, which was then replaced by the Aventador in 2011.

Buddy's winning heaps of mates

Start with a Toyota RAV4, render in classic Chevrolet sports utility cues … and, it’s the start of a special friendship.

SEEMS everyone wants to meet the Buddy, a Toyota RAV4 alchemised into something like an American Chevrolet sports utility from the 1980s.

It’s the latest work from Japan’s 10th largest passenger vehicle producer, a brand you can only name check from used import rosters, and since being revealed in Japan last month has attracted so much attention the entire production for the next two years is accounted for.

Mitsuoka Motors doesn’t export, yet even so it has developed something of a worldwide reputation for its speciality  - putting a retro spin on popular modern models.  

It’s been busy in recent years with the Himiko, a rebody of the previous generation of the world’s best selling sports car, the Mazda MX-5, so that it looks a bit like a 1980s’ Morgan, and the Viewt, a half-scale homage to the legendary Jaguar Mk II of the 1960s. Based off the Nissan March, which was sold new here as the Micra until five years ago, that one stayed in production for 25 years and achieved sales exceeding 12,000 units. A small number has found their way to NZ.

Those cars are now yesterday’s news. Consumers are now hankering for sports utilities – and so the Buddy was born to meet that demand.

The design influence comes from the Chevrolet Blazer pick up truck-based wagons produced for North America in the early 1980s.

The shiny grille and the two-piece rectangular headlights and the rear-end reshape are particularly reminiscent.

Even though the donor model has a relatively squared silhouette, the Buddy is much boxier still, so quite a few exterior panels have been replaced or at least altered.

The wheels as well. Buyers can order the Buddy with ‘dog dish’ hubcaps and vintage-looking wheels.  

Once again, the reproduction is a physically smaller vehicle than those that it draws inspiration from.

Don't expect to find a 454-cubic-inch V8 in the engine bay or a period-correct column shift  transmission; Mitsuoka has kept the original Toyota drivetrain in place.  

In this respect, though, the Buddy is at the leading edge of technology, in that the top version is provisioned with the electric-assisted 2.5-litre petrol hybrid setup that has become the most popular choice for Kiwi RAV4 buyers. 

AS said, if you’d like an example of this artisan car, be prepared to join a long queue. Mitsuoka doesn’t work in high volumes. They reckon on knocking out 50 next years and 150 in 2022 - and every build slot for the next two years is spoken for.

 Pricing for the Buddy starts at the equivalent of $64,000 for the non-electrified model and rises to just under $84k for the hybrid.

Audi’s baby Q joins plug-in hybrid gang

No word yet about NZ introduction timing.

THE SMALLEST offer in Audi’s sports utility portfolio has joined the plug-in hybrid club.

There’s no word from Audi New Zealand about when the Q3 TFSIe will become available here, but it goes on sale in Europe in March. 

The new edition uses a 1.4 TSI turbo petrol engine aided by an 85kW electric motor.

Power for the electric half of the drivetrain comes from a 13kWh battery, which when fully-charged gives the Q3 TFSIe an electric-only range of 51km on the WLTP cycle. Combined power is 182kW, with 400Nm of torque, and Audi claims a 0-100km/h time of 7.3 seconds.

The plug-in hybrid tech is available in both the standard Q3 and in the Q3 Sportback and is badged as a '45 TFSIe' in current Audi badging-speak.

Audi claims both return figures of 32 to 39g/km of CO2 and fuel economy of 1.4 litres per 100km.

The Q3 plug-in’s commitment to eco-minded motoring is quite pronounced. It will always start-up in electric mode unless it's in very cold conditions and, when running in 'Auto Hybrid' mode, an engine-off coasting feature will often enact, which helps to save a little extra fuel. The computers that decide how best to juggle electric and petrol power can also take info from the sat-nav to predict how best to deploy that power. 

There is, of course, the option to charge the battery while driving, and there's an S setting for the gearbox which allows brief bursts of maximum torque, gauged to be 330Nm, released from the electric motor for hard acceleration.

Audi suggests the brake energy recuperation system can recover 40kW of power during braking. Charging from a home socket with 3.6kW output, the Q3's battery can be recharged in just under four hours, and you can use the MyAudi smartphone app to monitor and schedule that charging.

The battery pack does impact on boot space – Audi cites it at 380 litres – but the cabin and exterior styling are essentially unchanged, aside from the addition of an extra cover for the charging point.

Toyota NZ urges Government to rev up climate stance

Country’s top car seller says a feebate a must to get wheels moving

Neeraj Lala.

NEW Zealand risks becoming the “Cuba of the South Pacific”, a dumping ground of Europe’s dirty diesels and high carbon-emitting petrol-fuelled cars.

That’s the view of Toyota New Zealand’s chief executive officer, Neeraj Lal, reacting to recent occurrences of political shift toward encouraging a shift from fossil fuels and toward more environmental motoring solutions, including battery-motivated products.

His comments come in the wake of two big headline actions: The move by the United Kingdom to ban sale of new fossil-fuelled cars after 2030 and our own Government’s determination this week to formally joined 32 other countries around the world in declaring a state of climate emergency for New Zealand. 

The NZ initiative brings with it a revitalised focus on electrifying its public service vehicle fleet, thorough prioritising fully electric and hybrid cars, and plans to become carbon neutral by 2025. 

That’s conceivably a switch Toyota NZ cannot leverage to advantage as much as some other brands as even though Toyota hybrid cars are highly favoured by private and fleet buyers, they are not considered electric models, because they lack facility to recharge off the mains.

The Government’s climate response decision has been welcomed by not-for-profit pressure group Drive Electric, though this organisation - which involves 17 new car brands, including TNZ - says the move still doesn’t go far enough.

Mr Lala says the UK’s move is both an encouragement to New Zealand policy-makers and a danger sign that this country could be flooded with used internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles at the end of this decade.
 
New Zealand needs to work urgently on the right policy settings that encourage much higher take up of electrified vehicles through meaningful financial incentives, he said today. 

“We also need to make sure that we do not end up importing vast numbers of ICE passenger vehicles. Otherwise there is no hope of meeting the Paris Agreement’s 2050 net-zero carbon target.”

A push by new vehicle distributors, via their representative body, the Motor Industry Association, to introduce the ‘feebate’ that incentivises purchase of low and no-emissions cars has TNZ’s support. Mr Lala said the scheme, proposed in the last Parliamentary term by kyboshed by the Government’s then-partner, NZ First, has much merit.

The core element of the scheme is that it incentivises private and fleet buyers of low-emitting vehicles by adding a levy to high-emitting vehicles and using that revenue to reduce the price of low-emitting vehicles costing less than $80,000.

Mr Lala also reminds that the era of Covid-19 has affected car makers ability to produce and ship vehicles.

“As the worldwide supply of hybrid and battery electric vehicles becomes stretched due to global demand, New Zealand will find it harder and harder to access stock without a financial incentive.

“Essentially, we need to get our hybrid and EV numbers up to get higher stock allocations.  

“The feebate scheme should be back on the table, urgently. Toyota New Zealand has opened a dialogue with the Minister of Transport, Michael Wood, and will continue to advocate for financial incentives for electrified vehicles.”

TNZ is easily the biggest seller of mild hybrid vehicles in this country – and is now seeing hybrid editions of popular models outselling their fully fossil-fuelled equivalents. However none will conceivably be considered when Government weans off fossil-fuelled cars in public service use and into electric models, as proposed.

the rav4 hybrid has become massively popular and outsells the fully fossil-fuel alternates.

The market leader has just one plug-in hybrid car, a version of the Prius, but will add another, in the form of a PHEV edition of its most model of the moment, the RAV4. It has plans to deliver an electric car in 2021.

Mr Lala has applauded Government for confronting environmental issues, but says it needs to put financial resources behind its policy.

“Companies such as Toyota (NZ) would be willing to supply the public sector with low-emitting vehicles, but not at cost – it needs to be a win-win for both parties.
 
“With transport emissions accounting for nearly 20 percent of all carbon output, we have a large influence on how New Zealand will progress to a zero-carbon economy. The transition to a low emissions transport market comes with a price tag, but the cost of not enabling a greater uptake of low emissions vehicle could cost Aotearoa/New Zealand and the planet a lot more.”
 

Government’s EV push a sweet synch with Hyundai announcement

The drive has begun to stock the Government fleet with electrics by 2025 – sweet timing, perhaps, for an already favoured brand.

The new e-gmp platform is a breakthrough for Hyundai that will underpin 23 new Hyundai, Genesis and Kisa vehicles between 2021 and 2025.

ARRIVAL timing of a swathe of battery-compelled Hyundai and Kia products atop a new dedicated electric architecture announced by their parent overnight could time sweetly with Government impetus to shift its fleet into that technology. 

The Government has formally joined 32 other countries around the world in declaring a state of climate emergency for New Zealand, bringing with it a revitalised focus on electrifying its vehicle fleet, thorough prioritising fully electric and hybrid cars, and plans to become carbon neutral by 2025. 

The decision has been welcomed by not-for-profit pressure group Drive Electric, though this organisation - which involves 17 new car - says the move still doesn’t go far enough.

It could be sweet news for Hyundai New Zealand, a Drive Electric member which is already established as the leading provider of electric cars – defined as passenger vehicles that can plug into mains replenishment (which excludes hybrid cars) - for public service usage, with its Ioniq and Kona, though in the overall scheme of things that involvement is token.

Of the 15,000 vehicles that could be defined as Government vehicles, just over 100 vehicles are electric.

A case of Ioniq irony? The current Ioniq is different to the Ioniq 5, so far only seen in concept form (below) that will be the first car on the E-GMP platform.

Even so, Government has now pledged all of its cars will have some degree of electrification by 2025 and determined to trade in internal combustion vehicles for either fully electric replacements or hybrids if EVs aren’t deemed fit for purpose.

 Quite coincidentally, the announcement timing synched with one overnight from Hyundai, this about a brand-new electric skateboard architecture that will underpin of the electric future for Hyundai and Kia cars and SUVs, as the basis for 23 products coming out between next year and 2025.

 E-GMP (for Electric Global Modular Platform) is a flexible architecture and an undertaking that lifts Hyundai’s electric car development to a much higher level, in that with exception of the batteries, it’s an entirely in-house achievement, requiring no reliance of components sourced from outside suppliers, as has been necessary with the current Hyundai-Kia electrics: Ioniq hatch and the Kona and Kia Niro SUVs.

With E-GMP every aspect, even motor design, is brought in-house: The same process Telsa undertakes.

 Hyundai’s underpinning is a rear-drive set-up that can also format, with addition of a second motor, to all-wheel-drive. It enables a range of up to 500km, develop as much as 447kW and take just 18 minutes to reach 80 percent battery capacity when using a high-speed charger.

The first vehicle on this new platform is the Ioniq 5, which has so far only been seen in concept form (where it was called the 45). Ioniq 5, should not be confused (but probably will be) with the current Ioniq, which presents in mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully electric form.

Hyundai announced earlier this year it intends to start a whole new EV sub-brand, akin to Volkswagen’s ID line, called … Ioniq. The Ioniq 5 is the first of the new family’s products. It’s a medium crossover, larger than the Ioniq hatch.

But that’s just a pathfinder. E-GMP is intended for 23 new Hyundai, Genesis and Kia vehicles in car and SUV formats over the next four years, including a high-performance model that will be shown off next year.

That car will be capable of 0-100kmh in less than 3.5 seconds and have a top speed of 260km/h, with rear- and all-wheel-drive versions available. To save energy, the front motor on the latter will decouple from the wheels when it's not needed.

 Hyundai has not shared details on battery pack size, but said that it's targeting 500 kilometres of range – a sizeable leap on the abilities from its current electric products.

By bundling the components, Hyundai said, it raised the maximum speed of the motor by up to 70 percent compared to existing motors, despite its small size.  

EVs based on the new platform will be capable of charging to 80 percent in 18 minutes, thanks to an 800-volt architecture that supports charging speeds up to 350kW. A five-minute charge can add about 100km.

The E-GMP also supports bidirectional charging; meaning that it can – in markets that allow this - can be configured to discharge its energy from its battery back to the grid or to a house. The vehicle-to-load (V2L) function supplies 3.5 kW of power which, according to Hyundai, can operate a mid-size air conditioner and a 55-inch TV for 24 hours. Alternately, it can be used to charge another EV.

The national distributor for Kia says it has no comment to make about E-GMP. Hyundai NZ has yet to respond to an invitation to provide its thoughts.

NZ-bound MX-30 sees stars in crash test

Euro NCAP analysis generally praised, but pointed out a perceived shortcoming.

THE next Mazda set for New Zealand introduction, also the marque’s first fully electric car, has just undergone an important validation – securing a respectable crash test score.

The MX-30’s performance in tests run by Euro NCAP, the sister organisation to the Australiasian New Car Assessment Programme part-funded by NZ tax payers, was good enough to secure a maximum five-star rating, with praise for its impressive front-end safety structure and far-side restraints.

Those systems helped it achieve a 91 percent score for adult occupant protection and 87 percent for child occupant protection.

It also achieved 68 and 73 percent for the Pedestrian and Safety Assist respectively.

However, the car’s collision avoidance capabilities didn’t impress as much.

The EV scored 73 percent for its safety assistance systems and 68 percent for vulnerable road users collision avoidance capabilities.

Euro NCAP described the latter score as a “mediocre test performance”, noting the car lacks “more advanced functionalities, such as turn-across-path intervention.”

What also requires consideration, though, is that the test ramped up this year to become tougher than ever.

Michael van Ratingen, the secretary general of Euro NCAP, said the latest five-star ratings demonstrate that the 2020 protocols are “having a tangible impact on the safety equipment and crash performance of car models in Europe, including the latest electrified vehicles.”

Feebate 'best' route to lower exhaust emissions

Forget about banning gas guzzlers – convince motorists to buy low-emission vehicles, says the new car industry’s voice.

The lower a passenger vehicle’s emissions, the bigger the incentive, the MIA believes.

NEW vehicle importers have begun urging the Government to introduce a feebate scheme to accelerate the uptake of low-emission vehicles.

In a move obviously designed to see off any chance of an outright ban on importing vehicles fuelled by petrol or diesel, as has just been suggested by the Green Party, the Motor Industry Association, which presents new vehicle distributors, is pushing for new policies aimed at incentivising motorists to buy passenger models with the cleanest exhaust emissions – or none at all.

Chief executive David Crawford says members are strong supporters of having effective policies to encourage the reduction of carbon emissions from transport.

The way to do that is not to introduce policies aimed singularly at limiting vehicle supply. This would happen if the Government adopted the United Kingdom’s decision to ban pure petrol and diesel vehicles from as early as 2030. More preferable is to have policies that influence demand by incentivising the adoption of low technology technologies, Crawford says.

Such policies would be effective tools so long as they were implemented in a way that addressed the price premiums the low-emission vehicles have, he adds.

And the best way to achieve that is to introduce a feebate scheme that encourages car buyers to choose vehicles that are more efficient and less polluting, through rewarding those who do by giving them a rebate on the purchase price, funded by fees added to the price of less efficient vehicles.

“Because the distribution of new vehicles in New Zealand is a derived demand model, a well-designed feebate scheme incentivises change as it influences the purchase decision,” he says.

“This in turn alters the mix of models supplied by distributors which is more influenced by what is bought, and therefore restocked, rather than policies aimed singularly at limiting supply.

“Low emission technology is expensive, so policies that address low emission vehicle affordability are likely to be the most effective tools available to the Government.”

The previous Government proposed a ‘clean car initiative’, a ‘clean car standard’ (which would be a vehicle fuel-efficiency standard) and a ‘clean car discount’ (which would apply a rebate or penalty depending on exhaust emissions).

At the time, the MIA said it welcomed sensible discussions on ways to make vehicles cleaner and greener, and it promised the new car sector would work constructively with Government to help  create the best mix of policies to achieve that outcome.

The organisation didn’t like the ‘clean car standard’, because it implied that distributors had a significant influence on what vehicles Kiwi motorists chose to buy. It claimed that policies aimed at controlling supply into our market, imposed artificial controls that could distort the market.

But the MIA was particularly keen on the proposed ‘clean car discount’, as it would send a very clear signal to consumers and would over time increase demand for lower emitting vehicles. The MIA said that in its view it would be the most powerful policy available to the Government to influence car purchase decisions.

However, later in the year the whole ‘clean car initiative’ came to a screeching halt when the kybosh was put on the proposal by New Zealand First, a partner in the then coalition Government.

The MIA is asking for the ‘clean car discount’ to get picked up again by the new Labour Government, and as originally suggested it should apply to all light vehicles of less than 3500 kilograms gross vehicle mass.

Under the MIA’s proposed feebate scheme, vehicles with CO2 outputs of 230 grams per kilometre and above would pay a penalty, those with emissions of between 100-230 g/km would be in a “neutral” zone, those with emissions of between 50 and 100 g/km – which would be some hybrids and most PHEVs - would attract a low rebate, and those with CO2 outputs below 50 g/km would attract the highest level of rebate.

“If the Government were prepared to put say $10 million a year for several years into the feebate scheme, then the level of rebate for low emissions vehicles could be higher thereby significantly increasing the rate of uptake of low emission vehicles,” says Crawford.

He adds that the level at which a fee or rebate (and the size of the neutral zone) would need to be lowered with each successive year, so that over time these would become more challenging. If the Government agreed to contribute to the rebate fund this would also reduce over time.

Here and gone – Endura’s short NZ residency

A big Canada-sourced five-seater SUV that only got here in mid-2018 is leaving Ford’s local line.

The endura as it released in May of 2018. By the end of that year it had a new look, new drivetrain, new tech.

TAKING a name suggestive of longevity wasn’t any help to the Ford Endura – two years on from its local launch, the big Canadian-made five seater sports utility has been dropped from New Zealand sale.

The Auckland-domiciled brand’s confirmation of the model’s demise was not unexpected; earlier this week the car’s only other right-hand-drive customer, Ford Australia, also pulled the plug. 

Ford NZ declined to comment on speculation that the car was doomed without our neighbour’s support, spokesman Tom Clancy suggesting that the car had been “reasonably successful” in our market.

He also cited that the model is set for complete withdrawal from production, as it does not synch with Ford’s move toward an electric vehicle future that demands specific platforms. The Endura’s underpinning is not suited to that purpose, he said.

He voiced same optimism expressed in Australia about Ford still having decent SUV strength without Endura; citing – as Melbourne’s PR team has –the recent expansion of that family to include the new Puma and Escape. In addition, Ford has a Everest off-roader.

Ford NZ says it never saw Endura coming in to reprise the opportunity left by the Falcon-derived Territory, a much-loved car in New Zealand that ended production on 2016.  

Because? Mainly on grounds the new model was a five-seater whereas Territory had room for seven. As does the Everest – though Ford also made clear that Ranger-based vehicle wasn’t a Territory equivalent, either. 

However, families looking for a large Ford might have viewed Endura (which would have been called Edge here, had not Toyota New Zealand claimed dibs to that name) differently. Despite offering fewer chairs it was similar sized and had similar performance traits to the big Aussie, including capability for some limited off-road operation.

 The car’s entry into the market in May, 2018, was interesting; the initial model offered was a short-term proposition, as it arrived in a $73,990 ST Line all-wheel-drive biturbo diesel format whose design dated back to 2014. It already been superseded in North America (where it represents as the Edge) and the United Kingdom.  

Ford NZ had 300 of the pre-facelift cars to sell then subsequently moved in December of 2018 into the refreshed product which offered specification and technical improvements, notably a drivetrain change.

The initial car’s 154kW/450Nm 2.7-litre V6 turbodiesel and six-speed direct shift gearbox was usurped by an eight-speed auto biturbo 2.0-litre diesel with 140kW and 400Nm, and one variant became three: Trend, ST-Line and Titanium, spanning from $53,490 to $69,990.

Ford NZ says it has a handful of cars left in stock.

Skoda on patrol

Winning the contract to provision Police with their next frontline patrol car seems set to significantly improve Skoda’s market share here.

COPPING the contract to replace the police’s Holden Commodore patrol cars with its Superb station wagon will likely at least double Skoda’s market share, the make has acknowledged.

 Neither Police nor Skoda NZ will say how cars are involved, but in a statement about the deal the Police identified that the NZ force presently has more than 2000 front-line cars nationally. 

Skoda New Zealand boss Rodney Gillard says this is by far his operation’s biggest fleet opportunity, much larger than a bulk deal to provision cars to Corporate Cabs, which started four years ago, is ongoing and has so far provisioned several hundred cars. 

Last year Skoda sold around 1500 cars in New Zealand, for a 1.6 percent passenger market share, and is looking at a 1200 unit tally this year, mainly to Covid-19’s impact on buying trends and product availability. He suggested this arrangement will put Skoda in front of a much bigger audience than it has at present and did not discount suggestion that the count might be high enough to double the annual registrations volume.

Police say the Superb wagon has been accepted in two 2.0-litre petrol versions, a 162kW front-drive and 206kW four-wheel-drive. The supply kicks in from April, 2021.

The cars are essentially standard production models, which will be converted into patrol guise on arrival in New Zealand, but equivalents that represent in the showroom are presently in slightly different tune; 140kW and 200kW.

The engines offered to Police have been in models presented here previously, and Skoda NZ has suggested they might yet return in other showroom-bound versions of the Superb. The closest equivalents on public sale at present appear to be the front-drive Super Style, which has the 140kW engine and costs $65,000, and the Superb Sportline 4x4, with the 200kW engine. It’s a $71,990 car. 

The fleet changeover was forced by General Motors determining in February that Holden, which held the contract for almost 20 years with the Commodore, would cease making cars and retire as a brand.

That took the NZ Police by surprise. The hunt for a new preferred vehicle supplier was fast-tracked; they went to the new car industry with a request for proposals in July and the tender closed on August 21. Seven brands presented 27 vehicles for consideration; of these 12 were short-listed for the job, including at least one hybrid and several electrics.

While police have declined to cite the brands, other than the contract winner, the testing process at Taupo racing circuit last month allowed for easy identification of the battery-compelled Hyundai Kona and the Tesla Model 3 (above) plus the Toyota Camry hybrid. None passed muster.

Though important for selection, track and on-road testing was not the only qualifier for passing muster. Police say the cars with electric drive technologies were not only thwarted by power efficiency limitations but also when considered on grounds of total cost of ownership.

However, that experience was been positive, they say. In their statement, Police says they have gained valuable real experience with electric and hybrid vehicles and been provided with practical learnings for their future implementation. “While the technology does not currently align with Police’s core business requirements, EVs and hybrids will continue to be tested as the technology improves in terms of vehicle performance and range.” 

 Even after the Superbs start coming into the front line, some of the force’s VF and ZB Commodores will still serve, as police cars are considered for replacement at an average age of six to seven years or once the clock up 120,000km, whichever comes first. 

Police said the Superbs stood out as the “ideal primary response vehicles” throughout the process; frontline staff said they handled well, and they felt confident and safe driving the vehicle.

The spaciousness of the rear passenger area also came in for praise; a reminder of how rear-seat capacity has been a sore point in respect to the ZB Commodore liftback. It was withdrawn from frontline duties in 2019 due to health and safety issues caused by a lack of headroom in the back. Those cars were replaced with ZB station wagons.

There had been speculation German manufacturer BMW would be a strong contender for the contract given it manufactures a range of purpose-built vehicles for law enforcement and are used by police in Australia. However, no BMWs were seen at the Taupo circuit test days.

BT-50 a passenger car with a tray

Mazda NZ has explained background to how it set pricing for its new one-tonne ute. They’ve made it part of their passenger car family.

DETERMINATION to align the BT-50 more naturally with its passenger models was a reason Mazda NZ gave when successfully winning head office approval to site the one-tonner into a price zone that has proven significantly different to that occupied by its Isuzu doppelganger.

That impetus also explains why the Auckland-centre distributor has bypassed worksite-biased variants in the D-Max family and focused purely on double cab automatics wellsides, in three rear-drives and three four-wheel-drives, formatting in GSX, GTX and Limited. 

The BT-50 rear-drives placing respectively at $47,490 GSX, $51,490 and $53,990, with the four-wheel-drive versions adding an additional $7000, leaves them undercutting their Isuzu equivalents, most obviously at flagship level, where the Limited 4x4 sites $14,500 below the top D-Max X-Terrain. The latter has additional body styling enhancements that, when added to the BT-50, do not reduce the gap significantly.

 Isuzu Utes New Zealand, which released its range a month before the BT-50 launch yesterday, has been asked to share its thoughts about Mazda NZ’s strategy, but has not responded.

While BT-50’s pricing also leaves it looking good against the category-dominating Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux, it’s the situation that exists between it and the D-Max that is most likely to create chat as the models are essentially one and the same under different skins.

Identical chassis, drivetrain, closely linked for bulk interior architecture and built in the same factory in Thailand, on a common line. Mazda was able to implement its own exterior styling, so few panels are shared, and had responsibility for the cabin’s look, but the ute is primarily enough of an Isuzu project for Mazda NZ to refer to their brand as being a customer.

David Hodge (pictured), Mazda NZ managing director, said he could not speak to how Isuzu chose to market the D-Max, but confirmed that BT-50 negotiations were conducted solely with Mazda HQ in Hiroshima, took more than a year and were based on persuading that aligning the BT-50 as not only a workhorse but also a lifestyle alternate to the CX-designated sports utilities would bring growth.

The caveat from persuading Japan to give the green light is that the big factor that has driven the ute market, willingness to discount, will be absent from the sales process for this one.

“Traditionally the (ute) segment has been about a high recommended retail and a high discount, and it’s been that way for a very long time,” Hodge says. 

“I think most retail buyers have not had to pay the full RRP for a long time and, if they were, they were probably paying too much.

“With passenger cars, certainly Mazda passenger cars, we’ve tried to make our pricing more transparent, and having our retail price close to what the transaction price is. We’ve now followed that example with the BT-50. 

“We don’t expect there will be discounts, but we think … we will have no problem selling it to buyers wanting to pay the price we ask. We think it is a fair price and still offers bloody good value for money.”

They’re not outright selling the BT-50 as a car, or even a straight out car alternate, but the intent is to sell it in the same way they would a passenger vehicle.

Says Hodge about the type: “It was once pretty much solely the vehicle for farmers, tradies and those in the construction industry.

“While they are still a very important buying segment … we wanted to create a truck that was equally capable of being a tough workhorse and also doing the business of transporting the family in comfort to outdoor leisure activities.

“A design that shines equally in all situations, all the way from rough off-road settings to passenger car-like comfort for active weekend life-stylers and families.”

Mazda NZ is confident a fresh step of now including the BT-50 in the Mazda Car programme that has previously been for passenger models, will pay dividend. The old model was subject to a less generous process than now. Buyers of the new benefit from the same cover that has been provisioned the make’s cars: So five years, 150,000km factory warranty and a fixed priced servicing programme, also over five years, in which any scheduled workshop time will never cost more than $250.

That servicing cost cap is a big driver for building trust, Hodge says. “Some of these services can be really, really expensive. If a customer feels they are being looked after by a dealership then they are more likely to want to stay with a brand.”

There’s a third identified strength with the latest model: It’s improved safety. Hodge says it is “as safe, if not safer, than any other new car on sale today.”

As much as Mazda NZ anticipates growth, and has established sales targets, it has no intent of making these public. The outgoing BT-50 was generally languishing at fifth on the annual ute sales roster, but with the new model offering so much more, and with the Holden Colorado – which usually held at third place behind Hiliux and Ranger even after its maker announced in February it was departing from the market – now out of the picture, it’s clear every lower-placed performer will see opportunity to move up.

Hodge doesn’t disagree, but he and product and sales planning manasger Tim Nalden say BT-50’s success will not be measured by chasing share; it’s more about customer satisfaction. 

“We’ll just accept where the market puts us,” says Hodge. “WE have a really successful passenger range, so we’re not heavily reliant on the BT-50. It sits alongside our passenger range as an extra vehicle, so we have a complete range. It’s not our do-or-die model.

“We’re pretty confident we are going to do alright with our truck, but the volume is what the volume will be. We will have limited amounts that we can get from the factory. It’s not a tap we can turn on quickly. We can increase volume, but it will take a while.”

In respect to this, Mazda NZ has still not had clarity from Japan about the plant’s operational status, which has been in question since Isuzu announced that production has curtailed, and might not restart until February, due to a Germany-based supplier of a vital part having been closed by Covid-19. Isuzu has intimated the vehicle cannot be built without a component only that supplier can provide. So it has closed the factory.

Well, apparently. Hodge says as far as Mazda NZ is concerned, the BT-50 is still in production until it is emphatically advised otherwise.

 “I cannot talk for Isuzu but everything we have been told is that our December production is firm. We have not heard anything about our January production but we will assume, until we hear otherwise, that this is also unaffected.”

Mazda drops BT-50 pricing bombshell

The Mazda BT-50 is out in fighting form, with a flagship whose position allows almost a small car-sized saving over its Isuzu equivalent.

 TWINS under the skin – but the Mazda BT-50 and Isuzu D-Max have proven somewhat less closely related when it comes to price, particularly at sales hot zone flagship level, where a $14,500 difference exists.

Focused purely on double cab automatics wellsides, Mazda’s mix comprises three rear-drives and three four-wheel-drives, formatting in GSX, GTX and Limited, the rear-drives respectively at $47,490 GSX, $51,490 and $53,990 and the four-wheel-drive versions adding an additional $7000.

So, three trim levels versus Isuzu’s four, no single or space cabs as in the partner’s mix and, so, fewer choices.

The line isn’t adverse to work, yet aims at a lifestyle-valuing customer chasing a reasonable passenger experience. It’s all about lifestyle balance, suggests product spokesman Tim Nalden.

“It’s rugged, it gets the job done … but it also offers new versatility outside of nine to five.”

On current trend, pure toilers aren’t requisite for volume expansion. Diesel utes achieve one in four new vehicle sales nationally, double cabs snare 94 percent of that volume and, within that, automatic uptake is high (86 percent). Three in every five utes sold in NZ are diesel, double cab and four-wheel-drive. So, what Mazda has now tailors very well to consumer taste.

And that’s where it gets interesting. Like its sister ship, BT-50 installs a remarkably high tech loading, particularly in respect to safety and driver assist. Like Isuzu, Mazda has felt need to raise its prices to account for this, yet at showroom level, the outcomes are quite different.

All weighing in Mazda’s favour? In scenarios of best specification equivalency with Isuzu’s models, the Mazdas seem to have price advantage.

That is most apparent when flagships are compared. Whereas Isuzu asks $75,490 for the high-tech and glam D-Max X-Terrain, Mazda NZ’s equivalent, the Limited, is a $60,990 vehicle.

The top choice models’ specifications are not identical; X-Terrain standardises with roof rails, fender flares, a rollout tonneau cover, rub liner and aero sports bar Mazda buyers will have to pluck from the accessories catalogue. Even after doing so, the BT-50 buyer is likely spending comfortably less.

The BT-50 enjoys keyless entry and start, a feature only on X-Terrain, in mid as well as high-grade trim; both flagships have part-leather seats but Mazda adds seat heating; the BT-50 is sold with a spare alloy wheel, where the D-Max ships with a steel spare and Mazda is confident it has an appealing warranty and servicing package, both five years and up to 150,000km (any service capped at $250), and five years roadside assist.

On top of that, both stand equally tall due to their maker (Isuzu) having gone to town on active and passive safety equipment in an attempt to establish technology and safety benchmarks.

Buy into either range and regardless of the variant you get eight airbags (including a segment-first “far side” restraint to separate driver and front passenger in a side collision), autonomous emergency braking, stop/go adaptive cruise, blind spot detection, lane departure warning/assist, forward collision avoidance, drive attention warning, automatic high-beam lights, rain-sensing wipers and a reversing camera.

The D-Max and BT-50 are the only two utes tested under the very latest ANCAP protocols; both achieved the maximum five score and, though other rivals have this too, their returns were achieved when the test was less stringent. The Isuzu just beat the Mazda on the Vulnerable Road User score (69 per cent versus 67), so it’s officially the safest one-tonne ute on the market right now.

Mazda’s pricing strategy is also bullish when compared for those for the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger, which are the dominant two choices with ute buyers, again resonating in the same formats Mazda brings, as well as the Mitsubishi Triton.

When comparison restricts to the top spec offers, the Limited undercuts the Ranger Wildtrak – and incoming $69,990 FX4 - but places $2000 above Hilux SR5 Cruiser, though Mazda’s spec is stronger, closer overall to Ford’s highest trim provisions and, in some instances, exceeding them.

However, the situation that exists with the BT-50 and D-Max is arguably most interesting, given that they are essentially one and the same under different skins. Identical chassis, drivetrain, closely linked for bulk interior architecture and are built in the same factory line, on a common line (which has closed until February due to Covid concerns).

It is not clear if suspension tuning is different between brands, but both offer same base level of performance of 140kW/450Nm from the 3.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine. Quoted fuel consumption is the same for both, with an 8.0L/100km combined claim for the shared auto transmissions; so, around 20 percent more efficient than the preceding BT-50’s five-cylinder. 

Both utes have a maximum braked towing capacity of 3500kg – pretty standard for a 4x4 double-cab ute – and both have payloads of 1050 to 1080kg. 

Off-road wise, they share approach, departure and ramp-over angles of 30.5, 24.2 and 23.8 degrees, respectively and each is able to wade in depths up to 800mm.

Look inside either and the cabins are very well equipped. Each receives a 9.0-inch infotainment screen which runs wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on top-spec models. A smaller digital read-out within the instrument cluster to provide key vehicle information. Entry-level variants in each range equip a 7.0-inch infotainment screen.

Dual-zone climate control, rear air vents, leather-appointed seats and keyless entry are other hallmarks in the higher-end models. 

 Fair to summarise that both new models are far advanced than their predecessors; all those extras unavoidably have to add to the bottom line. The old D-Max at full retail was positioned between $39,890 and $61,990, but an aggressive clearance over the last few months has delivered those editions for substantially reduced stickers. The previous BT-50, which will continue in some forms for months yet, was generally around $8000 less now.

The utes share few exterior panels because Mazda’s styling team has again worked to engender a tie to its car line; much more successfully than with the previous generation, which suffered from over-ambitious creativity and poor timing.

 Within 18 months of the last ute coming out, Mazda adopted a new styling ethos called Kodo which it still adheres to 10 years on. The old ute was right out of step; the new one not at all.

MIA: Feebates to encourage efficient cars better than outright ban

We’re not well-placed to even consider following the UK’s ban on selling fossil-fuelled new cars from 2030, the new vehicle industry contends.

CONTENTION New Zealand should follow Britain’s lead and pursue a ban of sale of fossil-fuelled cars and vans from 2030 has alarmed new vehicle importers, whose representative body says that deadline is way too close.

David Crawford, chief of the Motor Industry Association, which represents factory-appointed distributors, says his organisation does not dispute that a ban on pure petrol and diesel vehicles might become necessary at some future point.

However, thought proposed by Greens co-leader and Climate Change Minister James Shaw that NZ needs adopt the same policy announced in the UK this week, and introduce a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in 10 years, has alarmed and, the MIA contends, is based on poor information.

“2035 is too soon let alone 2030. Readily available and affordable alternatives are not yet apparent with the priority given to the development of left-hand drive markets. 

“I believe that some of the premises underlying James Shaw’s comments about doing the same in NZ are ill-informed.”

Mr Crawford explains that the new vehicle market operates off a derived demand model, not a supply model.

“Change what customers buy and we will change over time what is supplied. Supplying items that sell is where companies aim to operate.”

The MIA remains a supporter of the feebate Clean Car Policy thwarted under the previous Labour government by its then coalition partner, NZ First.

The proposal to encourage car buyers to choose vehicles that are more efficient and less polluting, through rewarding those who choose more efficient models by giving them a rebate on the purchase price – this funded by fees added to the price of less efficient vehicles – remains unreconciled. 

Had it got through, from next year, the most efficient vehicles up to three years old would have conceivably cost up to $8000 less, while the least efficient would cost up to $3000 more. Older used imports (sold in New Zealand for the first time) were to attract a maximum rebate of $2600 or a $1500 fee. 

Mr Crawford offers that a feebate would be much more effective than a ban.

“Bans will create a lot of issues, resentment and perverse behaviour. People will hold onto their old vehicles for much longer.”  

The main issue facing the NZ market is affordability and access to a suitable range of makes and models that fit customer needs, he adds. 

Having crunched the numbers, the MIA was certain the rise in transport emissions was not coming from new vehicles. He said Mr Shaw’s reference to diesel utes, which are popular are do produce relatively high emissions,  with comment about NZ’s love affair with Ford Ranger – usually the country’s best-selling one-tonner and occasionally its best selling vehicle on monthly count – was “shallow.”

“The sales-weighted average emissions for the new vehicle fleet is reducing year on year … not fast enough but it is reducing.

“The rise in transport emissions in NZ has more to do with the increase in the rate of vehicle ownership.

“Over the last decade it has gone from being well less than 700 vehicles per every 1000 people to well over 800.”

This, he contended, is mostly due to “the flood of cheap old, used imported vehicles.  

“Address the rate of vehicle ownership and we begin to address overall transport emissions.”

In direct respect to the UK’s ban, he said there were risks for that country, particularly in its standing as primary market. There are few right-hand drive markets; Britain is presently well-considered by car makers but there was potential its importance could diminish with this.

General Motors’ pulling out of right-hand drive market for sedans and SUVs around the world this year was effectively the death of Holden, a popular brand here.

“The point in favour for the UK, versus Australasia, is their market size. Their market might be big enough for manufacturers to prioritise development for their market. It’s a big question mark, though. 

He believes manufacturers will struggle “big time” to meet the UK’s timeline.

However, one positive for NZ is if makers do put more effort into meeting that timeline, “then it might mean we get a wider range of right-hand models developed sooner than what would normally be the case.”

If that were to unfold, NZ would be better to adopt policies to “make us a fast follower. Feebates to address affordability is the best approach in our view.”

Subaru NZ will leave BRZ to TNZ

The new BRZ will be here … but not as a Subaru

 IF you like the look of Subaru’s second-generation BRZ coupe … then buying it brand-new as a Toyota is your only choice. 

In the wake of an unveiling in the United States that curtails conjecture about the engine the co-developed cars will share – it’s NOT a turbo – Subaru New Zealand has said it has no place for the new BRZ in its product planning.

Maybe you’re thinking that’s because the current edition only enjoyed a short life here in New Zealand; being bullied out after a year on sale by hard-arse Toyota New Zealand marketing techniques to promote its own doppelganger, presently known as the GT86, destined to be called GR86?

Not really.

Subaru NZ boss Wallis Dumper says the crux of the matter is that a rear-drive coupe doesn’t fit in with a national focus on being an all-wheel-drive specialist.

“It’s not all-wheel-drive so we won’t be letting it impact on our production allocation,” Dumper explained.

So, the next new Subaru here will be the 2021 Outback, already on sale in America, that will arrive with an engine BRZ/86 fans might have well imagined was coming to the sporty coupe: A turbocharged 2.4-petrol.

Assuming the Outback’s engine could even install in the new BRZ, and would be tuned as it will be for the SUV, then the BRZ would have delivered with 193kW power and 375Nm torque rather than the 170kW and 249Nm it apparently will get from its naturally-aspirated 2.4.

As is, the new engine is generating 11 percent more power and 15 percent more torque than the current generation car’s 2.0-litre. It also continues to run through six-speed transmissions, the auto now having a Sport function, and sending out the oomph through the rear wheels, with the vehicle stability control system offering five settings now to alter the degree of skid-tastic fun. 

Macpherson strut front suspension and double-wishbone rear suspension also carries over and even though the chassis is thought to be an improved version of the current cars, the two generations are only identical in width. The next-generation is 25mm longer, 13mm lower and 6mm longer in wheelbase.

The car is stiffer and has become more responsive through a 60 percent increase in front axle rigidity and an overall rigidity boost of 50 percent. The centre of gravity is lower than before and a “near perfect weight distribution” is claimed. The BRZ weighs 1315kg in manual form, aided by an aluminium roof, bumpers and bonnet.

 The look of the new model suggests Toyota has taken leadership with the styling; the overall look clearly builds on the current design story but is more in tune with current Toyota themes, including some of the boldness shown on the new GR Yaris.

And, yes, that’s the family the 86 is to enter. The Gazoo Racing performance clan created by Toyota is the right home for a car that will join that Yaris and, of course, the Supra. So, it’s going to be GR86.

 Gazoo’s influence seems to show on the BRZ featuring in brand-supplied photographs, with one website figuring the 18-inch rims are identical in design to those fitted to the GR Yaris.

LDV eDeliver 3: A $50,000 electric delivery van (if GST is ignored)

We drive LDV’s new battery-dedicated van, which offers huge potential.

CHINESE brand LDV is to launch a new purpose-built electric van in New Zealand with potential to transform the urban commercial delivery market.

The vehicle is the eDeliver 3, here in the first quarter of 2021. It’s a futuristic-looking van that will be offered in short- and long-wheelbase forms, with a choice of two battery packs, payloads of up to 1020kg … and the cheapest option will achieve the distributor’s sub-$50,000 target, but just $10. And only with goods and services tax excluded.

Add in the tax and the $49,990 ‘sticker’ ratchets up a further $7500. (The GST-excluded figure applies if a vehicle is bought for legitimate commercial use; a buyer can then often reclaim the GST).

One example is in New Zealand for evaluation by LDV importer Great Lake Motor Distributors. It’s a built to United Kingdom market specification, so is badged Maxus, the new name for LDV product in Europe, and has the larger of the two powertrains. That version costs $62,490 with the tax included.

“I can just see the eDeliver 3 zipping around Auckland,” beamed GLMD managing director Rick Cooper at the media event. “I see a very rosy future for this van.”

When MotoringNZ drove the van, pricing discussions with China’s SAIC Motor were still under way. However, Cooper seemed intent on dropping hints; he referred, for instance, to the $48,990 pricing of the recently-arrived MG ZS EV, also a SAIC product (but with another distributor).

GLMD has already dipped its toe in the commercial EV water with the larger EV80 van, which entered the market in 2018 with an $80,000 pricetag. It’s done okay; so far 51 have been sold.

But the eDeliver 3 has obvious potential to do much better. It will be first completely purpose-built electric van to enter the Kiwi new vehicle market. Designed from the ground up for electric power only, it uses a combination of alloy, high-strength steel and composite materials to keep weight down.

Experts say at least 140kg has been shaved off the weight via the use of these lightweight materials – and a classic illustration of that is the van’s bonnet, which is made of composite material and can be easily lifted unclipped and lifted off the vehicle to gain access to the electric motor.

When the eDeliver 3 does arrive, it will be available in short-wheelbase and long-wheelbase forms, and with a choice of 35kWh and the 52.5 kWh battery pack that is in the trial example. Range is up to 280km with the smaller pack and 400km with the larger.

The high power, low energy electric motor offers maximum power of 90 kilowatts, while peak torque is 255 Newton metres. This gives acceleration times to 100kmh of as low as 11 seconds.

A feature of the vehicle is that it provides DC and AC dual charging. In the DC mode the battery pack can be charged to 80 percent in just 45 minutes and on to 100 percent in 80 minutes. In the AC mode the charging time to 100 percent will be six to eight hours.

The short-wheelbase model will offer 4.8 cubic metres of load space, and up to 905kg payload depending on the size of the battery pack. The long-wheelbase version will have 6.3 cubic metres of cargo room, with up to 1029 payload if the fitted with the smaller battery pack.

That, said the GLMD people, will be a major selling point for the eDeliver 3 in a commercial delivery van environment in which cargo capacity is king.

Driving this new van is a fascinating experience – and that’s right from the beginning, when you discover that there’s no push-button start; instead the driver must turn an ignition key in the traditional way, and with the transmission in neutral.

From then it’s a matter of turning a rotary selector into D and heading off in an almost silent way. In typical electric vehicle style there’s instant torque, and there are two battery regeneration settings to help pick up charge when decelerating and braking – one is quite gentle and the other is more pronounced.

The eDeliver 3 immdiately impresses as an easy drive, with the frontal area separated from the load space in the interests of less noise and better crash safety, and the load area accessed by a sliding door on the left side and wide-opening rear doors.

The electric news doesn’t stop there.

GLMD also confirmed that when the eDeliver 3 does arrive in New Zealand, it is likely to be followed soon after by a second new electric van.

It will be the larger eDeliver 9, which will be based on the existing EV80 platform and boast a payload of up to 1400kg. Its battery pack is likely to be a larger 73 kWh version, which will give it a range of up to 270km. The van is expected during the second quarter of 2021. There has been no indication of pricing.

# This story was updated and altered on November 22, with the determined pricing included. Additional reporting by Richard Bosselman.

BT-50, D-Max okay for now as factory closes

Supply of the sister utes is considered strong enough to last the expected period when production of both is suspended, due to coronavirus.

MAZDA BT-50 is about to release here, following in tyre tracks of its Isuzu D-Max sister ship, which launched here in October.

 DISTRIBUTORS for the Isuzu D-Max and its Mazda BT-50 sister ship are confident they have enough stock here and en route to establish the utes in the market while the factory in Thailand making both is closed, potentially for at least three months.

However, the national sales operations for each brand have stopped short of commenting about the potential of supply of the technically-aligned models yet being affected at some juncture. 

All that is known for sure about the shutdown is that it has been caused by a third-party supplier being unable to get a vital component to Isuzu, which makes both vehicles, and that this will likely keep the plant closed until February, though that timeline is tentative.

Mazda New Zealand was today awaiting further information from head office in Japan.

At the moment, it has not been advised about whether the BT-50 is even directly impacted. It is on standby for any updates and says, for now, it’s business as usual.

Meantime, Isuzu Utes New Zealand has offered the following: “ Our understanding is there is a reduction in production due to the delay in component supply from Europe, and are therefore working with (the) factory to manage our future supply chain.” 

News of the situation comes as Mazda NZ is in the process of launching the BT-50 to dealers, with intent to publicly announce pricing and specifications when showing it to media on November 24.

A Mazda NZ spokesman expressed confidence today that even if there was to be an impact on New Zealand, it would not be felt immediately – or perhaps at all.

There is a big stockpile of vehicles in this country already because the model is of high priority “and we have forward ordered supply numbers accordingly.”

Isuzu Utes New Zealand, which released the D-Max in October, offered much the same thought.

“We have sufficient stock here in NZ with further arriving later this month, December and January,” said communications manager Kimberley Waters.

Isuzu Japan acknowledged the situation yesterday, saying had to ‘suspend’ assembly. Subsequent media reports say it stems back to a parts supplier in Europe being shut down due to Covid-19. Some outlets are suggesting the crucial item is an engine component from Germany.

The two utes were co-developed by Mazda and Isuzu and, though stylings and equipment levels appear to differ, they are identical in mechanical make-up; same 3.0-litre turbodiesel engine, same transmissions and a common platform.

Yet that doesn’t automatically mean Mazda is in the same pickle. Parts for the jointly-developed vehicles are sourced globally, so at this stage only the D-Max is absolutely known to be affected.

The D-Max line selected for New Zealand appears identical to that going to Australia, where Isuzu’s distributor has expectation of fall-out.

It has sent out statement regretting the vehicle’s production has been “temporarily put on hold” and explaining that this “unfortunate pause in vehicle production is related to one of our key component suppliers in Europe (producing unique components for our Australian-specification D-Max) has had to temporally close their manufacturing plant due to COVID-19.

“As a result we have had to suspend our D-MAX production in Thailand for up to three months, with a tentative recommencement of vehicle production of February 2021."

The models’ arrival and market impact in New Zealand is a big news story as the latest generation has been the first one-tonne utility to be accredited with a top-drawer five star safety score under a toughened test regime that independent scorer and national crash test agency, the Australasian New Car Assessment Programme, implemented in January. Other competitor utes with five star scores from ANCAP received these when the test was easier.

Battery-driven Transit confirmed for NZ residency

The electric Transit is confirmed for local sale. But what versions we will see and for how much is as yet unknown.

AVAILABILITY is confirmed, arrival date is two years away and, until price is narrowed down, fleet managers will be left pondering the total cost-effectiveness.

That in a snap is the situation in respect to the E-Transit, the wholly electric edition of Ford’s workhorse van, which the national distributor has confirmed for sale here, though not until some time in 2022.

Ford New Zealand’s confirmation of the model, on the same day of its global unveiling, reflects the distributor’s strong conviction that electric is the way forward for this class of vehicle, particularly when used for urban work.

The range? That’s interesting. American models are rated by the EPA for 202km of travel per charge (in low bodystyle variants), while European models are good for 350km of travel per charge according to the WLTP.

E-Transit’s drive modes are also tailored to its electric powertrain. A special Eco Mode aims to provide up to an 8-10 pe cent improvement in energy usage if it’s driven unladen with spirited acceleration or at highway speeds, according to Ford data. Eco Mode limits top speed, regulates acceleration and optimises climate control to help maximise the available driving range.

All models irrespective of market are powered by a 67kWh battery feeding a punchy 198kW/430Nm electric motor that drives the rear wheels.  

The big question mark is price. Ford NZ says that – along with the market’s specification – won’t be sorted for quite a while yet.  

Even so, the pricing structure already established for the Transit in its orthodox diesel format and plug-in hybrid format – plus market recognition that full-out electrics, due to their technology, unavoidably carry a premium - surely has to give an early warning about the lines’ probable placement.

As things stand, the wholly fossil fuel-reliant models span from $63,000 to almost $75k. The PHEV cargo van that is establishing now is a $89,990 ask. Conceivably, then, the cheapest fully electric model might be up around $100,000, so line-ball with the  Tourneo Titanium people mover that carries a $99,990 premium.

The PHEV and EV models will make for interesting comparison, on performance and per kilometre costing.

Ford is urging potential customers to consider that the E-Transit boasts maintenance costs that are 40 percent lower than its internal combustion cousins over an eight-year or 161,000km period. Which camp does the PHEV sit closer to? That’s not yet clear.

The plug-in uses a 92.9kW electric motor to power the front wheels, drawing on energy stored in its 13.6kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

This gives it around 50km of EV range before a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbopetrol fires up as a generator to charge the battery pack, but when that happens the model has a range similar to that of the diesel, with around 500km overall. An average optimal fuel burn of 2.4L/100km on the combined cycle is claimed in the United Kingdom. 

The battery pack can be charged via the mains in 4.3 hours or by a Type-2 AC charger in 2.7 hours. The pack comes with an eight year/160,000km warranty.

The full electric’s range varies depending on version. The low-roofed editions have the best range, of 200km. It’s 189km for the medium-height roof version and 174km for the high-roof versions. That compare well with the E-Transit’s rivals including the Peugeot Partner Electric (170km), LDV EV80 (190km) and the Mercedes-Benz eVito (150km).

The E-Transit features AC and DC fast-charging. A full charge on DC using a 115kW fast charger will top the battery up from 15 percent to 80 percent in 34 minutes. The more common 50kW chargers will to that in 65 minutes. Stick it into a home power socket and it’s a 12-hour replenishment. 

In both the full EV and the PHEV, the battery is positioned under the floor. In the plug-in this reduces load capacity a little compared with the standard Transit, however. Suggestion from Ford is that this isn’t the case with the full electric.

The situation for the the maximum payload is not yet clear. The PHEV in its short roof, low wheelbase version has a 1723kg payload compared with the diesel version’s 1339kg.

Another appeal with the full electric is that it features Ford’s SYNC 4 that can connect to the internet to unlock software subscriptions that help fleets manage charging transactions, telematics services and more.

So who’s buying? It’s clearly less likely to be used on long haul than the traditional models, but that’s not the idea anyway. Ford says E-Transit ideal for urban environments, fixed drive routes and deliveries within geofenced zero-emission driving zones, without requiring fleet owners to pay for excess battery capacity they don’t need.

E-Transit is part of Ford’s more than $11.5 billion global investment in electrification through 2022. The all-new, all-electric Mustang Mach-E and the fully electric F‑150, which starts hitting North American dealers in mid-2022, are also part of this push.

Bamber and Hartley’s amazing hyper-racer – in your garage!

A car with a Kiwi motorsport connection is among a fleet of amazing design studies revealed by Porsche.

IMAGINE the sheer delicious madness of it – a road-legal version of the 330kmh-plus 919 Hybrid LMP1, the all-dominant force of recent international prototype sports car racing that Kiwis Brendon Hartley and Earl Bamber took to Le Mans victories and world endurance championship titles.

It could have happened.

The idea for a ‘919 Street’, the version of Porsche’s technology masterpiece you could have used every day is disclosed in a new book, ‘Porsche Unseen’, which reveals just that car as one of 15 radical concepts from 2005 to 2015 that never came to be.

A look in into the inner workings of a place normally completely off-limits to public scrutiny, the famous maker’s design studio – Style Porsche - in Weissach, Germany, also unwraps concept cars that were developed as a source of inspiration for the company’s designers.

As today’s images show, the ‘919 Street’ reached the same point as the other subjects of the book, a one-to-one clay scale model.

 The styling concept has the same dimensions and wheelbase as the racing car that debuted in 2014 then dominated the long-distance circuit racing scene for four years, claiming three consecutive world championships and three straight victories in the arduous Le Mans 24 Hours in France.

Conceivably it would have retained the racer’s radical V4 two-litre petrol engine and advanced hybrid drivetrains that took it to 330kmh in race trim but considerably faster still in the ultimate track lap record-beating ‘Evo’ trim, that Porsche created after the car retired from LMP1 at the end of 2017.

Unchanged mechanically to the racing model, but simply with aerodynamic refinements beyond those allowed for LMP1, the Evo often beat Formula One lap times.

Whanganui-born Bamber and two team-mates achieved the 919 Hybrid’s debut Le Mans victory, in 2015, and his pal from childhood and the NZ motorsport scene Hartley, from Palmerston North, was in a crew that snared victory in the car on the French circuit in 2017 (he then achieved his second Le Mans, this year with Toyota).

Bamber and Hartley also teamed to take the 2017 World Endurance Championship in the car, a second such time for Hartley, who’d also been in the crew that claimed the 2015 world title.

The 919 Street wasn’t the only concept fuelled by Porsche’s rich racing spirit; there were two others created under the ‘Living Legends’ mantle.

The 917 Living Legend (above) was crafted by designers in 2013 as a modern interpretation of the legendary race car that had the same numerical designation.

 This one was created to mark the brand returning to LMP1 with the 919, but was kept under wraps until spring 2019, when the maker released the first photos as a way to celebrate the 917 race car’s 50th anniversary.

 The concept proper was presented to the public for the first time in the ‘Colours of Speed’ exhibition at the Porsche Museum last year.

There’s also the 906 Living Legend study (above) from 2005. As the name suggests, the Porsche 906 street-legal racing car from 1966 served as inspiration for the proportions and body design of this vision of a super sports car. The red contrasting front bonnet and the layout of the headlights are in the style of the famous car that won the 1966 Targa Floria, a daunting road race in Sicily since discontinued on safety grounds, in the hands of privateers Willy Mairesse and Gerhard Muller.

 Another featured concept that was never to be that also has racing links is a battery-propelled passenger van.

The maker identifies that the inspiration for the Vision Renndienst, a family-friendly “space shuttle” rendered in 2018, was a far more utilitarian Volkswagen van, used as a support vehicle by the Porsche factory racing team decades ago.

Envisaged to carry up to six people, Porsche’s concept has streamlined surfaces, minimalist headlights, a sporty front fascia and a long sloping roof. Designers also installed five-spoke alloy wheels and a traditional Porsche rear end with a full-width light bar.

BMW iX here in 2021

BMW has revealed the iX, an electric sports utility to rival models Audi and Mercedes Benz already have on the road, and says it’ll be here in 2021.

MEMO to Audi and Mercedes – don’t get too cosy; BMW will by this time next year have a car to rival your premium EV zone products in style and sophistication and outgun on range. 

That’s the message from Munich’s local distributor today with the global unveiling of the iX, the much-anticipated long-awaited all electric sports utility that BMW has developed as a technological flagship.

The production version of the Vision iNext concept that was revealed back in 2018 is still a year away from rolling down the assembly line in Dingolfing, Germany, from the second half of 2021… yet intention is to fast-track this five-seater straight to this part of the world.

BMW New Zealand says it will have the car on sale in the second half of 2021 and while intending buyers have yet to be given any idea about local market cost and specifications, they can be assured the car which has been revealed internationally today is accurately representative of what will ultimately hit our roads.  

So, in a nutshell, an utterly futuristic model that accounts for similar road space as the BMW X5 (but has similar interior room as the next size-up X7) with very high specification and plush appointments in two levels of bodywork, a standard look and a sport enhancement with more rakish styling elements.  

What’s promised is a big step forward over the brand’s sole all-electric offering of the moment, the i3 – as well it should be, given the landmark city car is in its seventh year. 

In respect to the core elements of sustainability, connectivity, automated driving and design, it also reaches a lot further than the iX3 – the electrified X3 coming on sale in early 2021.

BMW hasn't finalised the figures that surround the iX's electric powertrain, but we are told that the car will be powered by two electric motors (with no rare earth elements), producing 'more than' 370kW, which comprehensively beats the 300kW EQC and e-tron 50 and 55 (respectively 230kW and 300kW).  

Apparently the iX will do 0-100kmh in under five seconds, but of greater importance is the efficiency and range between charges. BMW expects the car will average 21kWh per 100km on the WLTP cycle, resulting in a range of more than 600km from its 100kWh battery pack.

 Recharging times are also impressive … when the right hardware is in place. The iX3 can be DC fast-charged at up to 200kW, allowing 10-80 percent charging in under 40 minutes, or 120km range for 10 minutes of charge.

That mightn’t be quite that sharp on NZ’s national subscription infrastructure, which still heavily bases on 50kWh replenishment points, though change is occurring, with 150kWh chargers starting to proliferate and 300kWh devices planned for introduction next year. On a 11kW wallbox, the 0-100 percent charge takes nearly 11 hours.

The iX diverts from the previously announced brand plan to base future BMW electric models around the same platforms as the existing petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid models. 

The car premiers a new aluminium space frame that supports an inner carbon cage fabricated from CFRP – for composite plastic and carbon-fibre-reinforced-plastic – covered with a body made out of a combination of aluminium and CFRP. The latter is a material BMW has become accustomed to working with as it features intensively in the i3 and now discontinued i8 plug-in hybrid sports car.

BMW says the architecture is highly compatible with the chassis used by the 3 Series through to the 8 Series, as well as the X3 through to the X7. In an interview with German media, high-ups hint key elements of its engineering will be used by other new BMW i sub-brand models in the future.

The Vision iNext’s styling influence is obvious. The large blanked-off grille, heavily chamfered wheel arches, largely unadorned flanks, frameless doors, fixed B-pillars, prominent rear hunches and a tapered glasshouse are straight from the design study. 

For the first time in a modern-day BMW model, the iX will feature a fixed clamshell style bonnet. 

“Without a traditional engine or frunk (front trunk), there is no need for customers to open the bonnet,” BMW design boss, Domagoj Dukec explained.

Full LED main beams are standard, though buyers will also be able to specify BMW’s Laser lights as an option. At the rear, the iX’s narrow tail lamps receive LED functionality as standard.

A series of aerodynamic developments, including the blanked-off grille, minimal air ducting within the front bumper, flat underbody panelling, integrated door handles with an electronic opening mechanism and the tapered glasshouse, contribute to a claimed drag coefficient of 0.25.