Subaru Forester X Sport: Trophy catch

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Subaru Forester X Sport: Trophy catch

ANYONE who enjoys fishing will know of, and possibly have, an ‘x spot’ – what better way to spend time at one than by driving there in an X Sport, the latest version of Subaru’s Forester?

It’s easily picked out, being the one with 18-inch black alloy wheels, water-repellent seat fabric … and orange accents inside and out. The latter because it’s the colour is most associated with amusement, the unconventional, warmth, energy and activity.

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Subaru Outback X: Still hitting the spot, but ..

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Subaru Outback X: Still hitting the spot, but ..

THE old saying cites ‘contempt’, though it really means ‘complacency’.

The way I see it, it’s wrong in respect to the Outback. With the sixth-generation of Subaru’s elevated station wagon, the more applicable word when discussing about what exactly the familiarity this car breeds … well, it’s more along the lines of ‘contentment’. There’s no distaste.

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Kia Stinger GT Sport: Singing a more aggressive song

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Kia Stinger GT Sport: Singing a more aggressive song

HOW’s this for anticipation? When you turn the Kia Stinger’s Drive Mode selector to Sport, the side bolsters on the driver’s seat fold inwards to hold you more securely in place.

That little action acts as a prelude to some enthusiastic motoring – if you want it - aboard this big 3.3-litre twin-turbocharged V6-engined rear driven sedan.

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Kia Stonic Limited: Just the tonic?

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Kia Stonic Limited: Just the tonic?

Stonic? Apparently it’s a combination of ‘Speedy’ and ‘Tonic’.

An appropriate name given how the vehicle has rapidly become one of the dominant players in what is now this country’s hottest vehicle segment.

Seemingly out of nowhere the Stonic has gone from being a new vehicle due to arrive in the midst of various vehicle assembly and shipping holdups caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, to instantly positioning itself as New Zealand’s eighth most popular passenger vehicle.

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Mazda3 SkyActiv-X: So petrol’s dead? Hold that thought …

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Mazda3 SkyActiv-X: So petrol’s dead? Hold that thought …

PUSHING boundaries is a Mazda thing – going rotary, dabbling with hydrogen, re-inventing the sports car. So much beyond-the-box thinking.

At a time, then, when so many other brands are announcing intent to either freeze ongoing internal combustion engines or even drop them altogether, it probably shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Hiroshima concern is putting a dollar each way.

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Mercedes-AMG GLA35: Fire and ‘nice’

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Mercedes-AMG GLA35: Fire and ‘nice’

OFTEN you hear about brands that are ‘late to the party’; not so here – indeed, quite the contrary.

Mercedes has offered AMG versions of its sports utilities since 1999, so it was there at the start and knows the playlist backward.

Drive some AMG cars are you’d think this is a brand that has its head buried in the speakers as they blare sounds of past decades. Research what they’re preparing for the times ahead, however, and you’ll know that’s not true. Quite the contrary. These people accept electric-enhanced driving is coming, understand why it has to be and have signed off their plan.

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Toyota Yaris Cross: When small goes big

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Toyota Yaris Cross: When small goes big

PEOPLE who want larger small cars, those desiring hybrid but prefer not to draw attention to themselves, folk keen on off-road styling yet have no desire for any beyond seal ability.

In a nutshell, the Yaris Cross is for you.

With small crossovers being chic, petrol-electric interest rocketing, and an increasing count of consumers looking outside of the box … well, you can see why Toyota is confident about achieving big things from a car that slots a body shape inspired by its larger sports utilities onto a platform shared with the smallest tyke it sells.

Sure, from driving the hybrid editions in base GX (the silver car) and line-topping Limited (in red) formats, some personal irks were noted.

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AUDI Q5 45 TFSI: Reaching mid-life without crisis

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AUDI Q5 45 TFSI: Reaching mid-life without crisis

REVISIONS that arrive with the mid-life update of Audi’s Q5 are so relatively modest you might be left with impression it was already in such a sweet spot the maker determined the less change, the better.

In the here and now, that might well be true. In reality, it’s also an acknowledgement from this maker that this another product being kept just fresh enough to maintain relevance until the new one comes along and essentially puts the type onto an entirely different path.

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Isuzu D Max X-Terrain: Hero at ground zero

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Isuzu D Max X-Terrain: Hero at ground zero

AT 2518 metres, Mount Taranaki is the imposing presence in its namesake province … yet it used to be significantly taller still.

What cut the conical mountain down to modern size was what is known as a volcanic debris avalanche, a truly cataclysmic event when it occurred.

At least 7.5 cubic kilometres – yes, kilometres – of debris crashed off Taranaki Maunga’s north-western slopes, covering up to 250 square kilometres of land with material up to 30 metres deep. All the way to the coastline.

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