November 2022

NZ4WD

The magazine for 4WD Sport and lifestyle

NZ4WD2 min read
From The Editor
THESE ARE INTERESTING TIMES NZ4WD - ALWAYS LOOKING ON THE BRIGHT SIDE There's an ancient Chinese curse that goes "may you live in interesting times" - in other words, may you have little peace or fulfilment in your life, but only bitterness and despa
NZ4WD1 min read
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EDITOR Mark Baker EMAIL: editor@nz4wd.co.nz GRAPHIC DESIGNER Margaret Murray CONTRIBUTORS: Ashley Lucas, Bryan Chang, David Coxon, Geoff Anders, Peter Vahry EVENTS MANAGER Ashley Lucas EMAIL: Ashley@nz4wd.co.nz GROUP SALES MANAGER Dan Prestige EMAIL:
NZ4WD2 min read
Grenadier - A 4WD Built For The World
The all new Ineos Grenadier's progress toward an on-sale date continues. In September, with millions of kilometres of testing completed and tooling well under way for production, Ineos brought a prototype to New Zealand to show the Grenadier to an ex
NZ4WD2 min read
Jeep Reveals EV Plan
Jeep has announced a comprehensive plan for its next generation of fully electric '4xe' vehicles. As part of its plan to become the leading electrified SUV brand in the world, Jeep is announcing new fullelectric 4WDs and bringing back some well-remem
NZ4WD4 min read
Sneak Peek At The Grenadier
NZ4WD'S regular contributor Kevin Isemonger was offered a chance to experience the Ineos Grenadier out west of Auckland at Jonkers Farm in mid-September. He's a bit of a Land Rover fan, and headed out to the exclusive preview in his long wheelbase De
NZ4WD2 min read
New Drive Technology Edges Closer
German automaker BMW has confirmed it is close to launching a hydrogen fuel-cell version of its X5 SUV. Like most new technology developments, the iX5 Hydrogen is an 'umbrella' vehicle, aiming to spread the word about hydrogen as a fuel using the bra
NZ4WD2 min read
Reboot With A Tag-along Tour
Summer Escape 4×4 tagalongs cover a range of different trips with a fantastic mix of tracks and go to parts of the South Island that others may not see. The guides do the planning; customers do the driving in their own 4WDs. There is a maximum of 10
NZ4WD2 min read
Tanks For That (again)
Imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, we have to assume Suzuki's feeling very flattered this year. This is not a secretly developed five door Jimny Safari, though we would forgive readers for assuming so. But wait is it even real, or are we
NZ4WD1 min read
Safe Recovery With Hulk 4X4
Hulk 4×4 is one of the fastest growing players in the New Zealand four-wheel-drive market, with an extensive range, including the very latest in recovery equipment. Headlining the Hulk 4×4 recovery equipment offering is its tough electrical winches,
NZ4WD2 min read
Where To Go, What To See And Do - And When
Final round hosted by Auckland Offroad Racing Club. Short course and enduro over two days. www.oranz.co.nz. Not for the fainthearted, this will test trucks and drivers to the limit. The venue is 20km west of Methven with pits and scrutineering on sit
NZ4WD7 min read
A Sunrise To Remember
A smart man once told me, "If you have the chance, you gotta camp up on top of Mt Kyeburn, you can't beat the views - or the stars!" He has spent a lot of time exploring central Otago so I have held onto that little tidbit of information for a few ye
NZ4WD3 min read
Ironman 4×4 - Built Tough For Carrying The Load
On the road, off the beaten track, for industry, or around the farm, when drivers want to upgrade, accessorise and personalise a vehicle they turn to Ironman 4×4. Ironman 4×4 products include load carrying gear, suspensions, canopies, trays, cargo bo
NZ4WD2 min read
Ultimate Towing Safety
Bendix has applied its many decades of braking expertise to develop and launch the new 12V Ultimate Tow electric brake controller, providing additional braking control and enhanced safety for drivers who regularly tow heavier trailers or caravans. De
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Hyundai Tucson
An on-road editor goes off-roading with something he probably shouldn't. Two questions: Can you take a hybrid SUV with computercontrolled drive modes on sand and… what will happen? Two answers. Yes, you can go on sand with a hybrid vehicle and nothin
NZ4WD1 min read
Editorial
Welcome to the 2022 Ute Buyer's Guide, our annual look at the state of the market in New Zealand. This time last year we could have been forgiven for talking about how great it was that Covid had stopped messing up our lives, livelihoods and incomes.
NZ4WD4 min read
State Of The Nation
New Zealand's love affair with utes endures and gains pace despite the best efforts of policy-makers and other frowny types in Wellington. While SUVs work well for families and lifestylers, the double cab, 4WD (mainly diesel) ute reigns supreme. Ute
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Australasia: Holding Back?
Is the southern hemisphere cunningly waiting for critical mass the deliver affordable electric vehicles, or are we all just blindly clinging to our FFDC utes and trying to pretend the whole mess will go away? The trends suggest we may be out of step
NZ4WD1 min read
Rivian Gets Off The Gas
Slowing sales have hit the Rivian brand hard in the second half of this year. Though it had been an early mover toward creating an affordable electric 4WD ute, Rivian is now looking more like a mid-market player with little aspiration to build RHD ut
NZ4WD7 min read
Horses For Courses
As most 4WD fanatics know already. Ford's Ranger is the new kid on the block, while Mitsubishi's Triton has been around for ages and has been constantly evolved and upgraded. Sad but true: Ford somehow managed to book us a rear-wheel-drive truck to g
NZ4WD6 min read
Mitsubishi GLX-R
In September 2021 Mitsubishi Motors confirmed it had secured 5000 Mitsubishi Tritons for the New Zealand market when every car company was screaming and struggling to get vehicles to sell. This meant for anyone wanting a new ute, MMNZ was quite liter
NZ4WD2 min read
Utes - Making A Statement
For New Zealanders, utes make a lifestyle statement. Once, they were all about work and it was easy to know what someone did for a living by looking at their ute. They were considered a tool of the trade just like a builder's hammer, a farmer's Swann
NZ4WD2 min read
Auckland 4×4 - First Stop For 4WD Accessories
Auckland 4×4 Performance has been the 'must stop' source of 4WD accessories since 1998. It evolved from the family business, Papakura Auto Electrical Ltd, which was first established in 1952. Richard Brooks served his time as an auto electrical appre
NZ4WD4 min read
Ute Buyer's Guide 2022
The demise of GM-Holden has an upside in the subsequent establishment of GMSV and a network of dealers and service outlets. All devoted to the mighty Bowtie brand which has been at the heart of many recent Holden products. The Trailboss wasn't here f
NZ4WD3 min read
Toyota Devotee Goes For A 70
Here at NZ4WD, we're not shy about proclaiming undying love and admiration for Toyota's 70 series. Bluff fronted, flat-screened, cab-on-chassis old school 4WD. Like Suzuki's Jimny, the 70 has built itself a massive cult following among those who want
NZ4WD4 min read
Meet The Seals
Contributor David Coxon is back home and took a drive out to the east coast. He met some of the locals, who have a special love of fur coats. May and I have always found the south coast of the Wairarapa the perfect place to escape the city regardless
NZ4WD2 min read
Sit Down, Strap In, Hang On!
Save the date: a day of action, crashes and high-speed excitement is on the cards on 19 November as the New Zealand Offroad Grand Prix hits the custom-built track at Colin Dale Park in Manukau. The event is inspired by the Mickey Thompson Offroad Cha
NZ4WD2 min read
Extreme Win For Emma Gilmour
Emma Gilmour's electric adventure has taken her into uncharted territory and in September delivered a first win that solidified fourth place with one round remaining. The Dunedin driver, her fellow driver Tanner Foust and their Neom McLaren XE team d
NZ4WD2 min read
Trials Series Ramps Up
New builds, fresh talent and the first season without Covid restrictions since 1999 all point to a bumper 2022-2023 Lucas Oils trials series. The first round kicks off at Whangarei this month and action runs from there through much of the North Islan
NZ4WD3 min read
Going Up The Country
The leave form is in, the trailer is ready, we're on the road again. The Giti Radial Tires Offroad Race team is heading for the New Zealand Offroad Racing Grand Prix at Manukau in late November. We get: heats, semi-finals and a final round; we can ca
NZ4WD2 min read
Off-road Racers Go Rallying
The stars of the World Rally Championship blew through New Zealand in late September, wowing thousands with the sheer speed of the new semi-hybrid rally cars. It has been ten years since New Zealand last hosted a round of the championship. There have
NZ4WD3 min read
Woah there! Sorting the Man Cave
By the time you are reading this, Santa songs will be drifting through the supershop aisles, corridors and toilets. It is nice to have relaxing toilet tones, but please, not Christmas in there. Keep our blood pressure down, let us contemplate a joyou
NZ4WD4 min read
Towing Thoughts
During a discussion about driving on beaches recently, it was pointed out that even if there was no form of 'legal road' such as Queens Chain along the beach, in the eyes of the NZ Police anywhere a vehicle can be driven, is subject to driving rules.
NZ4WD3 min read
Having 'Fun' With The WoF People
I should really reduce the size of my vehicle fleet. I have the Land Rover 90 for off road, the Discovery for tougher safari trips, the Range Rover LM322 V8 as a car, the Range Rover Sport that when the gremlins are sorted will replace the Range Rove

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