Car Reviews

Auto Trader Insights: The leading NZ car blog for reviews, news, and expert buying and selling advice
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10 May 2026

2026 BMW 420i Convertible Review

Convertibles have always been cool, and can be thought of as the pinnacle of automotive enjoyment. Despite this, they make up a ridiculously small percentage of new cars sold around the world, and represent a tiny slither of local sales. Last year, just 0.2 per cent of new cars sold in New Zealand were convertibles, with the Mazda MX-5 basically
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10 May 2026
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2026 BMW 420i Convertible Review

Convertibles have always been cool, and can be thought of as the pinnacle of automotive enjoyment. Despite this, they make up a ridiculously small percentage of new cars...
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8 May 2026
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2026 GWM Tank 300 Ultra PHEV Review

This Tank 300 hybrid comes with a plug, allowing for emissions free commuting while still having all the hardware and range needed for proper adventuring. Is it worth...
RZ F Sport under blue skies
5 May 2026
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Lexus RZ first drive – mastering the yoke

Lexus has introduced its updated RZ electric SUV to NZ at a time when interest in EVs remains high. The Japanese brand has experienced continued growth in the...
Honda Prelude in white under the cloud
4 May 2026
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Honda Prelude – first NZ drive

The Honda Prelude is back, after 25 long years. The sixth generation embraces the hybrid age and introduces something called S Plus Shift. It’s a feature that Honda...
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3 May 2026
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2026 Toyota Corolla Cross GR Sport Review

Approaching the Toyota Corolla Cross for the first time, we thought, ‘Wow! Yokohama Advans on a compact hybrid crossover’. But then this is the GR Sport model. It’s...
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3 May 2026
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2026 Tesla Model Y L Premium AWD Review

Tesla’s six-seat, long-wheelbase Model Y arrived just as fuel anxiety gripped the country. We drove it from Northland to Wellington over Easter to find out whether the biggest...
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2 May 2026
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2026 BYD Sealion 8 Premium AWD vs Hyundai Santa Fe Elite Hybrid Review

Those in the market for a big seven seater have plenty of choice. And you can now add the BYD Sealion 8 to the list of candidates. We...
MG4 Urban in blue green
1 May 2026
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MG4 Urban – a new affordable EV benchmark? 

MG New Zealand is bolstering its affordable EV ranks with the introduction of the MG4 Urban and also a timely update for the popular MG4. Interest in battery...
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27 April 2026
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Toyota RAV4 Hybrid first drive: still the one to beat

Toyota’s sixth-generation RAV4 has landed, and it builds on the bestseller formula in nearly every way that matters. There’s a reason RAV4 sat at the top of the...
8 May 2026
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2026 GWM Tank 300 Ultra PHEV Review

This Tank 300 hybrid comes with a plug, allowing for emissions free commuting while still having all the hardware and range needed for proper adventuring. Is it worth the money?   Five years ago, if you told someone you had bought a hybrid 4×4 SUV that could not only get you to a remote campsite, but also power it, they’d
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5 May 2026
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Lexus RZ first drive – mastering the yoke

Lexus has introduced its updated RZ electric SUV to NZ at a time when interest in EVs remains high. The Japanese brand has experienced continued growth in the luxury sector since 2018 on the back of its hybrid technology and now commands second place in that premium end of the market, having overhauled Mercedes and Audi to sit behind BMW.
RZ F Sport under blue skies
4 May 2026
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Honda Prelude – first NZ drive

The Honda Prelude is back, after 25 long years. The sixth generation embraces the hybrid age and introduces something called S Plus Shift. It’s a feature that Honda says  ‘will differentiate and strengthen Honda’s hybrid even further against the competition’. The new car presents with a smooth coupe profile, a low and pointy nose and flared arches for a strong,
Honda Prelude in white under the cloud
3 May 2026
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2026 Toyota Corolla Cross GR Sport Review

Approaching the Toyota Corolla Cross for the first time, we thought, ‘Wow! Yokohama Advans on a compact hybrid crossover’. But then this is the GR Sport model. It’s Toyota leveraging its Gazoo Racing spend, the GR badge now sprinkled over the regular range, adding a dash of sport to the more mundane models. Does that make it more interesting to
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