Car Reviews

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

2026 BAIC X55 Review

Into the mix of generic SUVs lands BAIC’s entry model, the X55. It follows the usual Chinese MO of tempting buyers with plenty of features, distinctive styling and sharp pricing. When the X55 launched locally a few months ago, its introductory price of $34,990 looked enticing. However, that offer has lapsed, with the sticker now sitting at $37,990.  The X55
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12 July 2026
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2026 Volvo XC60 B5 Ultra Review

While it’s the new EX models, the 90 and forthcoming 60, getting the headlines for Volvo lately, one shouldn’t forget that the best sellers are still the XCs....
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12 July 2026
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2026 GAC Emzoom vs Nissan Qashqai Ti-L Comparison

Compact SUVs are popular vehicles, and you can pick some of them up for cheap. You can also spend quite a bit on others. Here we compare two...
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11 July 2026
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Driving the 1990 Citroën AX GT

The Citroen AX GT is not the first hot hatch that springs to mind when discussing the 80s ‘icons’ of the genre. Yet it is one that deserves...
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2026 Leapmotor B10 REEV Life Review

They’ve decided to call it a ‘REEV’. It rolls off the tongue easier than ‘Plug-in Hybrid’ or ‘Battery Electric Vehicle’, but it’s not a word that slots into...
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10 July 2026
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2026 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy Hybrid  Review

The Palisade continues to push Hyundai further into the premium sphere. Does it justify its elevated price tag?  There was a time when the idea of spending six...
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2026 MG4 Urban Essence 54 Review

MG has quietly built one of the best small cars on sale, and it has done it by going back to basics.  New Zealanders these days are obsessed...
Porsche Cayenne electric in green under blue skies
9 July 2026
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Porsche Cayenne Electric – a brief introduction 

Porsche has landed its electric Cayenne in New Zealand. The initial line-up consists of the Cayenne and the Turbo (though an S model has since been added), the...
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8 July 2026
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First drive: MG’s new MGS6 EV takes aim at the Model Y, undercuts it by $10k

MG has launched its third all-electric model for 2026, a mid-size electric SUV sized, specced and priced to tempt buyers out of a Tesla Model Y. After a...
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5 July 2026
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2017–2024 BMW X3 M40i – ReView

The X3 M40i is the BMW for people who want an M car but have a family, a dog and a Pak’nSave shop to do. It looks like...
4 August 2026
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2026 BMW iX3 50 xDrive First Drive

BMW’s first Neue Klasse model is the most convincing electric SUV the brand has built. We drive it in New South Wales ahead of local deliveries. BMW called the iX3 a game changer at the launch briefing, which is a phrase most of us have learned to let wash over us. In this case there is something behind it. The
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2 August 2026
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2026 BAIC B30 Premium Adventure HEV AWD vs Nissan X-Trail ST-L e-Power Review

Some of the new offerings from China are genuinely impressive, like the BAIC B30, especially in hybrid form. But is it good enough to beat an established player like the Nissan X-Trail?  Continuing a theme from last month, here we have a newcomer from a brand you didn’t know existed a few months ago, up against an old nameplate from
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2 August 2026
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2026 Ford Ranger XLT 2.0 4×2 vs Toyota Hilux SR5 limited Review

Hilux and Ranger have been at it for the past decade, duking it out for supremacy in the commercial sector. Hilux has been given a renewal while Ranger has had yet another update. So what does it all mean for the race to number one?   There are plenty of new ute nameplates in the market, yet two models still
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1 August 2026
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2026 Smart #5 BRABUS Review

The #5 is the biggest smart ever, but it’s not actually that big. And that’s a good thing, as it arrives in the most popular segment, meaning this one will appeal to more people. So is it a smart buy?  Smart is back, in case you missed it, although its reintroduction hasn’t gone off with a bang. Its first offerings,
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