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

Kawasaki returns to two-strokes with the new KX327

Kawasaki has announced its first full-sized two-stroke dirt bike in almost 20 years, and they aren’t doing anything by halves.  Revealed as the KX327 and KX327X, these two dirt-bashing machines feature a 327cc single cylinder engine.  It is the company’s first foray into a fuel–injected two-stroke, and system reportedly ensures “smooth, predictable power delivery from ultra-low to mid rpm.” According
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31 May 2026
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Mitsubishi Pajero confirmed for Australia, New Zealand likely to follow

Mitsubishi has confirmed the Pajero will return to Australian showrooms before the end of 2026, and New Zealand looks set to follow given how closely the two markets...
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31 May 2026
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UK tax office made Ranger a car, so Ford made it a van

Ford has built a two-seat version of the Ranger Double Cab purely to sidestep a British tax change, and has confirmed it will stay a UK-only model. The...
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31 May 2026
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Five cars that look more Ferrari than the Ferrari Luce 

Quick recap from earlier in the week: Ferrari unveiled the Luce in Rome, its first fully electric car, designed by LoveFrom rather than Maranello’s own studio. Four doors,...
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30 May 2026
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Long live the King’s garage: five of Charles III’s cars, ranked

King Charles III has been quietly assembling one of the more interesting royal car collections for the better part of six decades. It is unapologetically British, leans heavily...
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29 May 2026
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Nissan pokes fun at controversial Ferrari EV with Leaf comparison 

Nissan had poked fun at a visual comparison between its new Leaf and Ferrari’s controversial Luce EV. Shared by Nissan of Ireland through the brand’s official Facebook page,...
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29 May 2026
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Denza rolls out towing and tech update for B5 and B8 SUVs

DENZA has launched its first major over-the-air (OTA) software update for the B5 and B8 in New Zealand, and it’s a big one — bringing improvements to towing,...
Rezvani in silver
29 May 2026
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Rezvani Fortress is ready for the apocalypse

Rezvani has unveiled its most extreme creation yet, the Rezvani Fortress, a heavily modified pickup based on the Ford F-150 Raptor that takes rugged off-road styling and security...
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29 May 2026
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Toyota’s GR GT to cost more than $380,000, will require an interview before purchase 

Following in the footsteps of the hallowed Lexus LFA, Toyota’s new GR GT was never going to be cheap, or easy to attain.  When the GT first broke...
White Ford Ranger in the dirt
29 May 2026
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Ford Ranger 2.0 – is it enough? 

Ford has revised its Ranger and Everest range, known as the MY2026.5 line up. That’s seen the addition of new variants, revised specification lists and there’s a new...
10 June 2026
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JAC T9 PHEV – cheapest plug-in ute in New Zealand? 

There is officially another plug-in hybrid ute for sale on the New Zealand market, with the launch of the JAC T9 PHEV at Fieldays this morning. The firm is humbly calling it ‘NZ’s most powerful and safest hybrid ute’.  It has some impressive on-paper stats including 360kW of combined power (pipping the Shark 6 Performance), 674Nm of torque, an EV
Grey T9 PHEV in a field
9 June 2026
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Subaru looks to keep the manual transmission alive with three new mystery models 

Subaru has teased the automotive world with three new models that are all set to feature a manual transmission.  Shown off during the Super Taikyu Fuji 24-Hour race, these three new vehicles will reportedly launch before the end of the year.  Though these vehicles were shown beneath covers, the silhouettes of two aren’t hard to spot when comparing them with
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9 June 2026
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Mercedes-Benz brings its 140-year flagship tour to New Zealand

Mercedes-Benz is marking 140 years of the motor car with a global tour that reaches New Zealand this month, and the new S-Class is the centrepiece. Called “140 Years. 140 Places”, the journey covers more than 50,000km across six continents, linking 140 locations the brand says reflect its heritage, pioneering spirit and global reach. The anniversary traces back to 1886,
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9 June 2026
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Leapmotor C10 update revealed in China

Leapmotor has revealed an updated version of its C10 SUV ahead of a China market launch on 16 June. The mid-cycle update brings a redesigned front end, adopting the split-headlight treatment from the smaller B10, with vertical headlights set below a light bar and chequered LED daytime running lights. A restyled bumper and new wheel designs, including 20-inch alloys, complete
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