While Summer may be over officially, we’ve had some glorious driving weather in Autumn and some stonking cars to make the best of it, as you’ll see in the May issue of NZ Autocar magazine. Kicking things off is a model that’s been around for over half a century but only now becomes available in right-hand drive format and that’s the new mid-engined Corvette C8 Stingray. Is it really a cut-price rival for European supercars?
Also brand new and almost as breathtaking to behold is Kia’s zero-emissions EV6, fresh from being crowned European Car of the Year. Is the hype warranted? And from the hyper-hatch sector, Audi’s drift-crazy RS 3 has arrived. Can it snatch the sprint crown once again from the AMG A 45 S?
Another new German offering and just as dramatic in its own quiet way is BMW’s iX xDrive50, a thoroughly modern take on the luxury AWD SUV. We also sample a more conventional Teutonic SUV offering from Volkswagen without electrification. Will the latest Tiguan Allspace turbo-petrol be as popular as the last?
If you want something similar-sized but with electrification, Volvo’s XC60 T8 Recharge PHEV offers smog-free motoring in town while retaining the ease of long-distance weekend travel without the need for recharging stops.
Other vehicles featured in this issue include the popular RAV4 Hybrid, this one in top-shelf Adventure guise, and a rare pair of Lancias from the heady Group B days of rallying.
We also check out Harley’s stealthy new Sportster S, a lightweight power cruiser that can burn off a LiveWire at the stoplights, and Triumph’s oh-so-friendly retro-classic Street Scrambler.
And finally, with the introduction of the expanded Clean Car Legislation, we detail whether your next new car will cost you more or save you money. There’s all this and the latest car news in the April edition of New Zealand Autocar magazine.