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UTES

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HER OLIVIA GIVES VW VERDICT

UTE LAYS MERCEDES E E CHALLENG DOWN PRIC

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New Vans available for immediate delivery.

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Keith Andrews Trucks Ltd | 50 Rewa Rewa Road, Whangarei | 0800 4 TRUCKS

LCV

16

CONTENTS

8

32

38

44

December 2017 / January 2018

4 NEWS Our regular round-up of the latest light commercial vehicle and SUV news from New Zealand and around the world.

8

NEWS SPECIAL Mercedes-Benz’s X-Class ute arrives here in early 2018, and the German prestige car manufacturer springs a pricing surprise.

10 TRUCK NEWS We look at the truck market in October and the year to date.

Who was the big winner?

16 SKODA KODIAQ TEST The Editor gets acquainted with Skoda’s new Kodiaq SUV; Arna Evans evaluates the Czech SUV’s suitability as family transport.

22 VW AMAROK

HIGHLINE TEST We look at the top-of-the range Volkswagen four-cylinder ute; Olivia Woolston considers its merits as family transport.

27 HOLDEN

TRAILBLAZER TEST The Editor gets aboard Holden’s ute-based SUV. How good is it?

32 VW CRAFTER

VAN TEST Mike Stock takes the wheel of Volkswagen’s new all-VW big van, the Crafter Runner.

36 FUSO CANTER TEST

38 FOCUS ON TOWING Dean Evans puts LDV’s brand new T60o ute under the pump and discovers some surprising facts about the ute’s fuel economy.

42 FOCUS ON PRODUCTS The latest product news from the world of LCVs and SUVs.

44 COMMERCIAL MARKET Our in-depth analysis of the New Zealand light commercial vehicle market in October and the first 10 months of 2017.

Truck & Driver magazine’s big rig tester Trevor Woolston tries out Fuso’s light-duty truck market leader.

LCV | 1

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MANAGEMENT

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UTE LAYS MERCEDES CHALLENGE DOWN PRICE

R LIGHT FUSO CANTE TRUCK TESTED

FROM THE

Editorial Desk

SUVs and Utes call the shots in 2017 SUVS AND DOUBLE CAB UTES HAVE RULED the new vehicle market in 2017 as consumers increasingly abandon traditional wagons and family cars for vehicles that suit their changing lifestyles.

LCV Magazine is New Zealand’s specialist publication focusing on those automotive genres, and it’s an exciting field to be working in.

Never, when I started in motoring journalism close to 50 years ago, would I have believed that one day wagons built to tackle the roughest terrain and humble light-duty, car-sized trucks would become the transport of choice for city-dwelling families.

Forty-odd years ago, a SUV was the Toyota Land Cruiser, a bare bones, roughriding Japanese take on the Willys Jeep that spawned the whole light-duty 4x4 genre.

A ute was a single cab on a chassis on which a load tray was mounted. Sure there were car-based utes from Holden and Ford but they were more fashion statements than hard-assed workhorses that would treat rough roads with disdain.

Times have changed, and utes are now much more urban-friendly, and SUVs include such luxoboats as the Lexus 570 – Japanese in origin but as traditional an American luxury car as anything the Detroit Big Three produced in the1970s.

Nowadays it’s hard to tell what constitutes an SUV. I have colleagues who dismiss such gems as the crossover Toyota C-HR as a mere toy, but that’s to sell it short. It’s much more than that – in fact, it’s one of the best compact SUVs yet built.

It’s the sheer diversity of the SUV and

light commercial market that makes it so exciting to edit this magazine, and why we approach every vehicle with an open mind – even those that challenge our notion of what constitutes an SUV. In LCV Magazine terms this has been a momentous year. With the OctoberNovember edition, we went retail, with the publication on sale in magazine outlets nationwide.

It was a bold move and a successful one, and we look forward to being the go-to publication for New Zealanders looking for authoritative, unbiased reviews of SUVs, utes, vans and light-duty trucks.

We’ll also have news coverage, feature stories, new vehicle and product information and some entertaining reading.

And we’ll present our content in a lively, entertaining way with the reader foremost in our minds.

Our vehicle tests will be fair, considered and written without fear or favour: our commitment is to providing readers with independent, unbiased views that can help them make buying decisions.

Those may sound like lofty aims, but we are committed to honouring them; we regard it as a privilege to be able to test as many of the SUVs, utes, vans, and light trucks on the market as possible and to let you know what we think of them.

This is the last issue of NZ LCV Magazine for 2017, and we wish our readers and advertisers a happy and safe holiday and look forward to renewing your acquaintance in 2018.

– Mike Stock, Editor.

DELIVERING BETTER.

The only question on Tim Mikkelsen’s mind after test-driving a Canter 616 City Tipper was how many to buy for his business – Kapiti Hire.

“I didn’t realise how highly specced these trucks are – disc brakes, ABS, Bluetooth, full air con, heated mirrors – I was blown away by how quiet and responsive they are on the road,” says Tim, who picked up two fivespeed manual models at the special offer price that’s been running through 2017.

addition to our fleet; they bring the ride and comfort of a modern utility with the power and load capability of a truck,” says Tim. “Our niche is plant and equipment up to 2 tonne. The tipper bin can take around 3T, which makes it an ideal combination hire with a 1.8T digger.”

“You just don’t think about a truck being $39,900! With that level of spec, plus a Limited Slip Diff, they pretty much sold themselves. Another benefit of the low purchase cost is that we’ve been able to price our hire rate very attractively, which is fantastic for our customers.”

With the business constantly looking to diversify into new markets, the purchase of two versatile and highly specced Canter 616 Tippers has meant that Kapiti Hire is breaking new ground with confidence – and cementing its reputation as the ‘one stop hire shop’ on the Kapiti Coast!

“In my mind, these new trucks are the perfect

Read the full story and more online!

Financial

WWW.FUSO.CO.NZ

Canter 616

Tipper

Tare weight (cab/chassis) 2,630kg

Power/Torque 110kW/370Nm

Transmission

5-speed manual

Service intervals 30,000km

NEWS | ROUND-UP

Five star ANCAP rating for LDV ute LDV’s first-ever ute, the T60, is the first Chinese light commercial vehicle to achieve a five-star ANCAP crash test rating.

LDV’S FIRST-EVER UTE, THE T60, ACHIEVED A FIVE-STAR ANCAP safety rating in crash testing in October.

It joins the five-star club alongside established utes like the Ford Ranger, Mazda BT-50, Isuzu D-Max, Toyota Hilux and single cab Land cruiser 70, Nissan Navara, Mitsubishi Triton, VW Amarok, and Holden Colorado.

The T60 is the first Chinese ute – or commercial vehicle of any sort – to be awarded a five-star rating by ANCAP. Fellow Chinese truck, the new-to-market Great Wall Steed, achieved just two stars when it was crash-tested earlier this year, and the Foton Tunland got three stars when it was tested in 2012.

Were it to be re-tested, the Tunland would be likely achieve a higher rating because it now has ESC as standard.

The LDV scored 35.46 points out of 37 in the ANCAP test, a total bettered only by the Ranger (36.77), Triton (36.22) and Land Cruiser 70 (35.75).

Announcing the rating, ANCAP’s chief executive, James Goodwin, said “the T60 performed well in our crash tests, although like all light commercial utes currently rated, it lacks autonomous emergency

braking.”

He added that in achieving the five-star rating, the T60 has broadened the ute segment “even further” by providing an “added choice for safetyconscious consumers using their ute for work and weekends.”

The five-star rating applies to four-wheel drive versions of the T60. The ute is sold here in Elite and Luxury variants, and the first four shipments were sold out before the vehicles landed in New Zealand.

In September, its first month on the market, LDV moved 20, a very strong showing for a vehicle from a non-traditional ute maker.

The T60 range will widen when a two-door cab-chassis variant arrives at the end of 2017.

Two-wheel drive T60s will follow early in 2018 with space cabs coming on-stream later in the year.

LDV New Zealand chairman, Rick Cooper, says the company is “so confident in (the T60), we’re backing it with a five-year, 130,000km, fully transferable warranty.”

See a tow test of the T60 elsewhere in this issue of LCV magazine.

First Volvo XC40s here in April Volvo’s new XC40 compact SUV is expected here next April.

4 | LCV

NEW ZEALAND’S FIRST SHIPMENT OF VOLVO XC40 SMALL premium SUVs is expected to arrive in April next year.

Volvo began building the XC40, its first-ever small SUV, at its factory in Ghent, Belgium, in late August.

Globally, Volvo already has more than 13,000 orders for the new SUV which takes the brand into the fastest-growing segment of the worldwide automotive industry.

From start of production, the XC40 will be available in Europe with a D4 diesel or a T5 petrol four-cylinder Drive-E powertrain.

Further powertrain options, including hybrid and pure electric, will be added later.

The XC40 is the first model built on Volvo Cars’ new modular small car platform, the Compact Modular Architecture (CMA).

Co-developed with Chinese car company Geely – which owns Volvo Cars – the platform will underpin all future 40-series cars and will provide Volvo with the economy of scale required to be competitive in the small premium car segment.

Ghent is one of two car factories Volvo operates in Europe and has produced Volvos since 1965. It also builds the V40 and V40 Cross Country small hatchbacks as well as the S60 and V60.

Y E A H

N A H Y E A H

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With a new automatic gearbox, it’s no wonder the Ford Transit is Europe’s best-selling medium commercial van. Visit your local Ford dealer to discover more. From $53,990+ORC.

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7/11/17 12:07 PM

NEWS | SUVS – 2018 LEXUS NX

Sharper dynamics for Lexus’ compact crossover Lexus’ NX compact crossover SUV gets styling tweaks for 2018 along with dynamic improvements.

LEXUS IS PROMISING SHARPER HANDLING, IMPROVED RIDE, and additional safety equipment in its 2018 NX compact crossover SUV range.

There’s also a new all-wheel drive electric hybrid entry-level model that replaces the currently-available front-wheel drive in the seven-model line-up.

Lexus designers have re-styled the NX’s grille and the front bumper to blend more fluidly into the bonnet and front guards.

New bi-beam LED headlights are fitted to the entry level NX. The F Sport and Limited models get three low-beam LEDs and an individual LED for the new adaptive high-beam system. They also have sequential turn indicators.

The rear bumper has been broadened to enhance the low centre of gravity look and wide stance. The elongated tail-lights emphasise the L shape and the non-hybrid NX gains larger chrome exhaust tips which are integrated into the lower bumper.

New 18-inch alloy wheels for the Limited model complete the NX redesign.

NX 200t models will now carry NX 300 badging to align with Lexus’s new naming system for its 2.0 litre turbocharged petrol models.

The same turbocharged 175kW/350Nm four-cylinder 2.0-litre engine is retained, driving the NX 300 through a six-speed automatic gearbox.

There are four NX 300 models in the range, starting with an entry front-wheel drive, and all-wheel drive entry-level, F Sport and Limited versions.

The three all-wheel drive electric hybrid models, the entry-level, F Sport and Limited, are powered by a 2.5 litre petrol engine, and electric motors mated to an electronically-controlled continuouslyvariable transmission CVT).

The hybrid powertrain provides 145kW of maximum power and 210Nm of peak torque, and Lexus says the 2.5-litre Atkinsoncycle engine is capable of 5.7 litres/100km fuel economy on the combined cycle.

Lexus has added a custom drive mode to the F Sport which

6 | LCV

allows customisation of the powertrain, steering, air-conditioning, and suspension settings.

For more dynamic handling, the adaptable variable suspension now has continuously variable control, featuring 650 levels of damping that can adapt automatically to changing conditions.

On all NX models, the suspension has been revised to improve turn-in steering response in corners, and refine further the NX’s smooth ride.

Lexus Safety System Plus becomes standard across the range and includes autonomous emergency braking, lane departure alert with steering assist and vehicle sway warning.

There are also all-speed dynamic radar cruise control, and an automatic high beam system (adaptive high beam system for F Sport and Limited).

Blind spot monitor and rear cross traffic alert have been added to the entry level models and trailer sway control is standard across the range.

The dash-mounted audio display touch-screen grows from seven inches to 10.3 inches, and the infotainment suite includes SUNA traffic avoidance information.

Lexus NZ’s senior general manager, Paul Carroll, said the NX contributed to a quarter of total Lexus sales in 2016. “Half of those were the increasingly popular electric hybrid model.”

Prices start at $82,400 for NX 300 2.0 turbo 2WD and peak at $96,000 for the NX 300h 2.5 Hybrid F Sport and NX 300h 2.5 Hybrid Limited 4WD models.

Below: There are seven models in the 2018 NX range including a new hybrid-powered all-wheel drive entry-level model.

NEWS | ROUND-UP

Two-wheel drive versions of Mitsubishi’s Eclipse Cross SUV go on sale in December; AWD versions follow early next year.

Mid-sized Mitsubishi SUV arrives MITSUBISHI’S NEW CROSSOVER SUV, the Eclipse Cross, goes on sale here in midDecember.

Initially the range will include the two-wheel drive XLS and VRX models; permanent four-wheel drive (AWD) versions arrive in April 2018.

The new wagon is positioned between the brand’s large Outlander and compact ASX. All models are powered by an allnew 1.5-litre Direct Injection Turbomotor developing maximum power of 112kW and peak torque of 254Nm.

It’s coupled to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that has a selectable eight-step Sports Mode.

Safety kit includes Forward Collision Mitigation with windscreen-mounted laser and camera, Lane Departure Warning, rainsensing windscreen wipers, and headlights that switch on automatically at dusk and have an automatic high-beam function.

The upscale VRX model adds radar functionality plus Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Spot Warning (with Lane Change Assist), Rear Cross Traffic Alert and a MultiAround View Monitor.

The VRX also gets a Head-up Display which projects important information on to the windscreen ahead of the driver.

Eclipse Cross XLS and VRX all-wheel drive models feature Mitsubishi’s Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) which has three modes to deal with different road conditions.

Standard equipment includes 18-inch alloy wheels, chrome trim and privacy glass.

Inside there is Mitsubishi’s Smartphone link Display Audio (SDA) interface which now includes a Touchpad Commander control function.

Mercedes’ electric van range

Hyundai ute poised for USA?

MERCEDES-BENZ WILL OFFER ELECTRIC DRIVE ON ITS ENTIRE VAN range, beginning with an all-electric version of the mid-sized Vito in 2018.

Mercedes-Benz announced the eVito at the eDrive@VANs workshop in Berlin, Germany. Electric versions of the Sprinter and Citan (rebadged Renault Kangoo) will follow later.

Mercedes says the eVito’s 41.4kWh battery pack will give it a range of 150 kilometres and even when fully loaded in low temperatures the eVito can travel 100km.

The battery can be recharged in six hours and the electric motors offer 84kW of maximum power and 300Nm of peak torque.

Customers can choose between two performance configurations: maximum speed of 80km/h which Mercedes says is sufficient for urban use and increases the overall range.

Or buyers can choose higher a maximum that allows the eVito to reach 120km/h.

Maximum payload is 1073kg and the battery pack is sited beneath the load floor allowing the eVito to retain a 6.6 cubic metre load volume.

There’s no word yet on whether the eVito will be sold here.

HYUNDAI IS EXPECTED TO MARKET A CROSSOVERstyle pick-up in the United States in a bid to boost sales.

Reports from America say sales of the Korean carmaker’s sedan and SUV range have fallen and it is moving to address the lack of a ute in its model range.

It’s no workhorse-oriented ute, though. It’s more like the old Leone-based Subaru Brumby ute of the 1980s.

Unlike the little Subaru, the Hyundai will have four doors but the general layout is similar, with a smallish load tray and car-like styling.

Hyundai showed a prototype, dubbed the Santa Cruz, at the 2015 Detroit motor show, and the production car is said to be based on that vehicle.

The US reports have re-kindled discussion of whether Hyundai will build a mid-sized double cab ute that can do service both as a workhorse and family transport.

Hyundai Australia has said it will take the ute if it is developed and Hyundai NZ is interested too.

Hyundai’s US market crossover ute is expected to be a development of the near-production-ready Santa Cruz show car.

Mercedes-Benz will start selling an electric powered Vito in Europe next year. Pictured is a double cab diesel.

LCV | 7

NEW MODEL FOCUS | MERCEDES X-CLASS

MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINGS A SURPRISE WITH UTE PRICES

BY MIKE STOCK

Four-cylinder versions of the Mercedes-Benz X-Class ute will arrive here in April. Range-topping V6 will arrive later in the year.

MERCEDES-BENZ’S FIRST-EVER UTE WILL ENTER THE NEW Zealand market in the first quarter of 2018 in workhorse and upmarket models, and at prices lower than pundits had been predicting.

The X-Class will go on sale in rear-wheel drive and selectable four-wheel drive versions, with base prices ranging from $53,300 to $69,000, and that has surprised many industry observers.

The pricing is competitive against parts of Volkswagen’s Amarok ute range, and isn’t out of kilter with the more expensive models from traditional ute makers.

Certainly, the prices are well below those speculated on by crystal ball-gazers who were imagining prices north of $70,000 for mid-range models and the possibility of a six figure tag for the top model V6.

There were voices that begged to differ, including one senior car company executive who suggested Mercedes was likely to come in with an aggressive pricing strategy that would take on the mid- to high-end models in the ute market.

There will be sceptics who will ask why anyone would shell out the prices Benz is asking when they could buy a Nissan Navara – the X-Class is based on the Navara and uses the same engines – for less?

Against that is the cachet of the Mercedes name and the lustre of the three-pointed badge; and Mercedes is understood to have widened the cab. A narrow cab is seen by many as one of the Navara’s shortcomings.

The first X-Class utes will arrive here next April in a range that includes 13 variants.

Initially, the Benz will be available in workhorse models called the Pure, more upmarket Progressive, and luxury Power variants. The latter is aimed at urban buyers looking for a vehicle that can do the hard yards but also offers the luxury of a high-end car.

The X-Class is based on the Nissan Navara, and all models are powered by four-cylinder Nissan/Renault Alliance diesel engines and comes with manual or automatic gearboxes.

The base model engine is the single turbocharger X 220 d which develops 120kW of maximum power and is used only in the three

8 | LCV

Pure grade models that open the range.

The second engine is the X 250 d biturbo motor, delivering 140kW; it’s fitted to the remaining 10 utes in the line-up.

Standard gearbox with both the X 220 d and X 250 d motors is a six-speed manual, but an optional seven-speed automatic is available on all trim levels, depending on individual models.

The true X-Class range-topper, fitted with a V6 diesel and 4Matic permanent four-wheel drive won’t arrive until later in 2018.

Mercedes hasn’t announced pricing but it’s likely to sit around the mid-$80,000 mark – considerably under the $90,000 to more than $100,000 that industry observers were expecting.

The V6 will develop 190kW of maximum power and 550Nm of peak torque. The latter figure equals the output of the V6 in the $84,000 Volkswagen Amarok ute, and between them, the German trucks’ torque figures outgun all other mid-sized utes on the NZ market.

Mercedes says its V6 has proven itself in Benz passenger car models including the G-Class and E-Class.

The X-Class V6 will run the seven-speed 7G-G-Tronic Plus gearbox with steering-wheel manual override gearshift paddles, the Dynamic Select program, and Eco engine start/stop function.

Like the Nissan Navara and SsangYong Actyon, the X-Class has coil springs front and rear, instead of the more normal ute combination of coil-spring front suspension and leaf-sprung rear.

The X-Class has double wishbones at the front, and at the rear is a multi-link solid axle.

X-Class utes have a comprehensive suite of active and passive equipment, can haul a payload of up to 1.1 tonnes, and have a braked trailer tow rating of 3.5 tonnes.

Mercedes builds two basic variants of the X-Class, a cab/ chassis which can accept a range of custom bodies and a wellside enclosed load tray which Benz calls a Load Bed. There are three trim and equipment levels, starting with the workhorse of the X-Class line-up, the Pure.

It has a black grained-composite front bumper as standard and a black-painted rear bumper. The Pure runs on 17-inch steel wheels,

Above left: Progressive is the mainstream luxury model, sitting between the Power and the workhorse Pure workhorses.

Above centre: Work-oriented Pure comes with hard-wearing, unpainted composite front bumper and steel wheels.

Above right: Mercedes will offer a wide range of accessories, side running boards among them.

and has halogen headlights .

Next up is the X-Class Progressive which rides on 17-inch alloy wheels, and also has halogen headlights.

The range is topped by the Power, which has 18-inch alloy wheels, LED high-performance headlights and part-LED tail-lights.

Mercedes NZ is offering seven models in the Pure range, three with the single turbocharger X 220 d motor and the rest with the X 250 d twin turbo. Two of the 250-powered Pure utes are cab/ chassis.

Five are fitted with six-speed manual gearboxes, and the two range-opening X-Class models are rear-wheel drive only. The others use Mercedes’ 4Matic all-wheel drive system.

Four models make up the Progressive range, and all are fourwheel drive and run the 250 engine. There are two cab/chassis and two wellsides and each body style offers a choice of six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic gearboxes.

The two models in the range-topping Power spec level are available in manual or automatic versions, run the 250 motor and comes only as a wellside.

Mercedes offers an added cost Winter Package on all X-Class models; it includes heated seats and heated windscreen washer nozzles.

An adjustable load-securing system for the Pure fitted with the wellside is available. It comes in a package that also includes a Parktronic parking assist system.

Progressive grade buyers have the option of spending extra for a Parking package that includes Parktronic and a 360-degree camera.

There’s also a Comfort package that includes electricallyadjustable front seats and lumbar support, automatic climate-control air-conditioning, man-made leather upholstery, and a stowage net in

the front passenger’s footwell.

Also available for the Progressive is a Style package with LED headlights and tail-lights, an electronically-opening rear cab window, tinted rear side windows, side running boards, roof rails, and 18-inch alloy wheels with six twin spokes.

On the high-spec range-topping Power models, the Style package consists of the electrically-opening rear window, tinted rear cabin glass, running boards, roof rails and 19-iinch alloy wheels.

There is also a large range of individual added-cost options tailored to specific models in the range. Among the range of accessories available from the time the X-Class launches next April will be a styling bar, side bar, canopy, various load area covers and numerous cargo and off-road solutions . Mercedes has designed and developed all of the accessories.

MERCEDES-BENZ X-CLASS PRICELIST Pure cab/chassis X 220 d RWD manual Pure wellside X 220 d RWD manual Pure wellside X 220 d 4WD manual Pure cab/chassis X 250 d 4WD manual Pure cab’chassis X 250 d 4WD automatic Pure wellside X250 d 4WD manual Pure wellside X 250 d 4WD automatic Progressive cab/chassis X 250 d 4WD manual Progressive cab/chassis X 250 d 4WD automatic Progressive wellside X 250 d 4WD manual Progressive wellside X 250 d 4WD automatic Power wellside X 250 d 4WD manual Power wellside X 250 d automatic

$53,300 $54,200 $56,500 $57,500 $60,200 $58,400 $61,100 $59,300 $62,000 $60,200 $63,000 $66,200 $69,000

Power grade X-Class tops the four-cylinder line-up.

LCV | 9

NEWS | LIGHT-DUTY TRUCKS

BY MIKE STOCK

Fuso leads October light truck market Above: Canter 616 factory-built tipper has been an important part of Fuso’s success.

Far left: Isuzu N-series held second place in light-duty truck market in October and year to date, Left: Hyundai’s handsome Mighty has yet to make impact on the NZ market.

MONTHLY SALES SUPREMACY IN THE New Zealand light-duty truck market has seesawed between Fuso and Isuzu during 2017.

Fuso took the early lead from Isuzu – which had been the light-duty market leader for several years – in the early months of 2017.

The distributorship had passed from Mitsubishi New Zealand to the newly-formed Fuso NZ which embarked on an aggressive marketing programme, and introduced value for money models including a small factorybuilt tipper.

Most of the five marques operating in the light-duty segment – trucks which can be driven on a car licence – offer tippers built in their vehicles’ factories.

The advantage is that an operator can walk into a showroom, and buy a turnkey truck that can be put to work virtually immediately.

It avoids delays waiting for a body to be built and fitted by local body builders who are already stretched to capacity – and beyond – by the booming NZ truck market.

The little Canter tippers have played an important part in Fuso’s success in New Zealand this year; by the end of October, Fuso was a clear market leader, with a total of

464 sales.

That was well clear of the Isuzu N-series on 292 sales. The Isuzu had bounced back in the middle of the year to lead monthly sales.

But the Canter came back at it, and in October, the latest month for which NZ Transport Agency statistics were available when this magazine went to press, it was back on top.

Fuso sold 48 Canters during October, nine more vehicles than the 39 N-series Isuzu retailed. In a market that totalled 113 for the month, Fuso held a 42 percent share, to Isuzu’s 39 percent.

Year-to-date in a market totalling 980 vehicles, Fuso held a 47 percent share.

Third in both October and YTD was the third Japanese brand on the market, Hino, with its attractive and accomplished 300 series. Hino sold 21 of them in October and had retailed 195 between January and October 31.

Foton’s Aumark has begun figuring in the sales statistics again after being off the market while new distributor, Hamilton-based Foton NZ, regrouped and refined the line-up.

Foton sold three Aumarks during October to bring the marque’s total for the year to six.

Like other Chinese commercial vehicles, the

Foton sells on a blend of rugged ability and sharp pricing, and it will be interesting to see what revitalised marketing can do for its sales.

The only other brand to sell new light-duty trucks in October was Hyundai which retailed two Mightys.

The Mighty is a much more modern truck than the HD series it replaced, and sales should gather momentum as the months progress. YTD Hyundai had sold 11 Mightys

by October 31, along with six of the old HD75s which were sent out the door at fire sale prices.

Three other models featured on the YTD sales ladder – four light-duty versions of Fuso’s bigger Fighter, one Isuzu F-series, and a Chinese Jac. Jac, whose products failed miserably on the NZ market – they suffered from quality control issues and poor driving dynamics – has just signed an agreement with Volkswagen to develop vehicles in China.

Details of what products will emerge from the joint venture are sketchy, but they say they will produce “multi-functional vehicles” and merge the knowhow of both companies “for the benefit of the Chinese market.” They already have a joint venture to produce electric cars.

10 | LCV

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NEWS | ROUND-UP/USA

Above left: Official Jeep photo shows Rubicon off-road-oriented version of all-new Wrangler. Windscreen folds flat for off-road driving.

Above centre: New Wrangler will be available in three and five-door (pictured) versions.

Above right: New Wrangler retains the essence of the current model and reflects Jeep’s more than 70-year heritage.

All-new Wrangler debuts at LA show JEEP WAS DUE TO DEBUT ITS EAGERLY-AWAITED, HARD-CORE four-wheel drive Wrangler SUV at the Los Angeles motor show in California at the end of November.

Official photographs of the new off-roader show that Jeep has retained the ruggedly handsome looks of the 4x4 that has evolved over the past 70-odd years from the World War 2 Willys Jeep.

The windscreen is a little more raked and other frontal elements have been sleekened in the quest for better fuel economy, but essentially the 2018 edition is pure Wrangler.

Jeep is promising “advanced fuel-efficient powertrains, more openair options,” and says the Wrangler is “loaded with more safety features and advanced technology than ever before.”

The SUV retains the brand’s traditional grille and round headlights and combines them with improved aerodynamics and – just like its WW2 ancestor – a fold-down windscreen for off-road use.

Jeep adds that there are “dozens of different door, top and windshield combinations,” but was saying little else until the LA show when it planned to announce the line-up and complete specifications.

However, a user manual leaked on an online Wrangler forum ahead of the model’s official launch, indicated that engines available on US

market vehicles will include a 2.0-litre four-cylinder and 3.6-litre V6.

The new Wrangler will have adjustable electronic stability control and autonomous emergency braking.

The 2018 Wrangler offers a choice between seven-inch and 8.4inch infotainment display screens. The larger unit comes with sat-nav.

The screens can also display off-road-focused information, including axle status, steering angle and the car’s altitude, longitude and latitude and pitch and roll angles.

As well as adjustable electronic stability control, the new Wrangler will have automatic emergency braking and Rain Brake Support, which assists braking in wet weather.

Fiat Chrysler parts division, Mopar, showed a full range of accessories and performance parts for the new Wrangler, at the SEMA show in Las Vegas. There are more than 200 in the catalogue.

Mopar says that only a few Wranglers are sold in the USA without at least one option. The most popular are sidesteps and a noisereducing headliner.

There will be three and five-door versions in the 2018 Wrangler range which is also expected to include the first-ever factory-built Wrangle ute.

Extra luxury for Super Duty Ford WITH HIGH-END LARIAT, KING RANCH AND Platinum versions making up more than half of its F-series Super Duty pick-up sales in America, Ford USA has raised the luxury bar further with a new Limited model.

Ford Truck group marketing manager, Todd Eckert, says the Super Duty Limited is “the most luxurious and advanced” heavyduty pick-up the brand has ever created.

“We created this new truck to answer the call for even more premium choices in the Super Duty range as we see more and more truck customers trending more to premium models.

“There are heavy-duty truck customers who need Super Duty-level capability and want true luxury,” Eckert added.

The Limited is available in F-250, F-350 and F-450 4x4 versions. Prices start at $US80,835 and peak at $US87,100, though Eckert says “customers who check every option box can top one out for as

much as $US94,455.”

All Super Duty Limiteds are available in single- or dual-rear-wheel configurations, and are powered by 6.7-litre Power Stroke diesel V8s.

The Limited’s interior includes Custom Camelback two-tone leather seats, premium stitched leather-wrapped heated steering wheel, armrests and instrument panel, and Miko suede headliner. There’s also handfinished dark ash wood trim, and Ford’s Sync 3 infotainment system is standard.

There a full panoramic moonroof with retractable shade, the front seats are heated and ventilated, and the rear seats are heated.

On the exterior are a special twin-bar satin grille with chrome accents, quad-beam LED headlights and a satin-finished tailgate applique. The load tray floor is flat and has fold-up locking storage Standard equipment includes a highdefinition 360-degree camera with Trailer

Right: Customer demand for high capability along with top-drawer luxury drove development of Ford Super Duty Limited pick-up truck (top); It’s big, it’s powerful but F-series Super Duty buyers are increasingly looking for executive car-like luxury (middle); Luxury in traditional American-style on view in this shot of the interior – the door window-line is the main indicator that this is a truck rather than a car (bottom).

12 | LCV

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NEW MODEL FOCUS | HOLDEN EQUINOX

US-SOURCED MID-SIZED SUV JOINS HOLDEN RANGE

Above: US-developed Holden Equinox’s styling is a blend of traditional SUV and rakish sportiness, a fusion that works surprisingly well.

Below left: Input by Australian engineers has developed the Equinox for Antipodean conditions.

Below centre: Profile styling reveals sedan-like cabin lines, but – like the Holden Trailblazer – tail side window treatment is a little awkward.

Below right: It may be a Chevrolet at heart, but Equinox pays homage to its Holden heritage at Taranaki Holden museum.

HOLDEN’S SUV RANGE GETS AN AMERICAN FLAVOUR WITH the mid-sized Equinox which went on sale locally on December 1.

The Equinox replaces the Korean-developed Captiva, and buyers can choose from a seven-model line-up that starts with the $35,990, petrol-engined two-wheel drive LS, and peaks with the $59,990 LT-Z all-wheel drive turbodiesel.

The US-designed and Mexican built Equinox is a global car and is sold in 116 markets worldwide, mostly wearing Chevrolet badging.

In the local range, Holden is offering two turbocharged petrol engines and one turbodiesel; gearboxes are either six-speed or nine-speed automatics.

All models have Active Noise Cancelling technology which helps

14 | LCV

to make the cabin quieter. It uses four microphones embedded in the headliner to detect any hum. It then activates an on-board frequency generator to send counteracting sound waves through the sound system’s speakers and sub-woofer.

Holden says the system also reduces higher rpm engine noise at motorway cruising speeds to help keep the cabin quiet.

The Equinox line-up begins with the front-wheel drive LS which has six airbags, 17-inch alloy wheels, a seven-inch touch-screen with Apple CarPlay/,Android Auto, Passive Entry push-button engine start/stop, and Rear Park Assist with a reversing camera.

A 1.5-litre petrol turbomotor developing maximum power of 127kW and 275Nm of peak torque powers the LS, and the gearbox is a six-seed auto.

Next in the range is the LS+ which uses the same powertrain, but is fitted with HoldenEye safety technology. The system includes Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Keep Assist, Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Alert with head-up warning, blind spot alert and rear cross traffic alert.

HoldenEye also includes Driver Seat Alert which sends a vibration through either side of the driver’s seat to alert the driver about a potential collision threat. A suite of sensors and cameras helps decide when to activate the warning.

The third petrol model, the front-wheel drive LT, uses a 2.0-litre turbocharged motor developing 188kW of power and a solid 353Nm of peak torque. The gearbox is a nine-speed automatic.

The LT gets chrome trim, unique 18-inch alloy wheels and a larger eight-inch touch-screen. Other LT features include heated front seats, remote engine start, an embedded satellite-navigation system, front park assist, and four USB charge points.

The LT debuts one-touch folding rear seats which are also fitted to the LTZ and LTZ-V models.

The petrol LTZ adds 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and tail-lights, a hands-free power-operated tailgate, rain-sensing windscreen wipers, wireless phone-charging, front and rear seat heating, and a Bose premium audio system.

The petrol range-topping LTZ-V adds a two-panel panoramic sunroof, power-adjustable front passenger’s seat, ventilated front seats, and a heated steering wheel.

The LTZ and LTZ-V both use the 188kW/353Nm petrol turbomotor and nine-speed gearbox but have an all-wheel drive transmission. The LTZ-V also has Hill-Descent Control for off-road

Curved lines dominate the front cockpit styling; three-spoked steering wheel has a nicely chunky rim.

use.

Two diesels complete the Equinox range, in LTZ and LTX-V trim.

Both are all-wheel drive and both run a 1.6-litre turbodiesel developing 100kW and 320Nm delivered through a six-speed automatic gearbox.

Holden says NZ market Equinoxes differ from those sold in North America following engineering development by Holden Australia.

Local models have unique suspension hardware which includes front and rear sway bars, front handling bush, front ride bush, rear lower control arm bushes, and a rear tow link bush.

A different damper tune and re-calibrated EPS steering are designed to provide a more connected and engaging drive without compromising comfort.

The Equinox – along with all other new models in the Holden range – offers three years’ free certified servicing, three years’ roadside assistance and a three-year warranty.

LCV | 15

ROAD TEST | SKODA KODIAQ SUV

BY MIKE STOCK

SKODA: THE VERY MENTION OF THE CZECH BRAND USED TO bring sneers to the lips of car buffs and the general public alike.

Like that other brand from behind the now-melted Iron Curtain, Russia’s Lada, Skoda was the butt of countless jokes, many of them unfair.

After all, Skoda was a reputable brand in Europe way before there was such a thing as the Communist Bloc and now-defunct Warsaw Pact. Way before, in fact, Volkswagen which now owns Skoda, existed.

Skoda’s Communist-era, water-cooled, rear-engined 1000MB, S100L and S110L sedans shared the same layout as the Renault Dauphine and R8, and the Simca 1000.

But the French products didn’t provoke the guffaws and howls of derision the Czech ones did.

The first Skoda of which I was ever conscious was a frontengined, swing rear axle, rear drive Octavia owned by one of my father’s workmates in the early 1960s. I was most impressed that it had a 26-piece toolkit.

The last one I drove was a front-wheel drive Felicia which a fellow motoring writer and I sampled briefly on the model launch based at an inner-city Auckland hotel.

16 | LCV

The drive redefined brief. The Skoda’s petrol gauge indicated the tank was dry, so we nipped around the block and back to the hotel.

It was an exercise in parking, really.

The lap of the block – less than a kilometre – was what passed for a press launch drive for the Skoda distributor of the time.

Between being awed by the Octavia’s toolkit and changing the Felicia’s parking spot, I had road-tested several S110Ls in the early 1970s.

They were basic but fun, just able to pull the skin off a ricepudding, desperately tail-heavy with the engine hung out behind the rear axle and ready to oversteer at the first hint of road surface wetness.

But the oversteer was progressive and predictable. You were always aware of the weight behind the rear axle and you got early warning that the back end was about to step out.

In fact, it was quite unlike the similarly laid-out Simca 1000 which felt for all the world like a front-engined car. And then, when you got over-confident, the mercurial French car would tuck the outside rear wheel under during cornering, hop, and then snap into lurid oversteer.

No, the Skoda was much more benign than the ultra-light French

Facing page: Skoda Kodiaq has bold styling that makes it look bigger than it is.

Right: Pausing on the edge of the forest; Kodiaq has a sophisticated all-wheel drive system.

Below left: Neat, uncluttered instrumentation and ergonomicallyplaced controls make for very user-friendly dashboard.

Below right: 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine delivers strong torque over a wide rev range giving Kodiaq silky smooth performance.

car; and on gravel roads, despite a lack of power, an S110L was a hoot, aside from a tendency to pop out of second gear during acceleration.

Fast forward 45 years to 2017 and I get my first real taste of a modern Skoda, the mid-sized Kodiaq SUV. Nowadays, in the post-Communist Bloc era, Skoda is part of the Volkswagen Group, and its vehicles are based on VW platforms and use Volkswagen-developed running gear.

The Kodiaq is built on a version of the platform on which VW’s highly-regarded Tiguan compact SUV is based, but it’s a very different vehicle than the German wagon.

In some ways, the Kodiaq is a master of deception. The frontal styling makes it look big – far bigger, in fact, than it is.

I asked a colleague who was examining it closely for the first time, what platform he thought it was based on.

He figured it used VW’s Touareg architecture; certainly he felt it was bigger than a Tiguan, more a Touareg’s size. In fact, it’s smaller than the Touareg, but it has presence in spades.

Arna Evans who contributes a young mother’s perspective on some of the SUVs and utes that we test, thought the Kodiaq looked compact on the outside but was surprised by how big the interior seemed.

She was a little startled to discover it was a seven-seater with good legroom, and had decent cargo space when the third row was in use.

The Kodiaq is loaded with tech and thoughtful, if a little quirky, features – like the umbrella that stows in a special “holster” inside the driver’s door, on hand for when you’re caught out by sudden rain.

The test Kodiaq was the petrol range-topping Style model which isn’t the most expensive vehicle in the line-up.

That place is held by the diesel-engined Kodiaq Style, a vehicle that we’re eager to get hold of.

But we’ll leave the money aside for the moment and concentrate on the car itself.

My first few kilometres in the Kodiaq were unremarkable; it seemed competent, easy-to-drive, with an understated cabin.

It didn’t seem anything special, nor did it make me think: “hey this is really something.”

It didn’t seem characterful like its ancient Czechoslovakian forebears, and certainly wasn’t as irritating as those Skodas of yore could be.

In fact, it seemed a bit underwhelming. But oh how wrong I was.

Painters of extreme minimal abstract and colour-field paintings say you need to keep looking and looking and looking at their work, and if you keep looking the painting will “reveal” itself to you.

Well, the more I drove it, the more the Kodiaq revealed itself to me. What had seemed ordinary on the way back from picking up the test car the previous evening, felt much more interesting and engaging as I drove it to work the following day.

I can’t put my finger on quite what it was, but the Kodiaq had qualities that were creeping up on me. There was a feel-good factor that was even there in that pestilence known as Auckland traffic.

By the time I had driven roughly 300km using a roundabout route from Auckland to Te Rapa to deliver the car to associate editor, Dean Evans, the Kodiaq had converted me.

I ran it over the south and eastward section of our usual test loop before heading south to Morrinsville and then back west to the Te Rapa rendezvous point.

The route contained lots of challenging roads, and the Kodiaq was the perfect companion – quick, quiet, comfortable and with superb roadholding and nimble handling.

LCV | 17

ROAD TEST | SKODA KODIAQ SUV

The Style is fitted with a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, developing 132kW of maximum power at a highish 3900rpm.

Peak torque of a healthy 320Nm arrives at a nicely-low 1400rpm and stays around till the engine is running at 3940 revs – so chunky torque is available through a wide rev range.

That translates to sparkling performance and a smooth and seamless power delivery that makes the Kodiaq a top-drawer open road tourer.

Skoda quotes zero to 100km/h acceleration of 8.2 seconds, and when we put it against the clock we recorded 9.3 seconds.

The Kodiaq Style drives all four wheels through Volkswagen’s seven-speed DSG twin-clutch gearbox which combines automatic ratio shifting with the punch and precision of a conventional manual.

The shifts are fast and almost imperceptible, and the DSG swaps cogs more quickly and more smoothly than most drivers could ever manage.

The Style’s permanent four-wheel drive is an intelligent system which uses an electro-hydraulic clutch to transfer torque to slipping wheels and it has a range of driver-assistance systems.

Drive-off Assist makes steep hill starts easier; ASR Off-road

18 | LCV

improves traction on loose surfaces; EBS Off-road responds more quickly to traction loss, and Hill Descent Control maintains traction and speed on downhill sections while keeping the car from sliding.

The Kodiaq Style also has adaptive chassis control which alters damping characteristics to suit driving conditions, continuously evaluating and adapting each shock absorber’s settings to provide optimum damping.

Handling is excellent, and the Kodiaq turns-in crisply and precisely and corners flatly. It feels, for all the world, like a rearwheel drive car but offers the added security of all-wheel drive.

It’s quiet, even on chip-surfaced tarmac, and refined, and the ride quality is very good.

The leather-upholstered seats are well-shaped, supportive and supremely comfortable.

The Style has seven airbags – dual front, side and side curtain and a driver’s knee airbag.

Nicely-designed gear lever engages superb seven-speed DSG self-shifting gearbox.

Rear styling is nicely detailed and adds to the Skoda’s classy look.

Cleverly-designed centre console offers a wide range of configurations.

It has a reversing camera and can park itself, a feature I didn’t try. My trained-in-the-1960s driving brain still struggles with the concept of letting a car do its own thing.

The Kodiaq has the expected connectivity and infotainment systems, and offers a lot of high-tech and practical equipment at an extremely attractive price.

The petrol Style model lists at $54,290, and for that money you get a car that, subjectively, runs rings around SUVs costing more than double.

The 2.0-litre turbodiesel Style model costs $4000 more, and offers better fuel economy – Skoda quotes 5.7 litres/100km for the diesel Style, and 7.4 for the petrol on the combined cycle.

That’s not a big margin and the diesel will, of course, attract Road User Charges which affects the overall cost of operation.

The diesel is more powerful: maximum power is 140kW and peak torque is 400Nm. But if you weren’t doing a lot of heavy-duty towing, the petrol Kodiaq Style has the chops to provide comfortable family transport and to haul loads.

On an academic note, the diesel is faster flat-out – just: 209km/h to the petrol car’s 205, but is just under a second slower to 100km/h.

The Kodiaq holds real appeal and, quite simply, is the most impressive vehicle I’ve tested this year, blending great character with outstanding dynamics, good pace, great practicality, features galore and very real valuefor-money. It is a very desirable car indeed.

Kodiaq proudly wears Skoda’s Art Deco stylised arrow and Native American Headdress emblem.

Even with third row seats upright, there’s useful cargo space.

LCV | 19

ROAD TEST | SKODA KODIAQ SUV

EVERY WOMAN LOVES TO BE TAKEN care of, and that’s the feeling I got driving the Skoda Kodiaq.

It was so accommodating, it was difficult not to fall in love with the vehicle.

It began the moment I pulled the door handle and it unlocked automatically, then the door-edge protectors popped out, and the remote key fob allowed push-button starting, It was easy to settle into the comfortable, cosseting seats that have cooling or heating systems, and offer both depth and height lumbar-adjustment.

It was like walking into a five-star hotel when everyone is eager to take care of you.

Maybe it was the interior’s darker colour, but the Kodiaq felt larger on the inside than it looked on the outside. So I was a little surprised to see a third row of seats, given that the Skoda’s body is 53mm shorter than our 10-year-old five-seat Volkswagen Touareg SUV. The Kodiaq isn’t short on cabin space. The second row seats can be slid and tilted to suit different people, and our test passengers – five-year-old and two-year-old daughters – loved the third row of seats, and their map lights, and a left-side cupholder. However, adjustable temperature fan controls are fitted to the second-row only.

The easily accessible ISOfix child seat mounting points, which use a neat cover,

20 | LCV

are complemented by seatbelt buckle arms which make strapping them in super easy; as do the straps and tilt-release levers that are readily accessible high up on the seats.

These simple little design elements make a big difference to the daily chores.

In the boot, even with the third row raised, there’s still just enough room for the weekly shop and on either side are bag hooks, handy levers to drop the second row of seats, and a 12v socket. Drop the third row of seats and boot space becomes huge.

I’m told there’s even a magnetic torch in the boot/spare tyre compartment, though maybe someone had souvenired this car’s; however we did find the handy umbrella in its front door pocket.

Thankfully, all these trinkets are backed up by a solid drive, where that feeling of small external size is confirmed.

The Kodiaq is a little lower than many SUVs, so there’s a feeling of it being a size smaller than it actually is, helped partly by the technology on board.

Features like the reverse and all-around overhead camera view, and park-assist. I’m adept at reverse parking, and though using it was a little eerie for the first few times, the park-assist system worked well, even if the button dance and momentary wait for the tech to kick in meant it was sometimes faster to just DIY park.

However, when time allowed, I loved seeing the car “measure” if the spot was big enough, and very effectively guide itself in.

I also loved the feel of the steering, the quietness of the engine and the supersmooth gearbox. Playing the guess-theengine capacity game, I figured around 2.2-litres, given its speed, so that’s impressive too.

I suppose that’s reflected a little in the fuel use, and we saw around 10.5 litres/100km for the mostly urban driving. Not great, but reasonable given the size of the Kodiaq – dare I say it’s “bear”able…

The lane-assist function felt peculiar, though very effective, when I intentionally strayed from the lane and felt the steering pull the car back into line.

A couple of days just wasn’t enough in the Kodiaq; I’d happily spend months with it.

I found it difficult to fault. My biggest complaint was the lack of numbers on the sound system volume control.

The Kodiaq is already on our next-car shortlist. There’s a lot to love about the Skoda, and after just a few days, I loved it a lot.

– Arna Evans

SKODA KODIAQ STYLE SUV AT-A-GLANCE Brief Specifications ENGINE

2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol. Maximum power, 132kW @ 3900rpm. Peak torque, 320Nm @ 1400rpm.

TRANSMISSION

Seven-speed DSG automatic, four-wheel drive.

SUSPENSION

Front, MacPherson struts. Rear, multi-element axle.

WHEELS AND TYRES

19-inch alloy wheels and 19-inch tyres.

Above top row: Driver’s seat is comfortable and cosseting and a nice place to be (left); Second row seats feature fore-aft adjustment and have adjustable backs (centre); One of many thoughtful features – an umbrella stowed in the door (right).

BRAKES

Front, ventilated discs. Rear, discs.

SAFETY

Seven airbags. Lap/sash seatbelts for all occupants, ESC, ABS, EBD.

PERFORMANCE

Turning circle, 12.2 metres. Tow rating, 2000kg braked trailer.

Fuel economy, 7.4 litres/100km on combined cycle.

Above left: Good room for Amber (left) and Ella in third row of seats.

DIMENSIONS

Dimensions. Length, 4697mm. Width, 2087mm including mirrors.

Height, 1675mm. Wheelbase, 2791mm.

Above right: With third row seats in use there’s still room for a week’s grocery shop.

WARRANTY

3 years/100,000km.

PRICE

$54.290.

LCV MAGAZINE RATING

4.8 out of five. Good: performance, handling, gearshift, features.

Not so good: virtually nothing.

Facing page: Mid-sized Kodiaq looks small on the outside but has a surprisingly-big interior with three rows of seats.

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LCV | 21

ROAD TEST | VW AMAROK TDI

Amarok offers prestige and refinement with rugged heart

BY MIKE STOCK

Amarok Highline TDi is the range-topper in Volkswagen’s four-cylinde ute line-up.

VOLKSWAGEN WAS THE FIRST EUROPEAN MANUFACTURER TO develop a mid-sized ute, and the first examples of its Amarok arrived in New Zealand in 2010.

It was powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel that VW lifted from the Golf hatchback car and T5 Transport mid-sized van.

Though the Amarok is the first VW-developed ute, it’s not the first the German manufacturer has experience of. It used to build Toyota Hiluxes under licence.

So when it came to entering the field with its own product, it knew what was expected: at the time, the Hilux was the benchmark for how a ute should be.

And from the outset, VW pretty well got it right. However, the lack of an automatic gearbox, and a manual that wasn’t matched perfectly to the characteristics of the Transporter engine meant Volkswagen didn’t score a bullseye with the 2010 Amarok.

Critics also bemoaned the lack of a V6 – a shortfall VW rectified last year with the arrival of a bent six diesel version armed with a staggering 550Nm of peak torque, an output that eclipsed all rivals.

A European carmaker introducing a ute at a time when no other Continental manufacturer had one or even appeared to be contemplating one was a bold and, perhaps, seemingly off-the-wall step.

In fact, it turned out to be prescient, and typical of VW’s ability to read market trends and act on them. Volkswagen stole the march on its Euro rivals and took on the Japanese manufacturers with a vehicle that was credible and competent straight out of the box, and got sharper and better as the years passed.

Over the past couple of years, Fiat and Renault have developed utes. Fiat based its Fullback on the Mitsubishi Triton and Renault tapped into the more than 80 year ute-making experience of its Alliance partner, Nissan, to develop the Navara into the Alaskan.

Those utes have yet to come here but the key Amarok rival, the Mercedes-Benz X-Class, also based on the Nissan Navara, arrives in New Zealand early next year.

Broadly speaking, the Benz’s prices are in Amarok territory, though

22 | LCV

Mercedes will offer a wider range of model variants.

Peugeot also has an Africa-only ute, but it’s little more than a rebadged, Chinese-built Great Wall; however, the French manufacturer is tipped to introduce a global ute.

Given Peugeot’s ties to Toyota, we’d anticipate it would be based on the Hilux.

Though strictly-speaking VW isn’t a prestige carmaker – its products span the full range from basic light commercial through bread-and-butter small cars to high-end SUVs like the Touareg – its arrival in the ute market helped lift the genre’s social status.

Japanese and Australian ute makers also embraced the shift upmarket as consumers increasingly walked away from traditional big cars and station wagons, and opted for SUVs and utes.

The double cab ute provided the answer to the growing desire for a vehicle that could be used as a weekday workhorse, after hours family transport, and an adventure vehicle at the weekend.

Specification levels began rising and high-in-the-range versions of mainstream double cab utes began to feature equipment and creature comforts found formerly only in luxury cars.

At the same time, they retained the rugged go-anywhere character of 4x4 workhorse utes.

Utes became vehicles of choice for families – no longer did people need to wear boiler suits and high-vis jackets to drive a ute as regular transport. A hard hat on the back seat was no longer obligatory.

Equally, a Gucci handbag was no longer out of place in a ute cabin – just don’t leave it on the floor. The ute’s Achilles heel, the lack of truly secure storage for valuables, has yet to be overcome.

There are parallels with the ute market-dominating Ford Ranger in the way Amarok sales are beginning to hit their straps.

The Ranger was hampered initially by stock shortages caused by storm damage to its Southeast Asian factories and then by gaps in its range.

Once those hurdles were overcome, the Blue Oval’s five-cylinder hunted down the market-leading Hilux and wrested away the crown that the Toyota had held for 32 consecutive years.

Above left: Detailing is restrained but effective, giving the VW a classy look.

Above right: Five-spoke 18-inch alloy wheels have clean and simple design; Amarok has disc front and rear drum brakes.

Equally, once the V6 came on stream and the four-cylinder range was refreshed and realigned for 2017, Amarok sales have started to accelerate.

We’ve tested the towing ability of both the Amarok four-cylinder and the V6, and both proved very good, the V6’s torque making it one of the best tow vehicles on the market.

Now we turn our attention to the Amarok as day-to-day transport with a test of the four-cylinder Highline TDi 4x4.

The Highline is the range-topper in the three-model four-cylinder Amarok line-up, and has a base recommended retail price of $64,990.

The four-cylinder range begins with the Core which is available in six-speed manual ($49,990) and eight-speed automatic ($53,990) versions, and steps up to the eight-speed auto Comfortline ($57,990) which has permanent four-wheel drive.

The automatic Core uses the same 4Matic all-wheel drive system, but the manual runs in rear-wheel drive most of the time but has a selectable four-wheel drive system.

The Highline is well specified, with dual-zone, climate-control air-conditioning, electrically-wound door windows, and electricallyadjustable heated exterior mirrors (mirrors that auto-fold are available for a $350 premium).

The Highline has Bi-Xenon headlights and LED daytime running lights, and comes with a Light and Sight package. It comprises rainsensing windscreen wipers, auto on/off headlights, auto-dimming interior mirror, and a coming-home and leaving-home exterior lighting system.

There’s also a front and rear park distance measuring and reversing camera system.

There are chrome trim accents in the cabin, and the floors are

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LCV | 23

ROAD TEST | VW AMAROK TDI Amarok has VW’s signature wide-grilled “face.” Wheelarch flares give room for wide track and wide tyres.

ABS and an electronic differential lock are standard, along with carpeted though a workhorse-oriented robust rubber floor covering electronic brake-force distribution (EBD). is available as a $220 option.

The Amarok runs a Euro 5-compliant four-cylinder 2.0-litre twin The front cabin centre armrest and storage console has a padded turbo diesel motor, developing 132kW of maximum power and 420m lid, the leather-wrapped steering wheels has cruise-control and audio of peak torque, the latter delivered at 1750rpm. system controls, and is adjustable for height and reach.

It’s a willing unit, endowing the Amarok with strong acceleration and The well-shaped, cloth-upholstered front seats provide good lateral brisk city and open-road performance – VW quotes 10.9 seconds for support, and are manually-adjustable. the 0-100km/h sprint. Top speed is around 175km/h. In a country with Fourteen-way power-adjustable heated front seats upholstered in a 100km/h speed limit and near zero-tolerance, that’s academic but Vienna leather are available as a package for an extra $5000. it’s always nice to know how quick your vehicle could go.

The three-passenger rear bench seat is mounted in an elevated The healthy torque output ensures the Amarok can haul a 1041kg theatre-style to give occupants a good forward view through the windscreen.

There are storage compartments behind the rear seatback to keep items away from prying eyes; other storage boxes are VOLKSWAGEN AMAROK 4WD TDI AT-A-GLANCE under the front seats, so the Amarok provides some security Brief Specifications for small items.

Door pockets can hold bottles up to 1.5 litres in the front ENGINE 2.0-litre four-cylinder twin-turbo diesel. Maximum power, 132kW @ 3000rpm, Peak torque, 420Nm @ 1750rpm. cabin and one litre in the rear, and there are two cupholders in the front centre console and two in a rear tray.

TRANSMISSION Eight-speed automatic, permanent four-wheel drive.

The multi-media system includes six-speaker audio, Aux-In SUSPENSION Front, wishbones and coil springs. Rear, leaf-sprung solid axle. jack and USB interface, mobile phone interface and a 6.3-inch touch-screen display.

WHEELS AND 18-inch alloy wheels and 255/55 R18 111T tyres.

TYRES Exterior features include body-coloured, chrome-accented front bumper, body colour door handles, chrome accented BRAKES Front, ventilated discs. Rear, drums. exterior mirrors, chrome-plated rear bumper with step, and SAFETY Six airbags. Lap/sash seatbelts for all occupants, ESC, ABS, EBD. chrome surrounds on the front foglights.

PERFORMANCE Turning circle, 12.9 metres. Tow rating, 3000kg. Fuel The load tray has four cargo lash-down points, and a economy, 8.0 litres/100km (VW’s figures). lockable tailgate, and the Amarok gets towbar preparation.

Front door windows are made of heat-insulating glass, and DIMENSIONS Length, 5254mm. Width, 2228mm (including mirrors. Height, 1834mm. Wheelbase, 3097mm. Load tray: length, 1555mm; rear door windows have tinted privacy glass. depth, 508mm. Capacity, 2.52 cubic metres.

Safety equipment is comprehensive, with the mandatory SERVICE INTERVALS 12 months/up to 20,000km. electronic stability control, dual front, side and curtain airbags, and lap/sash seatbelts for all occupants.

WARRANTY 3 years/100,000km.

ABS anti-lock braking, anti-spin regulation (ASR), off-road

24 | LCV

Above: Dashboard is car-like and uncluttered. Instruments are easy to read, steering wheel design will be familiar to VW car drivers.

Above right: Tailgate is lockable and load tray has four cargo tie-down points.

Right: Amarok was first mid-sized ute from a European manufacturer and helped lift the image of the once humble workhorse.

payload and tow a three-tonne braked trailer.

The inline four-cylinder twin-turbo is unmistakably a diesel but engine noise is well muted.

The Highline four-cylinder TDi is available only with VW’s eightspeed automatic gearbox.

It’s a superb unit with close ratios ensuring the engine is always in the sweet torque spot during acceleration. The shifts are fast and all but undetectable, and it complements the engine perfectly to provide very smooth and satisfactory acceleration.

Kick-down is instant and free of shock, and the gearbox plays a major role in making the Amarok so enjoyable to drive.

The Highline is fitted with VW’s 4Motion permanent four-wheel drive which allows it to run on tarmac without the binding up that afflicts selectable 4WD systems on dry tarsealed roads.

It helps to give the Amarok sure-footed roadholding, and the ute turns-in to corners accurately and tracks well.

Car makers like to talk of their utes’ car-like handling but at the end of the day, even high-end pick-ups have to be able to carry out workhorse roles as well as providing comfortable transport for family use.

So they’re a compromise., and I have yet to drive one that really handles or rides like a car.

The tall ride height and heavy-duty suspension needed to give the 4x4s the ability to run off-road without breaking means they’re not going to scamper through a corner like a well-sorted saloon.

Nor are they going to soak up bumps like a car that has more supple suspension and softer springing.

The Amarok has well-sorted handling and ride but at the end of the day it’s a truck at heart.

I can’t concur with a colleague who says the Amarok’s ride is more refined and better than most other utes, the Ranger and mechanically near-identical Mazda BT-50 excepted.

Though the Amarok rides well, it’s not the best of the bunch and is probably slightly less smooth than the Holden Colorado. My friend asserts it’s the other way around but I don’t agree.

That said, ride quality is a largely subjective thing and assessing

it depends on the number of kilometres you rack up in utes and the number of different makes you’ve driven.

Even within a vehicle range, there can be differences – for instance, the Holden Colorado 2WD LTZ rides more smoothly than its 4x4 stablemate.

But though it’s more than acceptable and towards the upper end of the comfort scale, I don’t rate the VW’s ride as class-leading. My view is echoed by the regular passenger’s: she thought the VW’s ride wasn’t as good as the Holden’s.

Like some of its Japanese rivals – including the Toyota Hilux – the Amarok has disc front and drum rear brakes. Though four-wheel disc brake systems are becoming the norm on utes, there’s nothing wrong with the stopping power offered by the VW’s disc/drum set-up.

The brakes haul down the two-tonne truck from speed effectively and with no trace of fade time after time.

The Amarok is at the higher end of the ute price bracket, too, but it does offer well-sorted handling and performance, an excellent gearbox, low cabin noise levels and a general feeling of quality. Plus the air of prestige that vehicles wearing the VW badge have acquired in New Zealand.

It looks good, too, though the cabin section is starting to look a little dated in the four-cylinder models.

The ute’s front, with VW’s signature side-to-side panoramic grille looks up to the minute, and the flared front and rear wheelarches are characterful.

But the cabin section looks a little plain, especially compared with the V6 model’s with its C-pillar extensions.

Used Amaroks are coming on to the market at lower prices and can be an attractive alternative for buyers looking for something other than a traditional ute brand.

For now, if you want a new European ute, it’s your only choice until the Benz arrives to go toe-to-toe with its homeland rival; but if you select an Amarok we can’t see you being disappointed.

It’s a quality vehicle with plenty of feel-good factor in its driving, as well as the rugged underpinnings to foot it off-road and in the working world.

LCV | 25

ROAD TEST | VW AMAROK TDI

I FOUND THE VOLKSWAGEN AMAROK enjoyable to drive, and it didn’t feel as big as it looks.

Day to day I drive an SUV and the Amarok felt as light to drive as that around the corners and pulled well up the hills.

The sun visor on the driver’s side is a good height without impacting on driving vision.

Placing the child car seat into position was easy enough, and the vehicle has ISOfix mounts in the back seat. However to insert the clips the stitching allowance was rather tight.

The grab handles are useful for getting into the vehicle on both rear doors and the front passenger door.

All doors were very wide-opening which made it easy to get car seats in and out and there was plenty of room in which to put my son Finn into the car seat.

However, I found the front doors so wideopening that it was quite a reach for me to close them.

The turning circle on this vehicle was

Amarok has a payload of just over one tonne and can tow a three-tonne braked trailer.

26 | LCV

excellent making it easy to park in tight carparks.

I enjoyed driving the Volkswagen Amarok and when driving it felt very comfortable given the size of the vehicle.

It was very manoeuvrable around busy

However, she found reaching out and closing the door a stretch.

Olivia found the VW Amarok ute easy to drive and roomy for family use.

Auckland streets, and I would be happy to consider the Amarok as a family vehicle.

– Olivia Woolston

ROAD TEST | HOLDEN TRAILBLAZER

Holden’s iron fist in a velvet glove delivers the goods

BY MIKE STOCK

Trailblazer LTZ looks handsome in Absolute Red paint. Bold grille design gives it real on-road presence.

HOLDEN WAS THE FIRST CAB OFF THE RANK WITH A ute-based SUV, a genre that has now become a must-have for most manufacturers with a pick-up truck in their range.

Its Colorado 7 used the same running gear as the Colorado ute, and was joined in the ranks of the body-on-frame seven-seat SUVs by the Isuzu MU-X. The Isuzu shared basic chassis design and dimensions with the Holden, though it had a different engine and transmission; bodywork was also very similar.

Ford came on-stream with the Everest, Mitsubishi joined the fray with the Pajero Sport and Toyota’s entry was the Hilux-based Fortuner.

All used the companies’ respective utes, and all – like the Colorado 7 – had seven seats.

The idea was to develop an SUV with the intrinsic toughness and flavour of a ute but with the dual ability to bush-bash and do the school run.

Some, like the first generation MU-X, retain the rugged feel of the ute on which they are based; others, notably the Fortuner, bring an added suspension suppleness.

If the Toyota Hilux rode as well as its Fortuner sibling, it would be a much more viable challenger to the Ranger as a ute for city dwellers.

Back to the Holden. General Motors says it has called its new seven-seat SUV the Trailblazer to give a clear distinction between it and the Colorado – and maybe, we’d suggest, to give it a fresh start after the somewhat disappointing Colorado 7.

Developed alongside the 2017 model year Colorado (which

debuted towards the end of 2016), the Trailblazer gets fresh styling including a revised bonnet, LED daylight running lights, and a new front fascia and upper grille.

Like the Colorado, the Trailblazer is a significant improvement on its predecessor.

When LCV Magazine assessed the Trailblazer’s forebear, the Colorado 7, our road tester Andrew Bayliss found to be a flawed gem which couldn’t hold a candle to the Ford Everest – or to the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport.

The improvements Holden made to the Colorado during its 2016 re-design are echoed in the Trailblazer which takes its name from a North American Chevrolet SUV that General Motors built between 2001 and 2009.

Engineers employed by Holden and GM Brazil developed the Trailblazer with the dual aim of giving it off-road 4WD capability and “refined and confident on-road ride and handling.”

Like the Colorado, the SUV gets revised steering calibration to provide a more precise steering feel, a faster steering rack ratio and, lock-to-lock, requires fewer turns of the steering wheel.

The Electric Power Steering system (EPS) varies the amount of steering assist to make the Trailblazer handle more nimbly and feel more like a car than the Colorado 7 did, says Holden.

Revised engine, transmission and body mounts are designed to give a more refined and composed ride and better drive quality, particularly when towing.

The LTZ wagon rides on 18-inch alloy wheels (the entry-level LT has 17-inch alloys). Its six-speed automatic transmission has Shift-on-the-Fly selectable four-wheel drive and the wagon can tow

LCV | 27

Above left: Kicked-up rear end styling adds to the vehicle’s presence.

Above right: Trailblazer rides on a shorter wheelbase than its Colorado ute sibling, giving it a chunky look.

a three-tonne braked trailer, and is fitted with Trailer Sway Control (TSC).

The Trailblazer has a five-star ANCAP safety rating, and its safety suite includes a driver’s knee airbag in its tally of seven airbags.

There’s also ESC, hill start assist, and hill descent control (for offroad running), and the LTZ also gets side blind zone alert and rear cross traffic alert warnings.

Other safety kit includes forward collision alert, lane departure warning (LDW), and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

The forward collision-alert system sounds an alarm and projects flashing red lights on to the windscreen if the Trailblazer gets too close to a vehicle in front or the system detects the possibility of side-on or head-on crashes.

It’s a useful and effective system, even if in some cases it seems to be over-reacting.

The Trailblazer also has a reversing camera and full front and rear park-assist.

The Trailblazer uses the same 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel motor as the Colorado, and outputs are the same: maximum power of 147kW is developed at 3600rpm. Peak torque is a particularly healthy 500Nm which arrives at 2000rpm.

Those figures give the Trailblazer strong performance, both running as a purely passenger vehicle and as a tow car – it can tow a 3000kg braked trailer, a load that it should be able to haul with ease.

Holden offers only one gearbox in the Trailblazer, a smooth-shifting six-speed automatic. The SUV has selectable four-wheel drive and offers strong off-road performance.

Though it uses the same engine and gearbox, the Trailblazer is shorter, yet taller and marginally wider than the Colorado ute.

At 4877mm long, it’s 474mm shorter than the ute, and at 1902mm is 30mm wider. Its 1840mm height is 40mm greater than the truck’s, and the Trailblazer’s 2845mm wheelbase is 251mm shorter.

28 | LCV

Our test vehicle was the LTZ, the more upmarket of the two 4x4 Trailblazers Holden markets.

It is comprehensively-equipped with plenty of luxury appointments to give it appeal for on-road and urban use.

The interior has been given a full makeover to give it a more carlike appearance, and features the latest version of Holden’s MyLink infotainment system and an eight-inch touch-screen.

The MyLink system can accept Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Phone Projection, and has integrated satellite navigation and integrated voice recognition.

The well-shaped and supportive seats are leather-upholstered with contrast stitching, and have a heating system for colder weather.

Standard equipment includes the expected electronic climatecontrol air-conditioning, and electrically-operated exterior mirrors and door windows. The windows can be operated remotely using the key fob.

The windows also drop open a few centimetres to equalise pressure when the remote door-unlocking is activated, or the door is opened from the inside. They wind back up automatically.

We’ve outlined the essence of the Trailblazer and its on-board equipment, so it’s time to consider how well it performs its chosen role as a dual-purpose rugged SUV and family transport.

In almost every way, it performs its allotted task extremely well.

There are some glitches – like tight luggage space if the third row of seats is in use. With them folded down there’s very generous cargo space.

Third row legroom is also limited making the rear-most seats better suited to children or smaller adults, though bigger adults could be accommodated for short journeys.

Legroom is good in the front cabin and in the second row of seats, and the adjustable steering wheel and electrically-adjustable driver’s seat make finding a comfortable driving position easy.

Turn the ignition key and the 2.8-litre turbodiesel springs into life

Right top: Trailblazer nameplate is borrowed from Chevrolet’s dictionary of names and was chosen to separate the SUV from the Colorado ute.

Right: Turbocharged 2.8-litre diesel delivers 147kW of power and an impressive 500Nm of peak torque.

and settles to a smooth idle. It’s unmistakably a diesel but there’s little rattle and clatter and at constant speeds the engine is quiet and refined.

Mash the throttle to the floor and the noise level rises, but the engineers’ sound-deadening work proves to have been effective.

And whether you really floor the throttle pedal or use it progressively, the power and torque is available instantly and impressively.

The instant throttle response delivers strong acceleration, and the willing engine gives the big SUV sparkling performance; the general feeling is of a car that is eager to please.

However, the engine’s eagerness and the car’s on-road quietness can combine to mislead. Like many large SUVs – particularly those with firm suspension – the Trailblazer gives very little sensation of speed unless you’re pushing quite hard on a road with constant changes of direction.

The upshot is that, given the strong engine performance and the level of in-cabin refinement, it’s easy to be running much more quickly than you realise.

The digital speed display is a bonus here, giving you a clear and easily-read speed indication so you can moderate your pace before a man of woman in blue steps out into the road and waves you down.

So the Trailblazer has plenty of pace; but what about onroad dynamics?

Generally, it handles well. I have a set handling assessment route over which I run all test vehicles – utes, vans and SUVs. It’s a mix of motorway, state highway, minor country roads, some very twisty going and sections where the road surface is uneven and bumpy.

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LCV | 29

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Above left: 1. Electrically-adjustable driver’s seat is comfortable and supportive, though leather is a little slippery; 2. Third row seats really only practical for kids; 3. Luggage space is very tight with third row seats up, improves dramatically with them folded.

Above right: Instruments are clear, centre dash is dominated by touch-screen, chromed shifter knob adds a touch of bling.

Below: Styling is attractive and lines harmonious in front three-quarter view.

wind straight off the Tasman Sea, giving an indication of a vehicle’s stability in crosswinds.

The Trailblazer cruised effortlessly on Auckland’s south-western and southern motorways, and never put a foot wrong in state highway running, tracking accurately through corners. Straight-line stability was excellent.

The first section of rural roads revealed a nice handling balance, with the accurate and well-weighted steering making it easy to place the Trailblazer precisely.

It turned-in to corners nicely, the quick rack requiring little steering wheel movement and there was no need to wind on more lock mid-corner as was required by the older model’s woolly and

30 | LCV

uncommunicative steering.

The Trailblazer settled nicely into bands, cornering with a satisfying, rear-wheel drive feel as the weight shifted to the outside wheel.

On one moderately tricky though fast corner – a sweeper which tightens on itself – the Holden felt rock-solid and stable.

Stable enough, in fact, for the passenger to remark: “you seem to have a lot of confidence in this car.”

And I did: the Trailblazer’s handling inspired confidence. It wasn’t quite as good as the rear-wheel drive Colorado LTZ’s but it was still very impressive.

The six-speed automatic gearbox is also very good, shifting slickly

HOLDEN TRAILBLAZER LTZ AT-A-GLANCE – Brief Specifications ENGINE

2.8-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel. Maximum power, 147kW @ 3600rpm. Peak torque, 500Nm @ 2000rpm.

TRANSMISSION

Six-speed automatic, selectable four-wheel drive.

SUSPENSION

Front, wishbones and coil springs. Rear, coil springs, five-link and solid rear axle.

BRAKES

Front, ventilated discs; rear, discs.

WHEELS AND TYRES.

18-inch alloy wheels and 265/60 R18 110T tyres.

SAFETY

Seven airbags. Lap/sash seatbelts for all occupants, ESC, ABS, EBD.

PERFORMANCE

Turning circle, 12 metres. Tow rating, 3000kg.

DIMENSIONS.

Length, 4887mm. Width, 1902mm. Height, 1840mm. Wheelbase, 2845mm. Cargo capacity: 235 litres to 1830 litres.

Cargo capacity: all seats up, 235 litres; third row folded, 878 litres.

WARRANTY

3 years/100,000km.

SERVICE INTERVALS.

12 months/15,000km.

PRICE

$56,990 plus on road costs.

LCV MAGAZINE RATING:

Four out of five. Good: refinement, steering. Not so good: slippery seat upholstery.

But the body-rock, tip-toeing feeling is there in the Trailblazer when it’s negotiating tight and winding sealed country byways.

It’s probably to be expected when you ask a vehicle weighing 2.2 tonnes to tackle that sort of terrain and it’s no deal-breaker. You simply adjust your pace to suit.

Ride quality is good, and though you’re aware of the bumps your bones are never jangled, the spring/shock absorber balance feeling nicely-tuned and the suspension absorbent.

The cabin is quiet and comfortable and engine noise and vibration are well-muted. For instance, there’s none of the body “thrum” that mars the very similar Isuzu MU-X when it’s running at 100km/h.

When we tested it the Trailblazer’s Colorado ute sibling impressed us enough to make it our 2017 Ute of the Year; the Colorado’s SUV offspring isn’t quite as good but it’s still an impressive SUV. If we were looking for a rugged, ute-style SUV that still was civilised enough to be used as urban family transport, the Trailblazer would be near the top of our shopping list.

Holden truly has a tough seven-seat iron-fist-in-a-velvet-glove SUV that delivers on the promise that the Colorado 7 made but didn’t achieve.

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and smoothly and kicking down instantly without any shock as the lower ratio is selected.

I have some quibbles. Though the seats offer good backrest and side bolster support, the leather upholstery felt a little slippery.

And the steering wheel’s diameter was a shade too great and its rim a tad too narrow for my tastes; small matters, agreed, but it’s things like those that help you form your overall impression of a vehicle.

On roads where direction changed frequently, with left-hand corners leading into right-hand and then left again, the Trailblazer wasn’t so happy.

The nano-second of hesitation before it composed itself and turned-in – a typical trait of a body-on-frame SUV – which was not really noticeable on more flowing country roads, reared its head.

It’s a sort of rocking sensation which is found in almost all SUVs – except, maybe, the Porsche Cayenne – from the Mazda CX5 to the Land Rover Discovery, but is usually at its worst in body-on-frame vehicles.

Curiously, among the worst examples I’ve encountered was in the Mitsubishi Pajero, a vehicle that looks like a traditional body-on-frame SUV but has unitary body/frame construction.

LCV | 31

ROAD TEST | VW CRAFTER RUNNER

BY MIKE STOCK

Volkswagen’s 2017 Crafter van is an all-new design and all-VW after formerly sharing body and chassis with Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.

VOLKSWAGEN’S ALL-NEW CRAFTER REPRESENTS A FRESH start for the German manufacturer’s big van.

The 2017 Crafter is all-VW, no longer sharing its chassis and body panels with Mercedes-Benz’s Sprinter.

And instead of coming down the same production line as the Mercedes, the all-new Crafter is put together in an equally all-new factory in Poland.

The only sharing it does now is with the first van ever produced

by VW-owned truck maker MAN, with which the Crafter shares bodywork, powertrain and production line space – with different grilles and badging, of course.

The new Crafter is sleeker than the bolt-upright, slab-sided, angularlined cargo hauler that preceded it.

This one is still a big truck like its forebear, and is essentially still a cargo box on wheels, but it has a happier looking face and more rounded styling.

The face is the current VW family one, with an ear-to-ear grille that softens the usual LCV look and adds in a touch of car-like flavour – within reason, of course, this is a very big van after all.

Indeed, the new VW biggie has a lot more character and a more human, less-utilitarian look than the old Crafter did.

Volkswagen is offering seven Crafter van models in New Zealand, starting with the medium wheelbase Runner 30.

The Runner shares its transversely-mounted, 2.0-litre 103kW fourcylinder turbodiesel with all medium-, long-, and extra-long-wheelbase front-wheel drive Crafter 35 models.

The motor is Euro 5 compliant, and develops peak torque of 340Nm in front-wheel drive models.

The other three models, also dubbed Crafter 35, are fitted with

32 | LCV

130kW Euro 6-compliant turbodiesels. Both motors are differentlytuned version of the same basic unit.

Crafter vans are available in medium-, long-, and extra-longwheelbase versions. 4Motion four-wheel drive variants of the lastmentioned top the range, with mirror pricing of $83,690 for six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic gearbox models.

The range-opening Runner is available only with a choice of manual and automatic gearboxes (the auto lifts the price to $63,990), but there’s no four-wheel drive option.

On the Runner, there’s a choice of standard- and high roof body styles, the former with an overall height of 2355mm, and the latter standing 2590mm.

All other models are available with a choice of manual or automatic and two- or four-wheel drive, though initially only two-wheel drives are available here.

As well as the vans, VW offers a range of Crafter cab/chassis trucks which will accept a variety of bodies – including motorhomes – and trays, and are available in single and double cab versions.

Crafter van rear doors can open to 270 degrees and door-mounted cone-shaped bump stops secure the opened doors magnetically to the body sides. Dual side doors are standard.

Front-wheel drive Crafters have a 100mm lower cargo floor than four-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive versions, resulting in a 570mm load height that makes cargo loading easier.

The lower floor also makes it easier for the driver and driver’s mate to get into and out of the cab.

In the large cargo area which varies in volume from 11.3 cubic metres in the medium-wheelbase Runner we tested to 18.4 cubic metres in the biggest van in the range, hexagonal holes for M6 screw

fittings are drilled in the walls 100mm apart.

They are drilled above and below the areas where windows can be fitted, and are designed to make is easier to mount shelves and storage units Available cargo area options include a universal floor that will accept notches to which shelving systems and storage units can be attached. The floor will work with several manufacturers’ products.

The universal floor is 10mm thick and costs $2000. It’s made of compound material made from beech wood veneer and has fastening rings sunk into it, and is available with optional longitudinal or transverse aircraft-style fastening rails.

The universal floor isn’t glued into the cargo space and can be removed easily.

Cargo areas come standard with medium-height hardboard interior cladding, and cladding up to the vehicle roof frame is available for an extra $700.

The test Crafter was a high-roof version of the Runner (Runners are available only with the medium-wheelbase), fitted with the six-speed manual gearbox.

The high roof is standard, but the Runner can be specified with the medium roof which shaves $2200 off the $59,990 sticker price.

In high roof form it has a 969kg payload, a big increase on the 644kg figure for the equivalent model in the old range.

The Crafter Runner’s engine is a newly-developed 2.0-litre turbodiesel which Volkswagen says has a designated service life of more than 300,000 kilometres. It has service intervals of two years or up to 50,000km.

In the Runner it develops 103kW of maximum power and 340Nm of peak torque.

The notion of a two litre motor powering a van this size would have led to head-shaking not many years ago, but modern turbodiesels produce a lot of oomph from not many cubic centimetres.

The 2.0 provides the Runner with brisk performance and effortless cruising. Though we ran the van unladen, there was no doubt in our minds that the motor would be well up to the task of hauling a one tonne payload.

The astonishing thing about the engine was its quietness. At idle

Above: Crafter has dual sliding side doors, High roof is standard but a lower-cost low-roofed version can be ordered.

Below: Test van was manual gearbox version of range-opening Runner.

LCV | 33

ROAD TEST | VW CRAFTER RUNNER From left to right: Rear cargo doors open to 270 degrees and are held to the body sides by magnets.

Seats are excellent, gear-lever is well-placed and pedals nicely-spaced.

Gearbox/clutch match is user-friendly.

Element in dual-element mirrors lets you see vehicles in your blindspot and helps make parking easier.

Test van was fitted with floor-to-ceiling steel bulkhead to prevent cargo sliding into the cockpit area.

and low rpm all you could hear was a muted buzz that didn’t get much louder with the throttle wide open.

It contrasted with a ute we drove during the same period; the ute’s engine – though not particularly noisy – sounded like a cacophony by comparison.

The turbodiesel engine provides excellent performance and the Crafter will run more than comfortably at open roads speeds and negotiate with ease the cut-and-thrust of nipping and darting inner-city traffic.

The view forward from the driver’s seat is panoramic and excellent, and the cabin has plenty of storage space.

The pedals are nicely spaced, there’s place to rest your left foot, and the instrumentation is clear and easily-read.

The gear-lever is mounted on the dashboard and is positioned perfectly. It swaps ratios smoothly and quickly enough, though shift speed is not a must with a torquey engine like the Crafter’s.

We found the relationship between the not-too-heavy clutch and the manual six-speeder to be very user-friendly. Ease off the handbrake, depress the throttle and the Crafter would move away from traffic lights on a hill smoothly and without fuss.

The standard driver’s seat in the Crafter Runner is the Comfort model which is height- and tilt-adjustable, has two-way adjustable lumbar support and one fold-down armrest.

Other options are available at added cost, but we felt the Comfort lived up to its name, being both comfortable and supportive.

A two-passenger bench seat is standard, but the test vehicle had an individual seat for the driver’s mate, leaving a useful area between the seats to stow work bags.

An excellent reversing camera is standard, a useful – and we think must-have – piece of equipment in a slab-sided van where rear threequarter visibility is limited.

That said, the side vision from the driver’s seat is far superior to that in VW’s little Caddy city van.

In the Caddy, the driver’s head is in line with the door’s trailing edge, making it difficult to know what’s to the right rear three-quarter without leaning forward and craning your neck to get a view of surroundings.

In the Crafter, you’re ahead of the door trailing edge so it’s not such a problem.

With a 2427mm overall width (including mirrors), the Crafter is a wide van that occupies a good deal of real estate, which was especially noticeable on the narrow country roads in the mid-section of our 200km test loop.

On one even narrower section where a warning sign said the shoulder was unstable, we kept the right wheels on the centreline, reassured of our position by the bump-thump as we hit the cats’ eyes.

That said, the Crafter doesn’t feel big to drive. Sure you have to

34 | LCV

make sure you don’t turn-in to corners too soon, keeping conscious of the wheelbase the body’s length, but the big VW is very manageable.

Basically, it feels like a big front-wheel drive car. The electricallyassisted power steering – which VW insists has been adopted because it improves “feel” – is accurate.

It’s light at city speeds but firms up nicely at open road speeds. The Crafter corners flatly, with just a hint of understeer.

The steel bulkhead between the cabin and the load space helps reduce road noise, though, the glass-less, lattice window that allows you to use the interior rear-view mirror means in-cabin sound levels are moderately high on chip-surfaced roads.

You’re aware too of some echoing from the load space, and noise from the “dead” rear axle, which would vanish with cargo lashed to the floor.

Ride is good, the suspension firm yet supple, though the unladen van bucked a little on uneven roads built on peat land on our test route.

The Crafter has superb exterior mirrors. They’re deep, in truck style, and are twin element. The big upper section of each mirror provides a panoramic view of what’s happening behind and to the sides of the van.

The lower elements give excellent views of the van’s lower flanks and the road, making parking and manoeuvring easier.

The left-hand lower element allows you to see the kerb, and when the van is on the move, gives a view of vehicles in the left rear threequarter blind spot. That’s important in a vehicle with windowless sides behind the cab.

The mirrors are far superior to those on the market-dominating Toyota Hiace which makes do with car-like mirrors that don’t provide as good a view as they might and are one of the Japanese load hauler’s major weaknesses.

In common with all Crafters, the Runner gets front and rear distance control and active side protection to prevent hitting other vehicles or walls and loading dock entrances. They give a visual and audible warning if you’re going to drive into anything.

Cruise-control is standard, along with hill start-assist which takes care of starts in hilly terrain like that found in Auckland and Wellington.

Side wind assist – which deploys the brakes selectively to counteract side-on gusts – is standard and is welcome in a high van where the big slab sides can act like a de facto sail.

Available added-cost options include park assist which will park the van for you – a feature which I always feel requires a suspension of disbelief and an unerring faith in technology – and trailer manoeuvring assist which helps you back a trailer.

A fully-qualified, experienced van jockey would probably feel slighted by having either fitted to the van but a wally like me would

embrace them with open arms.

The Crafter has electrically-wound door windows, climatecontrol air-conditioning in the cab, and a range of connectivity features.

The multi-function steering wheel is a car-like three-spoke unit.

There is a USB port, a mobile phone interface with Bluetooth connectivity, and a multi-function dashboard-mounted display.

App Connect accepts Apple Carplay, Android Auto and MirrorLink, and there is music mapping and messaging capability.

Overall, we found the Crafter Runner to be a very good package, with looks that will enhance a company’s livery and bodywork signwriting.

Add in strong performance, top-drawer roadholding and handling, user-friendly operation, ease of driving, and a highly useable and capacious cargo area and you have a very compelling large van. VW has made a very good job of the new Crafter.

VOLKSWAGEN CRAFTER 30 RUNNER AT-A-GLANCE Brief Specifications ENGINE

2.0-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel. Maximum power, 103kW @ 3500rpm. Peak torque, 340Nm @ 1500rpm.

TRANSMISSION

Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive.

SUSPENSION

Front, MacPherson struts. Rear, leaf-sprung “dead” axle.

WHEELS AND TYRES.

16-inch steel wheels and 205/75 R16 tyres.

BRAKES

Front, ventilated discs. Rear, discs.

SAFETY

Dual front airbags. Lap/sash seatbelts for all occupants, ESC, ABS, EBD.

PERFORMANCE

Tow rating, 1400kg braked trailer. Fuel economy, 5.5 litres/100km. Turning circle, 11.1 metres.

DIMENSIONS.

Length, 5986mm. Width, 2040mm including mirrors.

Height, 2590mm. Wheelbase, 3640mm. Cargo area: length, 3450mm; width, 1832mm ; height, 1961mm; capacity, 1.3 cubic metres. Payload, 969kg.

WARRANTY

3 years/250,000km mechanical warranty.

SERVICE INTERVALS

Two years/50,000km.

PRICE

$59,990 (automatic version, $63,990).

LCV MAGAZINE RATING

Four out of five.

GOOD

Performance, cargo capacity, dynamics, gearshift.

NOT SO GOOD

Highish road noise, bouncy unladen ride.

Not all truck and trailer decking was created equal.

“At Roadmaster Ltd we only use Plytech Trans-Tex 220.

In our opinion it’s the best plywood in the country and is cost-effective. Trans-Tex gives us peace of mind, we know it is manufactured for the most demanding applications. We also get great service and support from the guys at Plytech”.

Colin Patchell – Sales Director

TRANS-TEX 220 NZ’s MOST TRUSTED TrUCK & TRAILER DECKS

For more information call 0800 900 905 or visit www.plytech.co.nz/transtex220 LCV | 35

ROAD TEST | FUSO CANTER

F

USO’S CANTER LIGHT-DUTY TRUCK HAS DOMINATED its market segment after wresting away the top-selling spot from Isuzu’s N-series which has been top dog for the past few years.

In the 10 months to October 31, the Canter had established a good lead over the former market leader, with total sales of 464 to the N-series’ 292.

Earlier this year, LCV Magazine carried out a series of road tests of the four major light-duty trucks on the New Zealand market.

After a shootout with its Isuzu, Hino 300 and Hyundai rivals, truck testers Trevor and Hayden Woolston voted the Canter as the 2017 LCV Magazine Light Truck of the Year.

So what are the qualities that set the Canter apart from its rivals?

In this road test, we set out to describe what it is that makes the Fuso such a good light-duty truck.

The Canter LCV Magazine tested was a 616 City Cab (multioccupant Crew Cabs are also available). It had a 5995kg GVM, and ran a 119kW three-litre turbodiesel mated to a five-speed manual transmission.

It was fitted with a custom-built glazier’s body with external racking for sheets of glass.

Experienced truck driver and tester Trevor Woolston who carries out heavy truck tests for LCV Magazine’s sister publication NZ Truck & Driver put the Canter through its paces.

He drove it in a range of typical urban environments that a glazier’s truck might encounter during a day’s work. They ranged from the motorway to state highways and city and suburban streets.

36 | LCV

Woolston was impressed immediately by how easy-to-use the Canter’s five-speed gearbox was.

“It’s very nice, it slides into gear nicely,” he said, soon after climbing on board the Canter at Keith Andrews’ sales headquarters in Wiri, Auckland.

“It’s a good gearbox, it’s just like driving a car,” he said.

Above: Fuso Canter impressed with its excellent gearbox and user friendliness – note big air deflector on cab roof. Below: Three litre turbodiesel is powerful, though tester Trevor Woolston felt the engine brake could have been stronger.

Above left: Cab includes lots of storage, including these ovcerhead document pockets.

Above right: Cab was heavy to tilt forward to carry out daily oil checks and maintenance.

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LCV24381

Woolston said the gearlever “pulls to the middle gate nicely. It’s nice and easy to use, and the ratios are good.”

He said there were no major gaps between ratios, and the Canter was easy to keep in the sweet rev range.

The gearbox is controlled by a lever mounted on the dashboard, van-style.

Woolston felt the engine was a winner too. “It gets up and goes, it’s a strong little motor, a very lively engine.”

The motor was flexible enough for the Canter to pull away easily from rest using second gear.

Woolston said he was less impressed by the engine brake. He said it didn’t feel anywhere near as effective and strong as the engine brake in the rival Isuzu N-series.

But he was impressed by the Canter’s very tight turning circle.

The ride was a little lumpy and livelier than that found in some rival light-duty trucks.

However, he still rated it highly, saying it felt about right for a working truck.

He felt noise levels in the cab were well suppressed: mechanical noise wasn’t too high, and road noise was nicely damped.

The exterior mirrors were mounted on a double bracket which he felt was a better arrangement than those found on rival Isuzu N-series and Hino 300 trucks.

Woolston said the mirrors were positioned well for manoeuvring the truck in tight spaces and between buildings, and helped make the truck easy to handle.

He rated comfort and practicality highly too, describing the solidly-mounted driver’s seat as very good.

There was plenty of legroom for the driver and passenger, and there was good provision for document storage; there were pullout cubbyholes in the dashboard and the dash also contained pullout cup-holders.

The air-conditioning and ventilation system worked well, and Woolston found the cabin ambience was pleasant.

One aspect he found particularly good was that the sunvisor was easier to reach and pull down than the visors on rival light-duty trucks.

But a thing he didn’t like was the amount of physical effort required to tilt the cab forward to check oil levels and do other daily maintenance. He said the Isuzu N-series’ cab was much easier to manage.

Overall, Woolston found the Canter an impressive truck and said it was easy to see why some companies report high satisfaction rates from drivers who use it day-in and day-out.

Canter tested by Trevor Woolston.

Story written by Mike Stock.

Fuso Canter buyers can choose from a wide range of variants, including diesel-powered versions and hybrids. The diesels are fitted with a 3.0-litre engine.

Canters that can be driven on car licences have GVMs starting at 4983kg and peaking at 5995kg.

The Hybrid mates a 110kW turbodiesel engine with a 40kW electric motor. The Li-ion battery requires no periodic maintenance and is backed by a 10-year warranty.

Fuso says the hybrid drive system can deliver fuel savings of up to 23 percent.

Canters are available in 4x2 and 4x4 four-wheel drive versions, the latter are fitted with high-grip tyres and use the same 110kW diesel engine found in many of the 4x2 models.

Canters are available with manual or Duonic automated dual clutch manual transmissions.

www.lamson.co.nz

LCV | 37

BEST BARS. BY FAR. FOCUS ON TOWING –

LDV T60 LUXURY

Newcomer turns in impressive fuel economy when towing STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY DEAN EVANS

B

EING IMPARTIAL IS PART OF TESTING VEHICLES, but our Best Bars tow test subjects sometimes suffer from pre-conceived ideas. Often a vehicle’s negative attributes experienced during our road tests are subsequently magnified during a tow test because, naturally enough, towing is simply making the vehicle heavier, slower and less efficient.

So it was with a little trepidation that we hitched up a weight to the back of the new-to-market LDV T60 ute.

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38 | LCV

The Luxury grade T60’s floaty and choppy ride didn’t win many fans during a five-up road trip.

Pair that with fuel consumption figures of around 10.5 litres/100km on mostly motorway kilometres – a fair way off LDV’s quoted 8.2 litres/100km highway fuel consumption – and it was natural to be sceptical.

But with just 150 kilometres on the odometer when the brand new white T60 was delivered to us, we’d had some summations

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in reserve, and held hopes for a slight improvement during our time with it.

Our LDV’s virginal tow ball would get its first coupling experience hauling a reasonably hefty weight.

Despite a solid and sturdy towbar design, LDV rates the T60 at just 3000kg towing capacity across the range, with another 1000kg for payload, give or take, depending on the model and gearbox.

Thanks to our friends at Kennards Hire in Hamilton, we had 1700kg of double drum roller, mounted atop 500kg of steel trailer.

Both came from the pool of hire items at Kennards’ new Hamilton location.

Strapped down, plugged in and chained up, we hit the road for our road test loop from Hamilton to Raglan and return, a 200km round-trip.

It encounters motorway, long climbs, less-than-perfect road surfaces and some twists and turns that test torque, gearing, brakes, steering and stability.

Pulling 75 percent of its maximum towing capacity, the LDV certainly felt like the weight was upon its shoulders, and felt substantially slower.

In fact a quick 0-60km/h test revealed a time of 9.0 seconds, and though academic, offered a little insight into the T60’s struggle for speed. Thankfully, this test isn’t a race.

On the motorway, the T60 proved more settled and more composed, qualities that were also replicated on the single-lane 100km/h zones to Raglan.

Though 360Nm from the 2.8-litre VM Motori turbodiesel fourcylinder isn’t class leading, it did prove to be plenty in this scenario.

Once we were away from the initial sting of standstill acceleration, the engine can be worked hard to keep up the speed.

Other challenges surfaced. While holding 90km/h on the flat wasn’t a problem in the slightest, as soon as an incline appeared, it did require a kick-down and/or aggressive throttle use to keep up the speed.

Above: Road roller and trailer brought the load fairly close to the T60’s 3000kg towing limit.

n.

LCV | 39

BEST BARS. BY FAR. FOCUS ON TOWING –

LDV T60 LUXURY

Road roller provided a solid test of the LDV ute’s towing ability.

But even on the steepest climb, the T60 barely dipped below 80km/h, and though hardly a Ford Ranger through the ratios, the T60 showed good form against its Chinese compatriots.

The 90km/h towing speed limit does flatter the T60 a little, as on occasions when speed momentarily rose to 95-100km/h – approaching a climb for example – it struggled noticeably with tall gearing.

Through tighter corners, the extra weight helped the LDV stay planted, its tendency to bob and float like a boat almost entirely purged, and there was improved steering accuracy and weighting.

T60 coped well with the towed load on hilly terrain near Raglan.

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40 | LCV

No doubt that was helped by where the roller was placed on the trailer; it seemed ideal for minimising the weight burden while improving the T60’s ride and handling.

But the biggest surprise was reserved for what we thought would be the LDV’s undoing.

With a mix of urban, motorway and open road, after re-setting the computer at Kennards Hire, the fuel consumption hovered impressively around 9.9 litres/100km.

Through the west-bound hills, the throttle was intentionally buried and the engine pushed harder, to see what the results would be and,

Large screen provides panoramic view of the reversing camera’s projected image.

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at worst, the fuel use crept up to 10.5 litres/100km.

So wondering if maybe there was some errant data in the trip computer, we re-set it 40 kilometres into the 200km loop.

We continued through to the main street of Raglan, made a U-turn and headed straight back at a similar pace and driving style for the remainder of the loop.

Fuel economy was even more impressive and settled at 9.6 litres/100km. Even after returning to Hamilton, and 10 to 20km of stop-go traffic, it only crept up to 9.8 litres/100km, offering a very pleasant surprise, considering LDV’s combined cycle fuel use claim of 9.6 litres/100km for the T60 without trailer.

As we cruised back into the Kennards Hire yard a few hours after departing to return the roller, the T60 had redeemed itself considerably.

Not just by freeing itself up after a few hundred kilometres and improving its economy, but by turning its weaknesses into attributes by showcasing its skill at doing the very thing for which it was designed: moving heavy objects.

Given the improvement in fuel economy, we took it back to the same drag strip and tested the acceleration numbers.

Impressively it was quicker after just 500km: its 0-60km/h time improved from 5.1 to 4.9 seconds, and its 0-100km/h of 13.5 had dropped to 12.8 seconds. And will likely improve even more with a few more thousand on the odometer.

The LDV T60 isn’t without its faults and niggles, but for this test of purely towing prowess, it punched well above its weight – and ironically, all it needed was to haul extra weight.

Our hanks to Kennards Hire Hamilton (07) 834 4090, kennardshire.co.nz for the loan of the trailer and roller.

Watch our towing video, and Like LCV Magazine, at:

www.facebook.com/NZLightCommercialVehicle.

Top: T60 had less than 1000km on the odometer when we towed with it, and performance and fuel economy improved as the test went on.

Below: Kennards Hire’s new Hamilton branch provided LCV Magazine with the trailer and load for the tow test.

LDV T60 LUXURY AT-A-GLANCE

Brief Tow Test Specifications

LCV MAGAZINE TOW TEST ARCHIVE

2.8-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel. Maximum power, 110kW @ 3400rpm. Peak torque, 360Nm @ 1600rpm.

October/November

2017 Holden Captiva

August/September

2017 Isuzu D-Max ute

TRANSMISSION

Six-speed automatic, selectable four-wheel drive.

June/July 2017

Ford Ranger Wildtrak

SUSPENSION

Front, double wishbone. Rear, leaf-sprung solid axle.

April/May 2017

Foton Tunland

WHEELS AND TYRES

17-inch alloy wheels and 245/65 R17 tyres.

February/March 2017

Volkswagen Amarok V6.

December/January 2017

Holden Colorado Z71

BRAKES

Front, ventilated discs. Rear, discs.

October/November 2016

Summer towing tips

August/September 2016

Hyundai iLoad Van

SAFETY

Six airbags. Lap/sash seatbelts for all occupants, ESC, ABS, EBD. Five-star ANCAP rating.

June/July 2016

Toyota Hilux 2WD

April/May 2016

Ford Everest SUV

February/March 2016

Volkswagen Amarok four-cylinder

ENGINE

DIMENSIONS WARRANTY

Length, 5365mm. Width, 2145mm. Height, 1844mm.

Wheelbase, 3155mm.

December 2015/January 2016 Mazda BT-50

5 years/130,000km.

n.

LCV | 41

FOCUS ON PRODUCTS

LED driving lights designed for NZ NARVA HAS LAUNCHED ADVANCED ULTIMA LED 215 driving lights designed for New Zealand conditions.

An Australian-based Narva industrial design and engineering development team that understands New Zealand and Australian driving conditions, worked on the project for the past three years.

The new lights use a hybrid beam pattern that Narva says delivers a better spread of light for people travelling long distances at night. The lights are also described as being well-suited to offroad use.

The new NARVA Ultima 215 LED driving lights can be customised with a range of colour options.

The lights’ optics use advanced LEDs and a highly-polished, highly-efficient, metallised computer-designed reflector to generate 165W of pure white light. That results in an output combining volume for off-road 4WD users and distance for on-road motorists.

Ultima features include an advanced LED Light Pipe that meets ADR specifications for a Front Position light.

The team placed great emphasis on the lights’ housing design and decided that both the housing and the mounting bracket would be made from pressure-diecast aluminium for strength and low weight.

Narva NZ national sales manager, Tim Paterson, says the lights produce “the right amount of light-spread for drivers to be able to see well into the distance when there’s no other light source around…”

To make their lights look individual, buyers can choose from 12 colour combinations of outer bezels, from standard satin stainless to a gloss black or chrome-plating, along with inner trim colours from standard blue to black, red and yellow.

The lights’ three-bolt mounting is designed to provide strength and stability, and a tool-free vertical adjustment knob allows easy adjustment of the lights.

VINZ makes random motorhome checks NEW ZEALAND-BASED TOURISM HOLDINGS LIMITED, the largest operator of motorhomes globally, is introducing independent and random safety inspections of its fleet in New Zealand, Australia, the United States, and Britain.

Vehicle Inspection New Zealand Ltd (VINZ) will carry out the inspections. THL says they’re part of continuing efforts to ensure its vehicles’ safety and compliance, gather better data about the fleets’ overall condition and deliver a higher quality and more consistent customer experience.

THL’s chief executive, Grant Webster, says “in the RV industry – the single biggest health and safety risk is moving vehicles.

“This initiative is part of our continued commitment to having the safest fleet of commercial motorhomes on the road – both in New Zealand and around the world” VINZ will do the inspections on-site at THL facilities, providing the equipment and staff in each location. The independent and randomly-selected tests are part of quality control checks – alongside already entrenched processes – including complete vehicle service and check by the onsite mechanic team as each camper is returned and before it leaves the site.

VINZ will make the checks in New Zealand and Australia, and through other companies in Optimus Group (of which VINZ is a subsidiary) in markets where it doesn’t have a direct presence.

VINZ chief executive, Gordon Shaw, says the agreement is “an opportunity for VINZ to demonstrate its ability to provide customised inspection services on a global scale.

“By working with other Optimus Group companies and their affiliates we can inspect to a global standard and also ensure compliance with regulatory standards in each sovereign market.”

VINZ will provide independent and randomly-selected vehicle safety checks on Tourism Holdings’ motorhomes in New Zealand and around the world.

42 | LCV

MOB2

MOB20

FOCUS ON PRODUCTS

Teletrac Navman appointed ESP provider THE NEW ZEALAND TRANSPORT AGENCY (NZTA) HAS approved Teletrac Navman as an Electronic System Provider (ESP) and appointed it to collect Road User Charges (RUCs) using its new RUC Manager platform and electronic distance recorder.

Teletrac Navman’s RUC Manager and its electronic distance recorder allow users to manage, buy, display and update road user licences in real-time.

RUC Manager automatically tracks vehicle distance and calculates off-road activity, enabling accurate, NZTA-approved RUC rebates.

Teletrac Navman’s Asia Pacific vice president and managing director Ian Daniel says that developing RUC Manager to meet New Zealand regulatory requirements and gain ESP approval shows the company’s commitment to long-standing customers and to the transport industry.

In July 2017, Teletrac Navman reached the milestone of tracking 100,000 vehicles across Australia and New Zealand.

“Globally the transport market is highly competitive,” says Daniel. “Businesses must perform under pressure, so solutions which help them to better manage costs, improve service, address safety, capture and analyse data, and address compliance requirements are extremely important.”

To receive NZTA approval, electronic system providers must

complete a rigorous development and testing process to prove the quality and reliability of their systems.

NZTA revenue assessments manager, John Freeman, says Teletrac Navman has completed the NZTA testing process and meets the standards for recognition as an ESP. “The standards are designed to ensure that the technologies and systems tested are robust, reliable, and make compliance easier across many industries including transport, agriculture, forestry, trade and civil services,” he adds.

Teletrac Navman’s RUC Manager’s display screen.

Full-time truck driver.

Part-time photographer.

Take the time to enjoy the scenery around you instead of getting back to do paperwork. Mobilcard can help you with this. It takes care of managing your fleet and fuel costs, freeing you up to be more productive. Which means you can fit work around your life, and the world around you.

For information please contact Mobilcard Sales on 0800 662 458, email mobilcardsales@exxonmobil.com or visit mobilcard.co.nz

Mobilcard. The fuel card that helps you run things your way.

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MOB2078 NZTnD 210x147Hmm.indd 1

28/04/17 12:45 PM

COMMERCIAL MARKET | MARKET OVERVIEW

Boom times continue for utes and SUVs

BY MIKE STOCK

S

TATISTICS RELEASED BY NEW VEHICLE distributors’ group, the Motor Industry Association (MIA), show that commercial vehicle and SUV sales continued to boom in the first 10 months of 2017.

MIA chief executive, David Crawford, says that year to date (YTD) to October 31, commercial vehicle (LCV) sales were 18 percent (6665 units) up on the same period of 2016.

In the same 10 months, SUV and passenger vehicle sales were 6.3 percent – 5321 units – higher than the previous year’s.

Between January and October, both of New Zealand’s two biggestselling models overall were utes.

The Ford Ranger was the top nameplate – and top LCV – with 7950 registrations, followed by the Toyota Hilux with 7045.

YTD to October 31 in the overall new vehicle market, registrations were 9.83 percent (11,986 units) above the same period of 2016.

That led Crawford to predict that 2017 will be the best new vehicle sales year on record. “The 2017 new vehicle market is expected to easily break through the 150,000 new vehicles mark for the first time.”

In October – the latest month for which statistics were available

Top: Ford’s Ranger ute has been New Zealand’s best-selling new vehicle during 2017.

Right: Kia’s mid-sized Sportage sells strongly and came in second behind the RAV4 in SUV sales in September and October.

44 | LCV

when this magazine went to press – overall new vehicle sales were 5.6 percent (821 units) ahead of October 2016.

In fact, Crawford says, it was the strongest October sales month on record, with 15,530 new vehicle registrations.

It was also the second strongest sales month ever, and was only the second time the new vehicle market had passed 15,000 registrations in a month.

The other month was June this year where sales were boosted by special pricing and equipment deals around Fieldays.

Toyota was the top dog in October with 4457 registrations and a 29 percent share of the total market, followed by Ford with 10 percent and 1530 sales, and Holden with 1341 units and a nine percent market share.

Toyota led all three major market segments – passenger car, SUV and commercial vehicles – in October.

Strong rental sales helped it to 31 percent of the passenger car market, with 3410 registrations. Holden was next with nine percent and 1006 sales, followed by Mazda with an eight percent market share and 903 registrations.

Above left: Toyota’s Hilux’s second spot in the best-selling vehicle list reflects the increasing importance of utes in the new car market.

Above right: SUV sales are also booming and the Toyota RAV4 was on the top of the chart in September and October. Like the same company’s Corolla saloon, RAV4 sales has been boosted by large sales to rental companies.

October’s top selling passenger car, was the Toyota Corolla small saloon with 1772 registrations, a total boosted by strong sales into rental car fleets. Toyota sold 1589 Corollas to rental companies during October, Crawford says.

Strong rental vehicle sales of 304 made Toyota’s RAV4 the best-selling SUV in October with total registrations of 479. The Kia Sportage was second with 354 retailed.

Toyota also led the commercial vehicle sector with combined sales of 1047 Hilux utes and Hiace vans and a 24 percent segment share.

Ford was second with 21 percent (948 units) followed by Holden on eight percent market share and 335 registrations.

After two months trailing the Toyota Hilux, the Ford Ranger regained the top commercial vehicle spot in October, taking a 19 percent share of the segment and racking up 853 sales. The Hilux was second with 17 percent and 762 sales.

The Toyota Corolla’s strong sales gave the small car segment the biggest share of the overall market in October.

Small car sales accounted for 20 percent of the market, followed by the SUV medium segment with 15 percent, and the 4x4 ute segment with 13 percent.

Registrations had also been strong in September, when 14,507 new vehicles were registered, and despite it being election month, new vehicle sales set a new record for the ninth month of the year.

“The traditional slowdown in new vehicle registrations during an election period failed to materialise in September,” Crawford said, adding that “sales for the month were up 4.5 percent (623 units) on September 2016.”

Year-to-date sales were 11,165 units – 10.4 percent – up on the first nine months of 2016.

Toyota led the overall new vehicle market with a 24 percent share (3473 units), followed by Ford with 11 percent (1548 sales) and Holden with 10 percent (1,386 units).

Toyota sold 957 Corollas to lead the passenger car segment and the RAV4 was the top-selling SUV – 352 of the nameplate’s 516 sales were rentals, followed by the Kia Sportage with 314 registrations.

Toyota also led LCV sales with 1153 registrations and a 25 percent market share.

Ford sold 875 Rangers and Transit vans to secure 19 percent, and Holden moved 380 Colorado and Commodore utes to take

third with an eight percent market share.

For the second month running the Toyota Hilux was the best-selling individual commercial model with 791 sales and a 17 percent share.

The Ford Ranger was a close second with 781 registrations and a 17 percent slice of the action.

“As the 2017 year progresses economic conditions of the last 18 months remain largely unchanged with low interest rates, strong net immigration, strong New Zealand currency and stable domestic economy,” said Crawford. “The combination of these factors underpins record sales of new vehicles.”

www.

.co.nz

37 Kaimiro street, Hamilton | sales@actionmanufacturing.co.nz | 07 850 2410

LCV | 45

COMMERCIAL MARKET | UTE SALES

Ranger back on top in October ute sales

BY MIKE STOCK

BY MIKE STOCK

F

ORD’S RENEWED NEEDLE MATCH WITH TOYOTA for the top-selling ute title went its way in October with the Ranger regaining first place from the Hilux after two months of being runner-up.

The two rivals are also New Zealand’s best-selling new vehicles overall, outpointing all SUVs and passenger cars.

The Hilux had led in August and again in September, although its margin over the Ranger in 2017’s ninth month was only 13, with a total of 793 registrations to 780.

But in October the Ranger – which has been the top-selling ute for three years running – was back in front, and decisively so, with 854 sales to the Hilux’s 772.

Year-to-date to October 31, the Ford held a commanding lead, logging 7961 sales to the Toyota’s 7072. That margin should be enough to see it end the year as NZ’s biggest-selling ute and biggest-selling new vehicle, period.

The tussle for third place on the ute sales ladder seems to have been resolved in the Holden Colorado’s favour, though the Aussie ute has come under increasing attack from the Mitsubishi Triton.

Mitsubishi New Zealand has been offering sharp pricing and other deals across its entire vehicle range as it strives to achieve aggressive sales targets.

And Triton sales have benefitted. The well-regarded ute which offers good off-road ability alongside solid on-road performance and good handling, took third place in October ute sales.

Its 329 sales were a little down on its September showing of 373, but took it to a YTD total of 3460.

That gave the Mitsubishi fourth place for the first 10 months

46 | LCV

Ford Ranger took back the number one ute spot from the Toyota Hilux in October, was well ahead in year-to-date sales.

of 2017, with the Colorado in third, 290 sales ahead on 3750.

Holden sold 311 Colorados in October.

Nissan held fifth spot in October with the Navara, logging 219 sales to put it 29 sales clear of sixth, but 92 behind its old sparring partner, the Colorado.

Navara sales have been weakened by the departure of the popular DX petrol model which accounted for an average 10 percent of the ute’s monthly sales.

The petrol Navara vanished from the range because its engine couldn’t meet the compulsory Euro 5 standards.

Anecdotally, we hear that some potential Navara customers have been put off by its relatively narrow cabin.

YTD, the Navara was also fifth with 2683, of which 189 were the petrol DX. Isuzu’s D-Mac and Mazda’s BT-50 are locked in a battle over sixth and seventh place.

On the year-to-date ladder to October 31, the D-Max held the upper hand, with 2158 total sales to the Mazda’s 1896. That’s probably enough of a gap to see the Isuzu finish 2017 in sixth place.

But the BT-50, which is showing good sales progress after languishing in recent years, had the upper hand by a not insignificant 30 sales in October. Mazda retailed 193 utes during the month to Isuzu’s 163.

Volkswagen’s Amarok took eighth place in October with a solid 82 registrations; Amarok sales have risen dramatically since the V6 version arrived early in the year.

It was also eighth year-to-date to October 31 with total sales

of 796. The VW will face opposition from the Mercedes-Benz X-Class when it debuts next year.

By mid-year when the Mercedes diesel V6 ute is expected to hit the market, the two German utes will be joint torque kings, each offering a mighty 550Nm. LDV’s new-to-the-market T60 has hit the ground running, even though it’s the Chinese manufacturer’s first foray into the ute market.

The first 20 were sold before they even landed, and second and third shipments were pre-sold too. Thirty-six were registered in September, and 45 in October, and in roughly three months on the market, total T60 sales stood at 102, putting the newcomer 13th on the YTD ladder. In October it had been the ninth bestselling ute.

LDV markets two T60s here, the workhorse-oriented Elite with heavy-duty suspension, and the more upmarket Luxury which is loaded with kit.

LDV has attempted to make the Luxury ride better than the Elite while retaining springing that’s able to cope with load carrying and three-tonne towing.

It has been only partially successful, appearing to have softened up the damping which results in a floaty feeling at speed; underpinning that is a rugged suspension with a ride quality reminiscent of the current Hilux’s.

The T60 is a good first effort, and LDV has shown with its vans that it will listen to feedback and improve its products progressively.

The utes sell at very competitive prices and offer a lot of ute for the money – the T60 is ballpark in size with the Ford Ranger – and like the Ranger has a five-star ANCAP rating.

One sale behind the T60 in October sales was the other ute marketed by Taupo-base Great Lake Motor Distributors, the Korean SsangYong Actyon.

It’s getting long in the tooth and is due for replacement next year. Forty-four were registered in October to give it tenth spot for the month. It was in the same place YTD with 505 sales.

SsangYong’s new ute, which is expected in the first part of 2018, will be based on the new Rexton SUV, and that vehicle is very impressive indeed.

The Rexton, which debuted locally in November, is being targeted at ute-based SUVs like the Holden Trailblazer and Ford Everest.

It’s among the best chassis-on-frame SUVs we’ve ever driven (a full road test will be in the February-March edition of LCV Magazine).

If the Actyon replacement is equally as good it should be a force to be reckoned with in the NZ ute market. It will be interesting to see how Great Lake markets two up-to-the-minute contemporary ute rivals – the LDV T60 and the SsangYong.

Foton’s well-established Tunland slotted into 11th place in October with 42 sales. Hamilton dealer, Ebbett Foton, has been marketing some special-edition models with a blacked-out treatment of the truck’s massive chromed grille, and they look very effective.

The Tunland is a hard-working ute, good to drive and with reasonable ride quality and solid performance, but it’s perhaps due for a significant upgrade, not just a cosmetic one.

Holden stopped making the Commodore ute when the company ceased vehicle manufacturing in Australia in October,

From top to bottom: 1. Toyota Hilux was second in October after leading the segment in August and September 2. Holden Colorado slotted into fourth in October.

3. New-to-market and very competitively-priced T60, the firstever ute from LDV, has made a strong sales start.

4. Volkswagen sold 82 Amaroks in October – sales have increased following introduction of V6 model.

LCV | 47

COMMERCIAL MARKET | UTE SALES

Sharp deals are helping Mitsubishi’s accomplished Triton to make a mark on the market – it was third in October.

and final stocks are selling out.

In recent years, the Commodore has been angled more towards a lifestyle vehicle than a workhorse, with independent rear suspension and sports-style chassis tuning.

Ford’s similar Falcon ute – which left the market after Ford closed its Australian factories last year – retained a leaf-sprung solid rear axle right to the end.

You’ll see the occasional cab/chassis tradie-style final production Falcon ute on NZ roads.

In fact, if it hadn’t been for the tradie-oriented cab/chassis the Falcon might have vanished from Australian roads years before, after the controversially-styled AU sedan was a sales flop.

Where the car was a market failure, the AU cab/chassis was a hit with Aussie tradies and that kept the Falcon nameplate alive while Ford frantically re-designed the AU, coming up with the handsome and popular BA. Holden’s Commodore ute was snapped up by 25 buyers in October to slot into 12th place on the ute sales ladder. Two of the more extreme HSV Maloo high-performance variant were registered.

YTD to October 31, Holden had sold 163 Commodore utes and 22 HSV Maloos.

China’s Great Wall Steed was in 13th place in October, with 21 sales. The Steed arrived at the beginning of 2017 and was touted as a big improvement over the previous model which was hampered by poor on-road driving dynamics.

The Steed retained the old model’s cabin section, and designers grafted on a more contemporary nose and a bigger load tray.

It scored just two stars in ANCAP crash-testing earlier this year which gave the Australasian distributors an unwelcome surprise.

They had been making safety a major part of their promotional campaign.

Like its predecessor, it sells on low pricing and also like its forebear, its strongest sales are of petrol-powered versions.

48 | LCV

Great Wall is the only ute maker to offer a mainstream gasolinefuelled ute here, and it sold 16 in October and 96 between January 1 and October 31. Total Steed sales in that period were 151.

Suzuki’s diminutive 4x4 Jimny has been undergoing a sales renaissance during 2017, and the Whanganui-based company sold eight during October.

The Jimny is really an ultra-compact SUV rather than a ute, but the NZTA includes it in its light commercial vehicle registrations presumably because it can be configured as a pick-up truck.

Suzukis have an excellent reputation for reliability, and the Jimny, which has solid axles front and rear, is highly-competent off-road. Add in cute styling and the Japanese car and motorcycle maker has a vehicle with enduring appeal.

Fiat Chrysler’s massive heavy-duty Ram 2500 and 3500 retail for more than $160,000 but have been small but steady sellers since their introduction to New Zealand at the 2016 Fieldays.

Powered by Cummins diesels, the Rams offer traditional USstyle luxury and market-leading towing ability. They’ll tow big horse floats and boats, and large American-style caravans. The 3500, the dearer of the two, has a higher tow rating than its identically-sized sibling.

Fiat Chrysler NZ sold two Ram 2500s in October, and had sold 41 by October 31, giving it a respectable monthly average of four sales.

Sales of Indian brand Mahindra’s rugged duo, the Pik-Up and the Genio, have all but dried up.

No Pik-Ups were sold during October, and only one Genio. The latter has been offered with very sharp pricing and special deals on load trays.

The single cab Genio can be fitted with a very long tray, making it a good rural workhorse.

The more off-road oriented Pik-Up has been the more popular of the two, and YTD to October 31, had amassed 32 sales to the Genio’s 25.

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COMMERCIAL MARKET | VAN SALES

Can anyone ever match the Toyota Hiace?

BY MIKE STOCK Rear view of market-leading Hiace – this is big 10 cubic metre capacity ZX – is all sales competitors see.

W

OULD IT SURPRISE YOU TO LEARN THAT THE Toyota Hiace was New Zealand’s biggest-selling van in October, the latest month for which registration figures were available when this magazine went to press?

No? I didn’t think so. Just as it’s a given that day follows night and vice versa, it’s a given that the stalwart Japanese van will top the sales charts, as it has done for more than 20 years.

It’s little short of phenomenal that a van that has essentially remained little changed for decades should continue to dominate the market.

And rather than falling away, Hiace sales have been increasing in recent months.

Combined sales for August and September were more than 600: those monthly sales were roughly 50 percent up on average sales in previous months.

After it gained electronic stability control in 2015 – the lack of the mandatory safety technology had threatened to exclude it from the market after July that year – sales of the Toyota warhorse have increased steadily.

The continued success of the van – which is available in six cubic metre cargo capacity ZL and 10 cubic metre ZX versions – can be attributed to a reputation for mechanical reliability, structural strength and durability, and solid resale value.

And then there’s the good PR job that Toyota NZ has done to embed the Hiace into the NZ psyche.

Toyota has become synonymous with van in many Kiwis’ minds. Trying to find a replacement van to help with cargo transport for a club I’m a member of, I asked what sort of van would do the job: the answer was a quick, “a Toyota.”

A colleague’s father has recently bought a van for his building business. What sort of van had he bought? my colleague asked his dad. “A Toyota,” was the reply.

Why had he chosen it? “Because it’s a Hiace.”

50 | LCV

That’s the Kiwi mindset when it comes to vans, and that’s what competitors have to contend with, even though they can match the Toyota on price, surpass it on features and driving ease, eclipse it on modernity of design.

I have a friend who does compliance engineering inspections on vans converted to minibuses. Where some vans he deals with require structural modification to mount stressed-member passenger seats, the Toyota is a doddle, solidly engineered and with plenty of underfloor structure to cope with the stress transmitted through the seats.

When it comes to gaining ground on the Hiace, other van distributors find themselves in a similar position to Don Quixote in the musical Man of La Mancha They’re dreaming the impossible dream and fighting the unbeatable foe.

Taking the sales battle to the Hiace must indeed feel like jousting with windmills. In Cervantes’ 17th century Spanish novel the knight Don Quixote fought with windmills believing they were giants.

That futile sort of battle led to the English phrase tilting at windmills, which means to fight an imaginary foe. Tilting is another name for jousting, an exercise in which a mounted knight attacks opponents with a lance, usually in an organised tournament.

The Hiace certainly isn’t imaginary but sales-wise it is a giant of the van world and trying to make inroads against it must feel like as much an exercise in futility as Don Quixote’s fight with the giants.

There’s no shortage of rivals to the Hiace. In the six cubic metre category alone there are several contenders for the Toyota’s crown – if only they could manage to get close.

But since the Mitsubishi L300 departed a couple of years back no van has really become a serious threat to the Hiace’s supremacy.

COMMERCIAL | VANTRUCKS SALES COMMERCIAL MARKET MARKET | LIGHT-DUTY

Not that the L300 did either – it just got closer than most and wasn’t outgunned consistently by a ratio of between two and three to one as the present contenders have been.

In October, Toyota sold 234 Hiace vans and minibuses, all but eleven of them diesels.

The closest competitor was the Ford Transit range with 95 sales, less than half the Toyota’s tally. The mid-sized six cubic metre Transit Custom is the big seller for Ford.

The Blue Oval’s sales have picked up since the arrival of automatic gearbox versions of the Custom and the bigger Cargo Transit. The auto Transits debuted at Fieldays in June, but global demand has seen them in short supply locally.

In terms of numbers alone, the Ford was the fourth biggest-selling nameplate in October, behind the Fiat Ducato (125 registrations) and the similarly-large Mercedes-Benz Sprinter (117 regos).

But 121 of the Ducatos were motorhomes, many of them imported from Britain and Europe; and 91 of the Mercs were also camper vans.

Twenty-five of the Transits are listed in NZ Transport Agency registration data as motor caravans.

Behind the Transit in October was Korean brand Hyundai’s well-received iLoad, a van that truly drives like a car (see the upcoming February-March issue of LCV Magazine for a full road test of the iLoad).

Though it’s about the same size as typical six cubic metre vans, the iLoad has a smaller load capacity – 4.4 cubic metres – which makes it an attractive proposition for tradespeople who

don’t need a larger-capacity van.

Breathing down the iLoad’s neck with 44 sales in October was the bigger of Chinese brand SAIC’s two LDV vans, the V80.

The front-wheel drive V80 has established itself as a costeffective load hauler which retails at attractive prices. It’s sold in three versions, the base model Big (6.4 cubic metres), higher-

Top: Ford Transit Custom is selling strongly now that automatic gearbox versions are available. Below: Numerically, Fiat’s Ducato is the second best-selling van nameplate in New Zealand but all but a handful each month are motorhomes built on the chassis pictured.

LCV | 51

COMMERCIAL MARKET | VAN SALES

L eft: Mercedes-Benz Vito had a strong October with 43 retailed. This is crew cab five-seater version.

Right: Cleanly-styled Volkswagen T6 Transporter is a solid seller

roofed Bigger (10.4 cubic metres) and Biggest (11.6 cubic metres).

Early model manuals had clutch problems associated with the tall first gear but the six-speed mated to the new Euro 6-compliant 2.5-litre VM Motori four-cylinder turbodiesel has transformed the V80.

V80s drive nicely, are very stable in crosswinds, and corner flatly and free of body-roll.

A six-speed automated manual gearbox is also available and is popular with minibus operators and is used in all of the V80s

converted into motorhomes.

One sale behind the V80 in October was Mercedes-Benz’s mid-sized Vito, one of the classiest vans on the market. It’s sold in single cab and four-door crew cab versions, the latter with five seats and a secure loadspace slightly bigger than most utes’ cargo beds.

LDV’s smaller van, the G10, is another mid-sizer with a smaller capacity that six cubic metres.

The rear-drive G10’s load space measures 5.2 cubic metres which is ballpark with the capacity of the now off-the-market

LDV G10 is based on an MPV and has lower, more car-like driving position than other vans.

52 | LCV

COMMERCIAL | VANTRUCKS SALES COMMERCIAL MARKET MARKET | LIGHT-DUTY

short-wheelbase version of the Mitsubishi L300.

It found 32 buyers in October; 22 bought diesels and the rest petrol.

The G10 is available in naturally-aspirated petrol and turbocharged petrol or diesel versions and with a choice of five-speed and six-speed manual or six-speed fully-automatic gearboxes, depending on model.

The styling reveals the G10’s roots as an MPV, and that heritage gives it a lower, car-like driving position. Most versions are lively and quick – we haven’t tried the five-speed manual naturally-aspirated 2.4 – and handle well.

Volkswagen’s super-competent T6 Transporter is a quiet achiever, racking up 28 sales in October.

It has the longest heritage of any van on the NZ market, tracing its ancestry back to the T1 Kombi of the late 1940s. Of course, the T6 is front-engined and front-wheel drive and has a water-cooled motor where the T1 was rear-engined, rear-wheel drive and used fan-forced air to cool its flat-four engine.

In the Volkswagen way, the T6 blends driving ease with a workmanlike cargo area, good performance and roadholding and understated quality.

The Master is the biggest van in Renault’s light commercial vehicle line-up, and it bucks the trend for French LCVs by being quite popular.

Super-bold grille apart, the Master is the most conventionallooking of Renault’s three vans, and for a vehicle that seems to fly under the radar – certainly it doesn’t get much promotion – does very well.

Renault NZ moved 19 in October and the big French loadhauler looks on target to end the year with well over 120 sales.

Another big Euro, the Daily from Italian truck maker Iveco, also did quite well in October.

Until the brand set up a dealer network in the past two years – it previously sold direct from the head office in Wiri, Auckland – Iveco was a very small player in the van market.

But the new Daily, introduced globally three years ago, and onstream with a vengeance here from early 2016, was much more appealing than its predecessor and is now selling moderately well.

Like the Isuzu D-Max ute, the Daily has truck DNA and is a solid, robustly-built workhorse that is available with a stunning eight-speed automatic gearbox also found in high-end Euro luxury cars.

Iveco NZ sold 13 Dailys in October, 10 of them underpinning motorhomes.

It was the last van to hit double figures during the month, and the best-of-the-rest was VW’s city van, the Caddy.

VW New Zealand markets only turbocharged petrol-engined Caddys – fuel economy is ballpark with diesel Caddys and petrol engines avoid Road User Charges. Seven were registered in October.

A vehicle which has basically left the market because it doesn’t have the mandatory ESC, Foton’s Hiace ZX look-alike CS2, logged five registrations as the last few left are snapped up.

VW’s Crafter recorded three registrations. The all-new 2017 Crafter (see road test elsewhere in this issue) is just hitting its straps and more can be expected of it in coming months.

French vans struggle for sales in NZ, and aside from the big

VW’s new Crafter is new to the market and is just starting to hit its straps.

Renault Master only one other Gallic product, a sole example of Peugeot’s good-looking Partner city van, was registered in October.

Year-to-date to October 31, the Hiace was firmly in control, with 2622 registrations. Next up was the Ducato with 879, of which 836 were motorhomes.

Hyundai moved 788 iLoads, and Mercedes Sprinter registrations stood at 699 – 447 of them motorhomes.

Ford sold 610 Transits in the first 10 months of 2017, and LDV registered 551 V80s and 350 of the smaller G10.

Volkswagen T6 Transporter registrations stood at 279, and the same brand’s Caddy city van racked up 133 sales.

Iveco sold 122 Dailys, Mercedes retailed 116 Vitos, Kiwis bought 103 Renault Masters, VW recorded 70 Crafter registrations, and Foton sold 56 CS2s.

That left the French products: Peugeot sold 22 Partners and two mid-sized Experts, Renault sold 17 Trafic six cubic metre vans and 18 Kangoo city vans. A new version of the latter is about to hit the NZ market.

As we head towards 2018, the NZ van market remains Toyota versus the rest, with the real scrap being over second place.

LCV | 53

STAT DATA These tables are based on official registration data supplied by New Zealand Transit Authority Motor Registration Centre. SEPTEMBER 2017

DIESEL POWERED COMMERCIAL REGISTRATIONS 0 TO 10,000KG GVM MAKE

MODEL

Sub Model or vehicle type

CHEVROLET CITROEN CITROEN CITROEN

SILVERADO JUMPER JUMPER RELAY

HIGH COUNTRY MCV OTHER TRUCK MCV

FIAT FIAT FIAT FORD FORD FORD FORD FORD FORD FORD FORD FORD FORD FORD FORD FORD FORD

DUCATO DUCATO DUCATO COURIER F250 RANGER RANGER RANGER RANGER TRANSIT TRANSIT TRANSIT TRANSIT TRANSIT TRANSIT TRANSIT TRANSIT

HEAVY VAN LIGHT VAN MCV XL CHASSIS CAB LARIAT 4WD CAB AND CHASSIS ONLY MCV UTILITY SWB LOW ROOF CAB AND CHASSIS ONLY HEAVY VAN LIGHT VAN MINIBUS OTHER TRUCK MCV SERVICE COACH

FOTON FOTON FOTON FOTON FOTON FOTON FOTON FOTON

TUNLAND TUNLAND K1 K1 VIEW CS2 AUMARK AUMARK AUMARK

SINGLE CAB WELL 2.8D 4WD LIGHT VAN MCV MINIBUS FLAT-DECK TRUCK BJ1079 BJ099UTE3.8 LWB

FUSO FUSO FUSO FUSO FUSO FUSO MITSUBISHI FUSO

CANTER 918 CANTER 616 - CITY CANTER 918 CANTER 918 FIGHTER FIGHTER ROSA

CAB AND CHASSIS ONLY FLAT-DECK TRUCK OTHER TRUCK SERVICE COACH CAB AND CHASSIS ONLY OTHER TRUCK SERVICE COACH

GREAT WALL GREAT WALL

STEED STEED

2.0D/6MT 2.0D/4WD/6MT

HINO HINO HINO

300 300 300

CAB AND CHASSIS ONLY MOBILE MACHINE OTHER TRUCK

HOLDEN HOLDEN

COLORADO COLORADO

4WD UTILITY

HYUNDAI HYUNDAI HYUNDAI HYUNDAI HYUNDAI HYUNDAI

HD75 ILOAD ILOAD ILOAD MIGHTY MIGHTY

L 2.5 CRDI AUTO 2.5 CRDI MANUAL 2.5 CRDI A5 5S EX6 EX8

ISUZU ISUZU ISUZU ISUZU ISUZU ISUZU ISUZU ISUZU ISUZU

D-MAX D-MAX N SERIES N SERIES N SERIES N SERIES N SERIES N SERIES F SERIES

UTILITY 4WD CAB AND CHASSIS ONLY FLAT-DECK TRUCK HEAVY VAN OTHER TRUCK MCV SERVICE COACH SERVICE COACH

IVECO IVECO IVECO IVECO IVECO IVECO IVECO

DAILY DAILY DAILY DAILY DAILY DAILY EUROCARGO

CAB AND CHASSIS ONLY FLAT-DECK TRUCK HEAVY VAN LIGHT VAN OTHER TRUCK MCV ML120-E25/PL

JAC LDV LDV LDV LDV LDV LDV LDV

HFC1061K G10 G10 T60 V80 V80 V80 V80

OTHER TRUCK CARGO DIESEL AUTO 1.

CARGO DIESEL MANUAL 4WD CAB AND CHASSIS ONLY LIGHT VAN MINIBUS MCV

MAHINDRA MAHINDRA MAHINDRA

GENIO GENIO PIKUP

4X2 4X4 4X4

MAZDA MAZDA

BT-50 BT-50

4X4 UTILITY

54 | LCV

YTD 2017 1 1 1 1 3 2 37 715 1 1 1369 62 11 5665 271 2 10 327 32 1 23 49 7824 145 340 35 11 5 1 1 1 539 112 2 302 9 2 4 27 458 15 35 50 18 1 155 174 2016 1423 3439 6 509 214 19 15 3 766 562 1433 102 14 2 231 6 6 1 2357 5 4 31 9 19 40 1 109 1 67 90 57 45 338 122 2 721 20 4 32 56 799 904 1703

September 2017

1 1 10 147

179 4 2 595 45 2 35 4 2 7 875 22 29

51 13 31 2

5 51 1 2 3

17 17 215 139 354 53 16 2 3 74 60 135 13 1 23 2

234 1 5 2 3 1 12 2 4 36 1 40 16 1 100 3 1 4 102 104 206

MERCEDES-BENZ MERCEDES-BENZ MERCEDES-BENZ MERCEDES-BENZ MERCEDES-BENZ MERCEDES-BENZ MERCEDES-BENZ MERCEDES-BENZ MERCEDES-BENZ MERCEDES-BENZ

SPRINTER SPRINTER SPRINTER SPRINTER SPRINTER SPRINTER SPRINTER VITO VITO VITO

CAB AND CHASSIS ONLY HEAVY VAN LIGHT VAN MINIBUS OTHER TRUCK MCV SERVICE COACH 111 114 119

MITSUBISHI MITSUBISHI

TRITON TRITON

4WD UTILITY

NISSAN NISSAN NISSAN

NAVARA NAVARA CABSTAR

4WD UTILITY NT400 35.12

PEUGEOT PEUGEOT PEUGEOT

PARTNER EXPERT ELDDIS

LWB FACELIFT 1.6D/5M AUTOMATIC 2.0D/6AT/L MCV

RAM RAM

2500 3500

LARAMIE DJ LARAMIE D2

RENAULT RENAULT RENAULT RENAULT RENAULT

TRAFIC MASTER MASTER MASTER MASTER

LIGHT VAN HEAVY VAN LIGHT VAN MINIBUS MCV

SSANGYONG SSANGYONG SSANGYONG SSANGYONG

ACTYON SPORT ACTYON SPORT ACTYON SPORT ACTYON SPORT

4WD 2WD SPORTS AUTO 2.2 2.2D SPORTS MANUAL 2.2 2.

TOYOTA TOYOTA TOYOTA TOYOTA TOYOTA TOYOTA

HIACE HIACE HIACE HILUX HILUX LANDCRUISER

ZL ZX MINIBUS 4WD UTILITY ALL MODELS

UD TRUCKS VOLKSWAGEN VOLKSWAGEN VOLKSWAGEN VOLKSWAGEN VOLKSWAGEN VOLKSWAGEN VOLKSWAGEN VOLKSWAGEN VOLKSWAGEN VOLKSWAGEN VOLKSWAGEN

MK11280 AMAROK AMAROK AMAROK CADDY CALIFORNIA CRAFTER CRAFTER CRAFTER CRAFTER T6 T6

2WD 4WD UTILITY DELIVERY TSI 2.0DT MCV 30 MWB 35 LWB 35 MWB 100 MAN 50 LWB 105 MAN LWB MULTIVAN CL SWB 2.0D

YUTONG

ZK6760DAA

SERVICE COACH

TOTAL DIESEL COMMERCIALS 0 TO 10,00KG GVM

1 59 84 44 4 356 34 1 69 3 655 1533 1598 3131 955 1320 2 2277 21 2 12 35 28 1 29 17 5 55 2 5 84 127 212 87 35 461 1164 459 608 3170 3127 218 8746 1 12 24 678 8 19 17 9 34 7 104 145 1057 1

35,442

PETROL POWERED COMMERCIAL REGISTRATIONS 0 TO 10,000KG GVM *INCLUDES ELECTRIC YTD SUB MODEL MAKE MODEL 2017 or vehicle type

9 16 7 70 8 4 1 115 171 202 373 112 155 267

2 2 1 1 2 14 1 17 12 17 7 2 38 153 86 86 284 509 25 1143

1 84 2 4 4 1 2 13 12 123

4218

September 2017 1

CADILLAC

HEARSE

STATION WAGON

1

CADILLAC

XTS

STATION WAGON

2

CHEVROLET

SILVERADO

LT

1

FIAT

DUCATO

MCV

2

FORD

F150

UTILITY

2

GREAT WALL

STEED

2.4P/5MT

67

2

GREAT WALL

STEED

2.4P/4WD/5MT

13

3

80

5

HOLDEN

COMMODORE

UTILITY

138

24

HOLDEN

HSV

UTILITY

20

3

158

27 10

3

1

LDV

G10

LIGHT VAN

171

LLOYDS

PASXTER*

LIGHT VAN

117

MITSUBISHI

OUTLANDER

LS 2.4P/4WD/CVT

1

MITSUBISHI

TRITON

GLX

1

NISSAN

NAVARA

ALL MODELS

189

RAM

2500

DJ SLT

3

RENAULT

KANGOO

LIGHT VAN

18

3

SUZUKI

JIMNY

UTILITY

58

4

TOYOTA

HIACE

LIGHT VAN

141

11

TOYOTA

HIACE

MINIBUS

5

1

TOYOTA

HILUX

UTILITY

13

TOYOTA

TUNDRA

1794 EDITION

1

VOLKSWAGEN

CADDY

LIGHT VAN

2

160

TOTAL PETROL AND ELECTRIC COMMERCIALS 0 TO 10,00KG GVM

12

118

10

1055

75

OCTOBER 2017

These tables are based on official registration data supplied by New Zealand Transit Authority Motor Registration Centre.

DIESEL POWERED COMMERCIAL REGISTRATIONS 0 TO 10,000KG GVM MAKE

MODEL

Sub Model or vehicle type

CHEVROLET CITROEN CITROEN CITROEN

SILVERADO JUMPER JUMPER RELAY

HIGH COUNTRY MCV OTHER TRUCK MCV

FIAT FIAT FIAT FIAT

DUCATO DUCATO DUCATO DUCATO

OTHER TRUCK LIGHT VAN HEAVY VAN SELF PROPELLED CARAVAN

FORD FORD FORD FORD FORD FORD FORD FORD FORD FORD FORD FORD FORD FORD FORD

COURIER F250 RANGER RANGER RANGER RANGER RANGER TRANSIT TRANSIT TRANSIT TRANSIT TRANSIT TRANSIT TRANSIT TRANSIT

XL CHASSIS CAB LARIAT 4WD CAB AND CHASSIS ONLY MCV STATION WAGON UTILITY CAB AND CHASSIS ONLY HEAVY VAN LIGHT VAN MINIBUS OTHER TRUCK MCV SERVICE COACH SWB

FOTON FOTON FOTON FOTON FOTON FOTON FOTON FOTON FOTON FOTON FOTON

TUNLAND TUNLAND TUNLAND VIEW CS2 VIEW CS2 K1 AUMARK AUMARK AUMARK AUMARK AUMARK

UTILITY 2WD 4WD LIGHT VAN MINIBUS MCV FLAT-DECK TRUCK OTHER TRUCK BJ1051 2.8 BJ1079 BJ099UTE3.8 LWB

FUSO FUSO FUSO FUSO FUSO FUSO MITSUBISHI FUSO

CANTER CANTER CANTER CANTER FIGHTER FIGHTER ROSA

CAB AND CHASSIS ONLY FLAT-DECK TRUCK OTHER TRUCK SERVICE COACH CAB AND CHASSIS ONLY OTHER TRUCK SERVICE COACH

GREAT WALL GREAT WALL

STEED STEED

2.0D/6MT 2.0D/4WD/6MT

HINO HINO HINO HINO

300 300 300 300

CAB AND CHASSIS ONLY FLAT-DECK TRUCK MOBILE MACHINE OTHER TRUCK

HOLDEN HOLDEN

COLORADO COLORADO

4WD UTILITY

HYUNDAI HYUNDAI HYUNDAI HYUNDAI HYUNDAI HYUNDAI

ILOAD ILOAD ILOAD HD75 MIGHTY MIGHTY

2.5 CRDI AUTO 2.5 CRDI MANUAL 2.5 CRDI A5 5S L FLAT-DECK TRUCK OTHER TRUCK

ISUZU ISUZU ISUZU ISUZU ISUZU ISUZU ISUZU ISUZU ISUZU

D-MAX D-MAX N SERIES NKR N SERIES N SERIES N SERIES N SERIES F SERIES

UTILITY 4WD NQR500M AMT FLATDECK NPR250M AMT NQR500M TIPPER NPR425L AMT SERVICE COACH

IVECO IVECO IVECO IVECO IVECO IVECO IVECO

DAILY DAILY DAILY DAILY DAILY DAILY EUROCARGO

CAB AND CHASSIS ONLY FLAT-DECK TRUCK HEAVY VAN LIGHT VAN OTHER TRUCK MCV ML120-E25/PL

JAC LDV LDV LDV LDV LDV LDV

HFC1061K G10 T60 V80 V80 V80 V80

LIGHT VAN 4WD CAB AND CHASSIS ONLY LIGHT VAN MINIBUS MCV

MAHINDRA MAHINDRA MAHINDRA

GENIO GENIO PIKUP

4X2 4X4 4X4

MAZDA MAZDA

BT-50 BT-50

4X4 UTILITY

MERCEDES-BENZ MERCEDES-BENZ MERCEDES-BENZ MERCEDES-BENZ MERCEDES-BENZ

VITO VITO VITO SPRINTER SPRINTER

111 114 119 CAB AND CHASSIS ONLY HEAVY VAN

YTD 2017

1 1 1 1 3 1 39 3 836 879 1 1 1550 74 13 1 6323 2 11 362 32 1 25 60 317 8773 157 3 367 40 5 11 2 1 1 1 1 589 123 2 339 10 3 4 30 511 18 37 55 7 15 1 172 195 2206 1544 3750 538 229 21 6 1 19 814 606 1552 108 15 2 262 7 6 1 2559 5 5 32 9 20 50 1 122 1 179 102 47 370 132 2 832 21 4 32 57 910 986 1896 1 112 3 2 64

October 2017

1 2 1 121 125 181 12 2 1 658 1 35 2 11 46 949 15 27 5 1 1 1 50 11 37 1 1 3 53 3 2 5 2 2 17 21 190 121 311 29 15 2 2 48 44 119 6 1 31 1 202 1 1 1 10 13 22 45 2 32 10 111 1 1 111 82 193 43 1 5

STAT DATA

MERCEDES-BENZ MERCEDES-BENZ MERCEDES-BENZ MERCEDES-BENZ MERCEDES-BENZ

SPRINTER SPRINTER SPRINTER SPRINTER SPRINTER

LIGHT VAN MINIBUS OTHER TRUCK MCV SERVICE COACH

MITSUBISHI MITSUBISHI

TRITON TRITON

4WD UTILITY

NISSAN NISSAN NISSAN NISSAN

NAVARA NAVARA NAVARA CABSTAR

4WD CAB AND CHASSIS ONLY UTILITY NT400 35.12

PEUGEOT PEUGEOT PEUGEOT PEUGEOT

PARTNER EXPERT BOXER ELDDIS

LWB FACELIFT 1.6D LIGHT VAN MCV MCV

RAM RAM

2500 3500

LARAMIE DJ LARAMIE D2

RENAULT RENAULT RENAULT RENAULT RENAULT

TRAFIC MASTER MASTER VAN MASTER VAN MASTER

L2H1 1.6D/6MT/LV/5DR L4H3 AUTO ELWB HR L1H1 2.3D/6AM/LV/5DR L3H2 2.3DT/6AM

SSANGYONG SSANGYONG SSANGYONG SSANGYONG SSANGYONG

ACTYON SPORT ACTYON SPORT ACTYON SPORT ACTYON SPORT ACTYON SPORT

2WD 4WD SPORTS AUTO 2.2 2.2D SPORTS MANUAL 2.0D/4 SPORTS MANUAL 2.2 2.

TOYOTA TOYOTA TOYOTA TOYOTA TOYOTA TOYOTA TOYOTA

HIACE HIACE HIACE HILUX HILUX HILUX LANDCRUISER

ZL ZX MINIBUS 4WD CAB AND CHASSIS ONLY UTILITY LT 4.5DT/4WD/5MT

UD TRUCKS VOLKSWAGEN VOLKSWAGEN VOLKSWAGEN VOLKSWAGEN VOLKSWAGEN VOLKSWAGEN VOLKSWAGEN VOLKSWAGEN VOLKSWAGEN VOLKSWAGEN VOLKSWAGEN

MK11280 AMAROK AMAROK AMAROK CADDY CALIFORNIA CRAFTER CRAFTER CRAFTER CRAFTER T6 T6

2WD 4WD UTILITY LIGHT VAN MCV 30 MWB 103 2.0D/6MT 35 LWB 130 2.0D/8AT 35 MWB 100 MAN 50 SCC LWB 400 MAN LWB SWB

YUTONG

ZK6760DAA

SERVICE COACH

TOTAL DIESEL COMMERCIALS 0 TO 10,00KG GVM

89 55 5 447 37 815 1719 1741 3460 1038 45 1411 2 2496 22 2 1 12 37 40 1 41 17 5 72 2 7 103 230 147 92 6 30 505 1300 481 684 3675 129 3255 258 9782 1 12 27 757 8 22 17 10 35 8 117 160 1173 1

39,451

PETROL POWERED COMMERCIAL REGISTRATIONS 0 TO 10,000KG GVM *INCLUDES ELECTRIC YTD SUB MODEL MAKE MODEL 2017 or vehicle type

5 11 1 91 3 160 186 143 329 82 7 130 219 1 1 2 2 2 17 2 19 18 20 5 1 44 136 22 76 505 27 230 40 1036 2 80 3 1 1 1 13 15 116

4009

October 2017

CADILLAC

HEARSE

1

CADILLAC

XTS

STATION WAGON

CHEVROLET

SILVERADO

LIGHT VAN

1

FIAT

DUCATO

MCV

3

FORD

F150

UTILITY

2

GREAT WALL

STEED

2.4P/5MT

79

12

GREAT WALL

STEED

2.4P/4WD/5MT

17

4

96

16

2 3 1

HOLDEN

COMMODORE

UTILITY

163

25

HOLDEN

HSV

GTS-R MALOO UTE AT 6

22

2

185

27 11

LDV

G10

LIGHT VAN

182

LLOYDS*

PASXTER

PASXTER

117

MITSUBISHI

OUTLANDER

LS 2.4P/4WD/CVT

1

MITSUBISHI

TRITON

GLX

1

NISSAN

NAVARA

DX 2.5P/6MT/UT/4DR/5

189

RAM

2500

DJ SLT

3

RENAULT

KANGOO

LIGHT VAN

18

SUZUKI

JIMNY

JXD 1.3P/4WD/5MT/SW

66

8

SUZUKI

APV

VAN 1.6 5DR

1

1

67

9 11

2

TOYOTA

HIACE

LIGHT VAN

152

TOYOTA

HIACE

MINIBUS

5

TOYOTA

HILUX

UTILITY

13

TOYOTA

TUNDRA

UTILITY

1 171

11

VOLKSWAGEN

CADDY

LIGHT VAN

125

7

VOLKSWAGEN

T6

TRANSPORTER SWB 2.0P

6

6

TOTAL PETROL AND ELECTRIC COMMERCIALS 0 TO 10,00KG GVM

131

13

1139

84

LCV | 55

THE BACK PAGE | PRODUCT NEWS EXTRA

Dressing up an LDV T60 ute W

HEN UTE ACCESSORIES specialist, Airplex, was in the market for a new promotional vehicle, it compared a range of pickup trucks before settling on the newlyreleased LDV T60.

As a supplier of accessories for several vehicle brands, Airplex says it likes to be able to display and promote accessories across a range of vehicles for customers, while at the same time having a goodlooking and functional work ute.

With a Ford Ranger, Volkswagen Amarok and Foton Tunland already in the fleet, Airplex said the new LDV T60 seemed like a good option, and says it has

Airplex has fitted a wide range of New Zealand-made ute accessories to its new LDV T60 promotional vehicle.

been a great addition.

The T60 Airplex selected is a top--ofthe-range Luxury 4x4 automatic finished smartly in black.

Airplex’s Simon Judd says the LDV is “a great-looking vehicle straight off the showroom floor but is looking even better every week as we add various accessories.

And it looks great in the Airplex colours.”

Judd says that as a New Zealand manufacturer and distributor supplying OE (original equipment) and aftermarket componentry, Airplex is proud to supply a select range of New Zealandmanufactured accessories to LDV NZ. Airplex makes weathershields, headlight

Airplex has fitted a wide range of New Zealand-made ute accessories to its new LDV T60 promotional vehicle.

56 | LCV

protectors and bonnet guards for the LDV T60 in Auckland and supplies them as genuine accessories through the LDV dealer network in New Zealand and Australia.

Judd says LDV has opted to source many New Zealand manufactured accessories for the new ute.

Drawing on the wide range of aftermarket equipment it stocks, Airplex chose to fit the T60 with a NZ-made heavy-duty aluminium hard lid for the load tray.

Judd says it has been designed specifically to fit with the LDV factorysupplied sports bar or with the Airplex’s own aftermarket bar.

“This lid really enhances the look of the vehicle and offers a practical tough lid that can take a load on top while keeping your gear safe and dry underneath.”

The ute’s front is fitted with NZ-made bonnet guard and headlight protectors, and a set of slim sport door weathershields has been fitted to the doors.

The T60 is well-equipped as standard and comes with factory fitted roof rails as standard equipment.

“As an authorised stockist and installer of Rhino-Rack roof racks, Airplex has chosen to fit the very practical Rhino-Rack Pioneer Platform for extra load space,” says Judd.

“This is a very versatile load-carrying platform that also allows for easy mounting of some extra lighting, in the form of a onemetre-long LED light bar.”

Judd says the LDV is proving to be “a well-appointed and great-performing vehicle for Airplex that suits both work and play.” ”

DO MORE WITH MORE

THE LATEST SAFETY, COMFORT AND EMISSIONS TECHNOLOGY - IN ONE HIGH-PERFORMING, VERSATILE TRUCK. Hino’s new Wide Cab 500 series has it all and does it all.

• Potentially life-saving Vehicle Stability Control • Improved in-cab comfort • The latest engine technology for stronger performance • New SCR exhaust-reduction system No matter the application, we can customise a Wide Cab for you.

Talk to our team today.

WWW.HINO.CO.NZ/WIDECAB

the auto accessory specialists 2

8

2

5

With central locking Canopy SUV SteelTop™

Canopy SteelTop™ Commercial

3

Side Step - Stainless Steel

8

3

Sports Bar

4

Side Step - Alloy

Hard Lid

3

Roof Racks

1

Weathershield

10

Tonneau Cover (no drill)

6

Headlight Cover

Slide N Lock

Tailgate GapShield

TO SUIT:

5 2

6

4

3

7

1

9 10

11

8

1

1

12

Alloy Lid - Load Rated

Cargo Bar

1

1

LCV27594

Bed Liner

9

Bonnet Guard

Nudge Bar

7 ESC COMPATIBLE

12

• Hilux • Navara • Triton • Great Wall • D-Max • BT50 • Ranger • LDV T60 • Colorado • Amarok • Foton • and More!!

11 Black & Chrome Trim

Fog Lamp

Towbar & Wiring

™

www.airplex.co.nz

Airplex Industries Ltd

21 Saleyards Road, Otahuhu, Auckland Phone: +64 9 276 9826 Toll Free: NZ 0800AIRPLEX Fax: +64 9 276 9836 Email: info@airplex.co.nz