Our love affair with SUVs blossoms
New Zealand’s SUV market continues to grow as more and more Kiwis discover that the vehicles are a natural fit for their lifestyle. Whether it’s a family holiday with a boot full of luggage or a fishing trip with some mates, and regardless of budget, there’s plenty of choice for everyone. And there are even more options on their way.
Mazda says it designed its CX-8, launched in June, to fill the gap left when it dropped its people movers. And given that it’s built in right-hand drive for the Japanese market, it’s also available to countries like New Zealand, where sharp SUV looks along with everyday practicality are highly desirable. With seven seats there is plenty of room to accommodate a family of five.
The CX-8 marks Mazda’s first entry into the diesel portion of the large SUV segment, with the new upgraded Skyactiv-D 2.2L engine producing 140kW at 4500rpm.
The CX-8 is billed as the ideal vehicle to double as a smart executive’s runabout from 9 to 5 and a practical kid-carrier for school runs and weekend sport, with plenty of boot space for when the family holidays roll around.
It’s been more than a year since Hyundai launched its fully electric Ioniq, and at this year’s Fieldays it revealed the second EV model, the Kona, featuring double the range, increased power, and of course New Zealand’s favourite body style, the SUV.
The Kona is fitted with a 64kWh lithium-ion battery providing an enticing ‘real world’ range of 400km, but the model has been rated with a range of 470km overseas.
The battery can be recharged up to 80 per cent in 54 minutes using a 100kW fast charger, and a full charge will take up to 10 hours on a fast charge wall box. The electric motor delivers a reasonable 150kW of power and 395Nm of immediate torque that can take it from a standstill to 100km/ h in 7.6 seconds.
Those who haven’t been to Germany recently are unlikely to have seen or even heard of the VW T-ROC, launched just this month, joining the formidable Tiguan and Touareg SUV family.
Designed to be a brand-shaper, the T-ROC packs considerable presence for its size, and sets the benchmark for the booming small SUV segment. It will first be available in R-Line specification, featuring the most powerful engine in its class, offering 140kW and 320Nm of torque coupled to a 7-speed DSG transmission.
The T-ROC will also boast extensive safety features, including pedestrian monitoring, side assist with lane keep, rear traffic alert, blind spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control.
With the SUV market contributing to 42 per cent of new car sales this year, manufacturers are pushing models with increased innovation and features.
The result? New Zealand motorists are spoilt for choice.