Flood of new models

This has been one of the busiest weeks of the year in the international motor industry, with an estimated 100 ‘ reveals’ of new production cars, concepts as well as projects embracing hybrids, hydrogen fuel cells and EVs, at the Frankfurt motor show.

We touched on some of them in Wednesday’s edition of Driven, and there is a lot more to read about the show on Driven. co. nz.

As our cover story on the Range Rover Velar reports today, the length of time it takes between new models being launched and reaching these shores, is becoming shorter.

Among the models being shown in Frankfurt is the eagerly awaited Suzuki Swift Sport, which Suzuki New Zealand said this week would arrive here in the first quarter of next year.

Other mainstream models shown at Frankfurt will be here even sooner, such as the Hyundai Kona SUV, its hot hatch sibling the Hyundai i30N, both of which will hopefully be here before the end TONY VERDON of the year.

Kia New Zealand’s announcement that it will launch three Stinger models, including the V6 twin- turbo Sport GT, within the next few months, suggests we are heading into an exceptionally busy end of year period in the local market.

Kia is launching a rear wheel drive, large, sporty five- door sedan into a market at the same time as Holden and Ford have decided Australian- built large rear wheel drive sedans are no longer wanted in the market. If the rave reviews the Stinger has been receiving overseas are a guide, Kia is unlikely to have much difficulty in selling the number of models it can source from South Korea. It is a whole new category of the market for Kia, but it looks like a winner, even if that segment of the market is in decline. ABOUT US