New Vehicles in 2017
Most car manufacturers are in that stage of the new year, where they announce and showcase their new lineup of vehicles for the New Zealand market. Here are some of the new vehicles announced for 2017 that we hope to get a taste of when they arrive in New Zealand, if they haven’t yet already arrived.
Tesla Model S/X/3
Tesla announced late last year that they were on their way to the NZ market, and a quick trial order suggests that the latest Model S P100D will cost a mighty $232,500 and can be delivered in May 2017. This is a vehicle that I am very much looking forward to its release and to be able to test drive one when it arrives!
Mini Cooper S Convertible
Ahh what can I say! The car used in the 2017 New Zealand movie Pork Pie being driven the length of the country while being chased by cops! The new Mini Cooper S Convertible boasts a 2 litre, 4 cylinder petrol engine producing 141kW of power for its top of the line model. All driving-related displays such as the speedometer and rev counter are now placed behind the steering wheel, directly into your field of vision. The traditional MINI centre speedo has been replaced by the all-new MINI Centre Instrument that displays information and entertainment. With the Mini Cooper S weighing just under 1.4 tonnes kerb weight, expect to get a lot of speed in the Mini!
Toyota C-HR Crossover
Toyota’s C-HR Crossover was officially announced early last year at the Geneva Motor Show. Its design sports a very youthful look, and is based on the latest generation Prius meaning it should be a hybrid. It’s got quite a few wacky style lines and distinctive front and rear fenders, and the tail lights have sort of an inward bend to them.
The C-HR will be available in 2WD and 4WD featuring a new-generation 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine with a continuously variable transmission. We won’t know the exact specs and pricing of the NZ model until later on. The C-HR plans to be officially launched in Autumn this year.
Skoda Kodiaq SUV
ŠKODA’s new large SUV is to be called Kodiaq. It has three engine categories – a 1.4L turbo petrol producing 110kW/250Nm of power, a 2L four-cylinder petrol producing 132kW/320Nm of power, and a 2L turbo diesel producing 140kW/400Nm of power. What is pretty interesting is that Skoda have now got the smallest engine in the large car category with its 1.4L turbo petrol engine!
There appear to be three levels of trim styles – Ambition, Ambition Plus and the flagship Style trim. The Ambition trim includes LED headlights, an electric folding tailgate, pedestrian monitor – a new autonomous safety system that prevents collisions with pedestrians and minimises the car’s speed in the event of an impact – and appears to have a wireless method of running Apple CarPlay. The Ambition Plus trim adds three-zone air con, sat nav, leather, heated front seats and steering wheel and multi-hued ambient interior lighting. Meanwhile, the flagship Style trim runs to a higher grade of leather, has a fancier sat nav, park assist, a full range of parking sensors and adaptive cruise control. This model also runs a dynamic body control and is on 19-inch wheels, whereas the others run on 18-inches.
The all new Skoda Kodiaq SUV is expected to launch in New Zealand in May with a price tag ranging between $39,990 to $54,290.
Mazda MX-5 RF (Retractable Fastback)
The world’s number one selling convertible 2-seater Mazda MX-5 is back, this time with a retractable hard top! When the roof is closed the MX-5 RF presents a beautiful silhouette achieved through the rear roof side sections sloping towards the rear which tuck into the sides to create the perfect teardrop shape for the cabin.
The MX-5 RF enables drivers to quickly adapt to changing weather by a simple press of a switch located below the air condition dials. The roof opens/closes in approximately 13 seconds, the fastest of any retractable hardtop on the market and is displayed on a LCD screen allowing the driver to check on the progress of the sequence without having to turn around.
The designers also took great care to minimise the weight of all the parts needed to change the vehicle to a hardtop and as a result the amount of weight added over that of the soft-top was approximately 47kg.
The MX-5 RF carries over the use of i-ACTIVSENSE advanced safety technologies and passive safety features including Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), High Beam Control System (HBC) and Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS).
The MX-5 RF is powered by the 2.0L SKYACTIV-G petrol engine and is available in three models plus one special launch edition model. Pricing ranges between $48,495 to $54,995 for the Special Launch Edition.
Suzuki Ignis
Upon first glance this compact SUV looks very compact. Until we get the chance to be able to test it out ourselves, we will reserve further judgement. Nevertheless, the Suzuki Ignis looks like a very nifty car, powered by a 1.3L petrol engine producing 66kW of power and 120Nm of torque. It’s techy enough that it comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay!
The price for one of these is between $18,990 to $22,990, and is suitable for the budget conscious.
BMW 5 Series Sedan
The All New BMW 5 Series is the embodiment of the modern business sedan. The seventh generation BMW 5 Series is characterised by innovative technology and complemented by a luxurious interior, dynamics and safety.
Going through the features of this vehicle, the Remote Control Parking function looks really cool. This feature allows the driver to get out of the vehicle and then park it with the BMW display key.
BMW have not released any specs and pricing for the NZ market yet.
Next-Generation Holden Commodore
The next generation Holden Commodore is being designed and manufactured in Germany, and is based on the Opel Insignia model. I’m going to say it right here and right now, that I think the Commodore badge should’ve been retired before this model got announced; this model is not a Commodore! Let me explain.
The new Holden Commodore comes in front-wheel drive as well as all-wheel drive. Rear-wheel drive does not come standard. What adds to more insult is that the top model doesn’t even have a V8 engine, in fact it’s just a V6 (not even turbo-charged) producing a maximum power of 230kW. It does however come with Holden’s first nine-speed automatic transmission and intelligent all-wheel drive system.
First impressions also suggest that the new Commodore is smaller than its current generation Commodore, meaning that seating three adults in the back seats may be a bit of a hassle, and that the driver and front passenger are more closer shoulder to shoulder. This setback means that the new Commodore can be up to 200KGs lighter depending on the powertrain and trim, and sedan or sportswagon.
While the engine side of things don’t add up to being a true Commodore, we can say that it does have some pretty impressive tech for a Holden, such as autonomous emergency braking, Lane Keep Assist with automated steering correction and Lane Departure Warning (LDW), adaptive suspension, head up display, adaptive cruise control, rear cross traffic alert and matrix lighting.
Here are the list of driver assistance systems and technology that can be included in the next-generation Commodore:
- Autonomous Emergency Braking
- Adaptive Cruise Control
- Speed Limit Cruise Control
- Lane Departure Warning
- Lane Keep Assist
- Forward Collision Alert
- Side Blind-Zone Alert
- Rear Cross-Traffic Alert
- Next-generation comfort and convenience technologies:
- Massage Seats
- Rear one-touch folding seats
- Heated Front and Rear seats
- Ventilated Front seats
- Express up/down all windows
- Wagon power lift-gate
- Active Noise Cancellation
We’ve sneaked this 2018 model in here, because we think it’ll be seen somewhere at the end of this year.
