Table of contents for August 2023 in NZ4WD

NEWS Kia’s upcoming ute, due in 2025, could be getting a distinctively Australasian name: Tasman, A trademark filing lodged in Australia shows Kia has trademarked the name Tasman for a vehicle. It’s Kia’s only local trademark filing for a vehicle name in the past 12 months. The new ute is referred to internally as TK and it has been benchmarked against the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux. Development began in 2020. It will pack diesel power when it arrives here 2025 though there is a separate programme developing other powertrains. Kia says the TK/Tasman is a “strategic model for emerging markets. Prototypes have been spied testing in Korea disguised in sheetmetal from the older body-on-frame Mohave SUV. Kia has homologated its latest 3.0-litre diesel to Euro 6 standards. According to…

As the current Mitsubishi Triton approaches the end of its model life, a limited-edition Walkinshaw-fettled Triton has officially entered the Australian market. Buyers will have to be quick to claim one - a limited run of just 500 units will be available. Motorsport and tuning company Walkinshaw 3D-scanned a Triton GSR to identify exact areas where the vehicle could be improved. The first priority was the vehicle’s suspension. Four Supashock 46mm monotube dampers with a 20mm rod design were installed on each corner of the vehicle, with the front units running a remote canister and the rear a piggyback system. The 2.4-litre MiVEC turbo-diesel engine that powers the entire Triton range remains untouched meaning it retains the standard 133kW and 430Nm on offer from the regular mill. Walkinshaw designers created…

Hands up everyone who enjoys driving a 4WD with a V8 engine. Our cousins across the ditch have once again shown the truth: Australia is indeed the Lucky Country. Over there, Nissan is expecting its second year of record Patrol sales in a row despite the platform being more than a decade old. In particular, a new Warrior version is causing quite a stir. The current Y62 model is in the final stages of being reworked by Australian engineering and manufacturing firm Premcar to create a Warrior-badged flagship. Like its Navara Warrior stablemate, the Patrol Warrior has the full endorsement of Nissan Australia. It uses OEM-quality components and has a full five-year factory warranty. Premcar’s tweaked Patrol will be the culmination of an extensive engineering and development process that has…

4-5 AUGUST Teams Winch Challenge Series 2023 Manawatu Round, Hills, hosted by the Manawatu 4WD Club at Ashhurst. All vehicles will compete in the same class with two vehicles in each team. Vehicles will require a four-point roll cage and belts in good condition. Open or soft top vehicles require a minimum of four-point harnesses. Hard tops can use three-point belts but four-point harnesses are recommended. Maximum tyre size is 37”. Minimum ONE winch per vehicle. Detailed scrutineering sheets are available on request. This winch challenge round starts with two timed night stages on Friday night at 7pm. Saturday morning the next stages start at 9am and Finish at 5pm. Scrutineering will be completed Friday afternoon between 3-5pm. Entry fee $300.00 per team. This event in the series is not…

Hands up all those who have ridden in, or better yet driven, the mighty Jeep CJ-7. The CJ-7 was a long(er) wheelbase sibling of the equally legendary CJ-5, and they trickled into New Zealand as private imports. About the same time, J20 pickups were on sale new in NZ. For many afficionado Jeepers, this was the last of the “real” Jeeps. With six cylinder or V-8, classic styling, and a no-frills interior, the CJ-7 remains a popular build platform for Jeep enthusiasts. The top of the range was the Golden Eagle, available in the 1980s (second or third hand in NZ) for around $25,000. This one’s not a Golden Eagle, and it’s in its home country, not here in Godzone. But it’s worth a look, if only for components and…

Though the classic Series/Defender 4WDs are receding into the past, they, like Jeeps, will never truly be gone. The Land Rover was a part of New Zealand since just after the Series 1 went on sale. It replaced the horse and a host of steam/coal powered machinery on the farm, and were soon at the forefront of recreational use. Little surprise, then, that the originals are very much a cult obsession all around the world. These days, they are being restored, modified, developed, raced, rallied and treasured. Here, from around the world, are a selection of the most interesting. 1. Kahn Design’s Flying Huntsman 6×6 pickup offered a truly British riposte to the Mercedes-AMG G63 6×6. Six wheels, all terrain tyres, three axles, a flatbed at the back and a…

The KYB Skorched 4 range was specifically engineered as a lifted height heavyduty upgrade for OE shock absorbers. Designed with a large 35mm bore and incorporating an increased oil capacity to reduce overheating while in operation the Skorched 4’s range of shock absorbers provide superior handling and ride control for both on and off-road conditions. Skorched 4’s Shock Absorbers are designed to provide extra wheel travel of up to 30-50mm for lifted vehicles. The range of KYB Heavy Duty shock absorbers tailored to suit 4WD vehicles has been recently extended in New Zealand by Stocks. These shock absorbers were designed by Japanese engineers in conjunction with a team of off-road specialists in Australia. With the harsh Australian off-road conditions in mind, such as pounding over endless kilometres of gravel this…

4WD SUSPENSION Terrain Tamer now offers Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) upgrade kits with parabolic leaf springs for the Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux (GUN/KUN 125/126) and Land Cruiser (VDJ78/79) models, adding to the already existing range of regular GVM upgrade kits already on offer The GVM is a rating set by the original manufacturer, and refers to the legal maximum weight of the vehicle. This rating incorporates the wheels and the vehicle itself, as well as everything sitting atop. Built into the GVM is also the imparted tow ball mass when towing, and rated axle capacity, a limit set for how much weight should be distributed to each axle. Adding anywhere from 180kg to 480kg to the original GVM, depending on the vehicle, the Terrain Tamer Parabolic GVM upgrade kits include…

weekend Drive We are in the middle of a trip from Cape Egmont lighthouse to East Cape lighthouse as a recce for a touring trip we are planning to run for our 4WD club early next year. In part 2 of this story we travelled from Bushland Camp, a rustic, but very pleasant and well set up campsite on SH43 (the Forgotten World Highway) to Ohope then around East Cape to Te Araroa and on to East Cape lighthouse, completing our recce. It was now time to return to civilisation. Leaving the lighthouse carpark, we returned through Te Araroa and back towards Opotiki, soon stopping at a rather basic but pleasant campground just before Hicks Bay. With evening falling the fine weather ended and the rain returned, but with the…

Last century, offroad racer and event promoter Mike Parkes was in at the creation of a production truck class in New Zealand offroad racing. He had watched the build of a poster-truck for the class, a Nissan Pathfinder V6, and had a blinding flash of inspiration. Why not build a diesel one? Drawing on his time around the sport in America, he took a three door bodyshell, used Nissan’s robust 2.7 diesel four cylinder and five speed transmission, and created a tough wee beast that was an instant class title contender. At the Taupo 1000 we could tell when he was ahead of us by the thick blue cloud of diesel smoke hanging in the air. Diesel was never mainstream in offroad racing, though a couple of other trucks have…

NEWS It seems Toyota will be the first brand to offer a hybrid double cab ute in New Zealand. The company is pairing its hybrid technology with its proven 2.8-litre diesel engine for the first time and will offer the new model early next year. For Toyota New Zealand, this is an important first step in its decarbonisation plans. It has set itself an ambitious target to reduce the tailpipe carbon dioxide emissions of its portfolio of cars, utes and vans by a minimum of 46 per cent by 2030. The introduction of an electrified diesel hybrid Hilux into the range will significantly move the dial to reaching the target and meeting the needs of Hilux drivers across the country. Toyota New Zealand Chief Executive Neeraj Lala says he expects…

Autorama 2023 is an automotive trade and car show taking place in Hamilton 10-12 November. It uniquely brings together auto trade businesses that supply machinery tools and parts to the automotive sector. A well-equipped workshop enables the build, modification and maintenance of the cars and utes that we love so much. The team at Autorama recognises that when most people look at cool cars and utes that have had thousands of hours, blood, sweat, and tears poured into them, very few see the businesses that have been the backbone of the build and a part of the journey. Autorama aims to celebrate those people and products that supported the workshops, or the vehicle owners directly. Those businesses sold the tools that assembled the ute, rebuilt the transmission, sold the specialised…

The updated Chevrolet Silverado 1500 range made its first public appearance in New Zealand at Fieldays in June. It is the first time the rationalised range, consisting of the LTZ Premium and new off-road oriented ZR2 have been available for viewing locally. Both vehicles are capable of towing up to 4.5 tonnes, have a large tray with a power up and down tailgate, and hi-lo transfer case with push button controls. There’s a redesigned front-end and new daytime running lights. The inside of the Silverado has also been upgraded features a sweeping horizontal instrument panel that importers GMSV says help make the cabin feel more spacious. Highlights include a 13.4-inch colour touchscreen and a 12.3-inch driverconfigurable digital instrument cluster. The LTZ Premium and the ZR2 feature the 6.2-litre EcoTech3 V8…

NEWS Nobody needs a 4.6-tonne truck that can chase a Nissan GT-R down a drag strip, do they? But the Hummer EV is all about numbers, whether it be power, torque, 0-100 acceleration, or the drag strip. It’s also posting another number, one that gives pause for thought: 70. That’s the percentage of deposits that come from first-time EV buyers. In other words, this beast of a 4WD is dragging American motorists out of their fossil-fuelled vehicles in serious numbers. The 2024 Hummer EV SUV Edition 1 is a status symbol. An EV flagship. A lab experiment for technology that will trickle down through the GM product line-up in coming years. American media have called it “an eco-friendly vitamin stuffed into a 4.5-ton pork chop”. Mostly it is GM’s shop…

Range Rover has facelifted its Evoque and says its ’reductive exterior presence’ is enhanced by a new grille and super-slim Pixel LED headlights with signature DRL, which deliver a technical, jewel-like appearance. New exterior accents and colours also complement the characteristic floating roof, unbroken waistline and the flush deployable door handles that define Range Rover’s design DNA. Inside, Range Rover’s reductive design philosophy is amplified with a new 11.4-inch curved glass touchscreen, seemingly floating within the driver’s eyeline for improved visibility, while liberating space for interior stowage and Wireless Device Charging. Powered by Pivi Pro2, with regular Software Over The Air drops and built-in Amazon Alexa10, the new centre console offers clients a seamless, comfortable digital experience. Range Rover says the original compact luxury Range Rover for the city is…

A company with a true-blue Aussie name is making inroads in the Kiwi 4WD and outdoor gear market. Bushwakka has been offering awnings, rooftop tents and more since 2018 and is now truly international, with branches in Europe, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, the USA and now New Zealand. Like the New Zealand project, the parent company was established in Australia in 2018 by Johnny and his wife Annalize Loots. Two years part-time established the foundations, then the couple went all-out in 2020. Bushwakka made its name with Australian-designed awnings to cope with the harsh conditions in Australia. With more than four years of R&D and listening to customer feedback, improvements have been implemented with each new model. Offering a 100% freestanding awning and increased strength has made Bushwakka one…

A custom build from the FJ Company using an authentic body and chassis of a classic Toyota Land Cruiser, the G40 redefines the vintage 4WD experience. Every G40 begins with the steel heart and soul of an original Land Cruiser, expertly restored and equipped with the iconic grille and badging that’s been part of the Land Cruiser’s DNA for decades. The company can work with any 1970-1983 Toyota FJ40 or FJ43 Land Cruiser chassis, restoring the original authentic steel body by hand. G40s can be ordered with a custom soft-top or optional hard-top The power within gets a full modernisation. Beneath that rugged metal, is a powertrain appropriate to the 40: a factory-fresh Toyota engine paired to a Toyota 5-speed manual transmission. These 40s run a new Toyota 1GRE-FE 4.0…

The team at Ironman 4X4 are well qualified to provide the best advice when choosing suspension components to upgrade a vehicle. They have earned the title of “suspension specialists” with more than 50 years of experience in building suspension components for the Australasian market. Suspension Suspension is not something people often see when they first look at a vehicle. But when it’s needed, suspension is a critical upgrade, the single most important change made to a vehicle. Original Equipment suspension is set up to support vehicles for on-road conditions with a reasonable amount of weight. When owners start to add vehicle accessories, attach a trailer or caravan, and increase payload, the way the suspension handles the load changes. Couple that with uneven surfaces and off-road conditions and the OEM suspension…

Following up from last months column, the truck is all back together and well again. A Happy transfer box Birthday and a few other mechanicals cleaned up, fettled, lubed. Noice. Need to get out on some trips again. Winter weather had at last struck. There was a good week of productive calm, then a very wet one while much to do in the shed, then just in time for refitting it closed in again. A bunch of pleasant winter days allowed full assemblies and now its soggy again for another week… As for my neglected lawn - reckon I could hide the mower (or the truck!) in it. After two cold wet weeks then a sunny day the flowers decided it was spring. In June. In NZ. The fools. I’m…

Disclaimer: our coastal ecosystems are threatened by a range of inappropriate uses. Driving on dunes and beaches must only happen where it is legal to do so, and anyone doing so needs to bear in mind that their behavior in such fragile environments will affect future access and use rights. Beached as? Driving on sand is a fun way to spend a stress-free day in an SUV, ute or UTV. Though beaches close to population centres like Auckland are gradually being closed down, there are still many places in this island nation where sand driving is okay. On the beach, it’s simply a matter of maintain sensible momentum and watching for soft holes in the wet sand area. Every vehicle has its ‘sweet spot’ where it will plane through beach…

The company formerly known as Land Rover has announced a series of changes to the Discovery Sport for the 2024 model year. Highlights include a refreshed interior that integrates JLR’s latest infotainment system as well as tweaks to the range structure and styling. Key changes largely relate to the interior, which has been redesigned to fit JLR’s 11.4-inch Pivi Pro system. The new touchscreen is subtly curved and floats proud of the dash. Bold move: physical controls for the air conditioning and drive modes are now only available on the touchscreen. The centre console has also been tidied with the new compact gear selector being the only physical control in the lower section of the cabin. Trim and material elements have also been given a refresh, with new leather and…

The new - and chunky Lexus 550 has been revealed in the United States. The company has also coined a new term for ‘gentle’ offroad use: ‘overtrailing’. That’s the new grade Lexus coined for the 2024 Lexus GX 550, which they recently revealed. It includes 18” wheels and 33” tires from the factory, along with a loaded spec list. The new GX is a redesigned mid-size luxury SUV that offers a combination of rugged off-road capability and luxurious interior appointments. It’s based on the on the (TN)GA-F platform, which also underpins the Lexus LX 600. This platform provides a stiffer and more rigid chassis, which results in improved handling and ride quality. A newly developed double-wishbone front suspension is paired with a multi-link rear suspension to achieve both a high…

The new Mahindra Scorpio has been driven by a team of two drivers across the Simpson Desert in Australia. The trip set a new record for fastest crossing by a production vehicle. The Scorpio crossed 1100 sand dunes and endured peak outside temperatures of 50 degrees Celsius, completing the drive in 13 hours, 21 minutes and five seconds. The record has been verified by officials at Guinness World Records. Mahindra says the Scorpio “boasts pure traction and offers an authentic SUV experience with its 4XPLOR terrain management system, making it as capable as any 4WD on Australian soil. Scorpio’s journey, conquering over 1100+ sand dunes in a grueling 13-hour drive across the challenging Simpson Desert, truly captures the essence of global motoring.” The record-breaking journey commenced at the crack of…

NEWS It was announced in 2019, suffered a series of delays including an embarrassing public ‘ooops’ when Eton Musk's demonstration of its ‘armour glass’ windows went spectacularly wrong, ending with two smashed (supposedly impervious) side windosw in front of a theatre full of investors. This PR disaster didn’t deter Tesla fans: since then, an estimated 1.8 million customers have put down $100 deposits to reserve a Cybertruck. Tesla released specifications for the Cybertruck on its US website in 2021, but has since removed the details. According to the company, the Cybertruck was set to offer 800km of range, a 6.4-tonne towing capacity, and would be capable of a 2.9-second sprint to 100km. The vehicle was supposed to start rolling off production lines in 2021. But two years on, the trucks…

FIELDAYS Fieldays - likely New Zealand’s biggest public event and a meeting point for town and country folk - returned to its traditional midwinter date slot this year. The event’s opening day witnessed a perfect blend of Waikato winter weather, breathtaking views with sunrise streaming through bouts of low-lying fog, and an overwhelming sense of excitement. The automotive area held the most interest for NZ4WD, with Toyota, Ford, Isuzu, Hyundai, Chevrolet and more along with caravans (off-road and otherwise), accessories, maintenance products, tyres and wheels and clothing all on display. As is always the case, the rural types were in their well-used Red Band gumboots, while the soft towny types NZ4WD’s crew) were in sneakers. Temperatures on opening morning sat close to zero until the light Waikato fog burned off…

TESTED VW’s new Amarok is among us. NZ4WD was at the launch, covered the range last month, and will be taking a closer look at each model over the next few months, beginning with the Amarok Life. Volkswagen’s Amarok rocked the New Zealand 4WD market when it arrived. A sumptuous interior, a mountain of torque, clever 4WD using Torsen diff technology and - gasp - no low range! Old school 4WD types found that last item hard to swallow, but the Amarok simply used its electronic driver aid systems and that massive torque to do what was required of it. The name Amarok references a wolf deity in Inuit mythology. The original certainly lived up to the character of its ‘spirit animal’. At the time, there was arguably no diesel…

RESTOFEST With recent rumours that Ford’s Bronco is being considered for right hand production, the prospect of Australia and New Zealand receiving the sporty SUV becomes more enticing. Though there may be concerns that a RHD Bronco might cannibalise sales from the Ranger on which it is based or maybe even the Everest, the arrival of Bronco down under seems likely to further boost the Blue Oval’s domination of the new car industry. The Bronco has won its class at the legendary Baja 1000 desert race and has spawned its own customisation cult in the USA. In other words, much as the next-Gen Ranger has done here in New Zealand. That American customisation industry has created this 2022 short wheelbase Bronco, seven-inch lift kit, 40-inch tyres and all. Most of…

Dollar for dollar a suspension upgrade can be one of the most cost-effective ways to improve your 4x4. But where to start? There is no shortage of reputable companies selling suspension upgrade parts and services. The choice is vast and depends on the intention of the owner. A simple ‘like for like’ replacement of OEM struts, coils, leafs and dampers with aftermarket equivalents? Sure. A more ambitious lift kit to transform a humble daily driver or weekend warrior into an offroad beast? Yep, okay. A lot of work goes into developing aftermarket packages which meet safety standards. In New Zealand, any significant modification triggers the need for a look at regulations set by the Land Transport Safety Authority (LTSA) with much of the behind-the-scenes work done on its behalf by…

It’s winter: mucky roads, muddy adventures. Many 4WD owners understand the benefits of a thorough clean and refurbish in the wet, cold months. Oil filters, a good clean of the chassis and suspension 4WDs are the last bastion of DIY vehicle maintenance. Owners of 4WDs love to tweak their vehicles to suit their intended use. One area where a massive difference can be made is under the shiny metal. Changing shock absorbers transforms a 4WD, especially if carried out with a mild ‘lift’ to get bodywork away from rock and tree damage. For the do-it-yourselfers and for the do-it-for-me 4WDers, Mount Shop is a reliable first port of call for the right gear and advice from seasoned professionals. The company has branches in Henderson, Penrose, Hamilton and Palmerston North and…

Advenbure NZ Kevin Isemonger continues his account of celebration treks in the South Island. Tuesday morning, we caught up with Allen and Rob, and Allen was keen to drive back up the Lillybank Road to show Rob the Macauley crossing. He had previously completed a successful trip up to the Macauley Hut with a ‘tagalong’ tour. We headed off and got some great photos of ‘Fendah’ crossing the braided river when a flat-deck Hi-Lux came up behind us and pulled alongside to inform us that the Godley was closed and the Macauley was badly scoured out due to significant rain of recent times We headed south to Wanaka. It was great to see such a variety of all the Land Rover products through the years, from the latest Defenders, Range…

Like the Fast and Furious saga, I live my life a quarter of a mile at a time, and in those ten minutes I can think a lot. Do I choose turbocharging or supercharging, NOS or not, Simex or Silverstone, nongluten or sausage roll, and many other mysteries of modern life. For the fifth round of the Club Truck Challenge (CTC) we were in Taihape and when the course designer says more than once, “It’s wet out there!” I guess he would know. He was right and this day needed the best tyres, the best machines and the sharpest minds. A quick tyre survey produced some weird and wacky names from the Lakesea Alligator, Land Dragons, Maxxis Carnivores and Wanda Claws to the good old Hankooks and Maxxis Mudzillas and…

It can be a bit crowded around here from time to time with the many vehicles in the fleet. The warrant of fitness was due on one of the Discovery’s and typically it was blocked by a couple of other vehicles. I went to start the vehicle and the battery was flat yet was only just on two years old with a 40-month warranty so I thought something must have been left on to drain it but nothing seemed to be on. I put the charger onto the battery and left it for a couple of days, but it still wasn’t fully charged but the dash lights would come on. I gave it another couple of days and still the same so finally got another battery and the jumper leads…