HOT TOPIC
// Enhancements for SUV
Kia’s Sportage introduces new all-wheel drive hybrid variants as model given refresh for 2026. Kia New Zealand has announced the Sportage has been given a facelift for model year 2026 and will be available here in seven variants.
- AutoTalk says Hybrid focus in updated 2026 Kia Sportage range
HOT TOPIC
// Dates confirmed for 2025 Starship Supercar Show
The Giltrap Group has announced the third edition of its Starship Supercar Show charity car show, saying the event scheduled for the 20th and 21st of September is set to be the biggest yet, offering “a unique opportunity for car enthusiasts to witness more than $100 million worth of the world’s most exciting cars, including some of the rarest and most sought-after models.”
- AutoTalk says Starship Supercar Show returning in September
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BEST OF THE REST
// Kiwi engineer joins Red Bull
The selection process wasn’t easy, with 3500 applying for a position at Red Bull Powertrains. But a former Nelson College for Girls student nabbed the job. Eloise Beattie will soon take on the role as a Graduate Control Engineer with Red Bull Powertrains. She will form part of the Milton Keynes team that builds the systems for F1 cars.
IN OTHER NEWS
// Porsche launches first Charging Lounge in Switzerland
Porsche has launched its first Charging Lounge in Switzerland, located in Signy-Avenex, near Nyon.
// Forget Ford and Toyota – Kia and Hyundai want to be the two toughest brands in Australasia
Fresh from injecting themselves into just about every segment – from micro cars like the Picanto to performance cars like the i30 N and Ioniq 5 N and even big, electric SUVs like the EV9 and Ioniq 9 – Kia and Hyundai have now set their sights on the only unexplored frontier left; the off-road segment.
// Next MG4 is the first affordable EV with a semi-solid-state battery
The revitalised MG4 will feature a new shape and a 70kWh semi-solid-state battery from QingTao when it debuts on August 5.
// Vehicle prices edge up in June quarter
The cost of purchasing a vehicle in New Zealand rose slightly in the June 2025 quarter, despite overall transport-related inflation continuing to decline, according to new data from Stats NZ.
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INTERNATIONAL EV NEWS
// Vietnam setting bans on gasoline motorcycles next year, followed by cars
Vietnam is taking bold steps to clean up its streets – and quiet them down. Starting next summer, the major downtown areas of Hanoi will ban all gasoline-powered motorcycles as part of a program to cut down on emissions.
ONE LINERS
- Zeekr 7X Achieves 5-Star Euro NCAP safety rating
- BYD hits 60,000 unit milestone in Australia
- Electric Odyssey: ID. Buzz Takes on global record attempt
- Calculating cost of leases
- Tesla stretches the Model Y into new territory with six-seat YL
- Mitsubishi Destinator unveiled: not your next Pajero
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