HOT TOPIC
// Nissan pokes fun at controversial Ferrari EV with Leaf comparison
Nissan had poked fun at a visual comparison between its new Leaf and Ferrari’s controversial Luce EV.
- AutoTrader NZ says Five cars that look more Ferrari than the Ferrari Luce
HOT TOPIC
// BYD Shark 6 to gain free off-road software upgrade
BYD New Zealand says all Shark 6 owners will receive a free over-the-air software update adding a new “Crawl Mode” designed to improve the plug-in hybrid ute’s low-speed off-road performance.
- Stuff says BYD Shark 6 to gain new ‘Crawl Mode’ update in NZ as Performance model sells out on arrival
HOT TOPIC
// Toyota’s GR GT to cost more than $380,000, will require an interview before purchase
Following in the footsteps of the hallowed Lexus LFA, Toyota’s new GR GT was never going to be cheap, or easy to attain.
HOT TOPIC
// Fresh funds for fuel
The government has committed hundreds of millions of dollars to its “prudent response” to the global fuel crisis as part of Budget 2026.
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BEST OF THE REST
// Car dealer ran $11 million illegal lottery, court told
A Christchurch car dealer operated what authorities say was the largest illegal lottery identified in New Zealand, generating more than $11 million in revenue from online prize draws over about a year.
IN OTHER NEWS
// Profits up as sales fall
2 Cheap Cars has reported net profit after tax (NPAT) of $3.2 million for the fiscal year to March 31, “demonstrating the resilience” of its vertically integrated operating model despite challenging market conditions and higher clean car standard (CCS) costs.
// Mitsubishi Pajero confirmed for Australia, New Zealand likely to follow
Mitsubishi has confirmed the Pajero will return to Australian showrooms before the end of 2026, and New Zealand looks set to follow given how closely the two markets track each other.
// Ford Ranger 2.0 – is it enough?
Ford has revised its Ranger and Everest range, known as the MY2026.5 line up. That’s seen the addition of new variants, revised specification lists and there’s a new engine.
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INTERNATIONAL EV NEWS
// Frozen To -22 Degrees, BYD’s New EV Just Charged To 97% In Only 12 Minutes
China’s BYD made plenty of headlines when it debuted its second-generation Blade Battery and latest-generation Flash chargers. When combined, the two can make EV charging basically as fast as getting gas, with up to 1,500 kilowatts going from the DC fast charger to the lithium iron phosphate (LFP) pack.
ONE LINERS
- Brado Carbon Buggy mixes carbon tech with old-school VW charm
- Amber expands vehicle-to-grid rollout to 1000 Australian homes
- Scania demonstrates V2G charging for electric trucks
- Honda Super One EV gets Mugen makeover
- UK tax office made Ranger a car, so Ford made it a van
- Long live the King’s garage: five of Charles III’s cars, ranked
- Rezvani Fortress is ready for the apocalypse
- Mercedes-Benz and AMG turn car design into six new eyewear models
- Ferrari to bring back manual transmissions despite EV push – report
- Denza rolls out major software update for B5 and B8
- Ford says any future Ranger EV must match ute capability
- Island lapped on a tank
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