Automotive news

• $160K Corvette seized after alleged reckless driving in Edendale

  14-01-2026 04:04 via autotalk.co.nz
  A 63-year-old Southland man is due to appear in court after allegedly driving at extreme speeds through the Edendale community late last year. Police say they received multiple reports from members of the public on December 24 about a black sports car speeding in the area. Police allege the man returned to Edendale several times […]
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• Former Inchcape NZ boss Kym Mellow to lead Freelander in Australia and New Zealand

  13-10-2026 01:27 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Former Inchcape New Zealand general manager Kym Mellow is heading the new Chery and JLR brand Freelander across Australia and New Zealand.
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• Lexus signs on as mobility partner of the New Zealand Open

  13-10-2026 01:16 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Lexus New Zealand will provide the fleet and premium hospitality at the New Zealand Open in Queenstown from 2027.
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• BYD appoints financial services lead

  12-10-2026 23:41 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  BYD Australia and New Zealand has appointed Paul Macey as head of operations for its financial services business, with plans to expand its team and strengthen finance and insurance offerings across its dealer network.
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• GAC and XPENG earn five-star ANCAP safety ratings

  12-10-2026 23:30 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Two Chinese electric vehicles have achieved five-star ANCAP safety ratings, with the GAC AION UT hatchback and XPENG X9 people mover performing strongly under the latest testing criteria. Both vehicles were assessed against ANCAP’s 2026–2028 safety standards, which introduce additional requirements for occupant protection, driver assistance systems and electric vehicle battery safety. The AION UT […]
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• HDT moves to Bathurst under new owner Kenny Habul

  12-10-2026 05:25 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  The Holden Dealer Team brand made famous by Peter Brock is moving to Bathurst, with new owner Kenny Habul planning a workshop, museum and showroom.
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• David Sena takes 2 Cheap Cars private as NZX exit confirmed

  12-10-2026 03:23 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  2 Cheap Cars Group is set to delist from the NZX after Sena & Co, an investment company controlled by co-founder and chief executive David Sena, secured nearly 99% of the used vehicle retailer's shares through its takeover offer.
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• Chinese brands make up a third of carmakers at Paris Motor Show

  11-10-2026 23:37 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  A record 20 Chinese brands are exhibiting at the Paris Motor Show, double the 2024 figure, as their European market share nears 11 per cent.
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• LVVTA seeks new certifiers as a third of workforce nears retirement

  11-10-2026 22:48 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  The LVVTA is recruiting certifiers, with almost a third of its 46-strong workforce nearing retirement.
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• Ebbett Toyota and The Breeze put RAV4 PHEV to work as Waikato ‘Kindness Car’

  11-10-2026 22:46 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Ebbett Toyota and The Breeze are using a RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid to deliver more than $3000 of prizes to a nominated Waikato family.
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• Trader register grows for fifth straight month to highest since May 2025

  09-10-2026 04:53 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Registered motor vehicle traders rose for a fifth straight month in September to 2635, the highest total since May 2025.
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• ShorlandAutoCo closes after almost 35 years, Rotorua site to become NZ Post depot

  09-10-2026 02:08 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Rotorua dealership ShorlandAutoCo closes after almost 35 years, with its site to become an NZ Post depot.
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• Defence to receive Mitsubishi Tritons and Ford Tourneo minibuses in $60m fleet upgrade

  08-10-2026 06:11 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is set to receive 24 Mitsubishi Triton utilities and 36 Ford Tourneo Sport minibuses as part of a $59.9 million fleet replacement programme. The Government has approved the investment to replace a significant portion of the ageing Garrison and Training Support vehicle fleet used at military camps and bases […]
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• Porsche targets break-even below 200,000 cars in strategy to 2035

  08-10-2026 05:37 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Porsche plans to lower its break-even point, cut its workforce by a quarter and push into higher-priced models under a new strategy to 2035.
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• VIA names lane support as biggest obstacle in import safety mandate

  07-10-2026 23:48 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  VIA says lane support requirements pose the greatest threat to used import supply under proposed safety mandates.
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• McLaren files to trademark Remuera and Muriwai

  07-10-2026 23:43 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  McLaren Automotive has applied to trademark two Auckland place names tied to Bruce McLaren's early life.
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• Petrol demand down 6% as fuel prices hit new highs, Z says

  07-10-2026 23:36 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Z Energy says petrol demand fell about 6% through the second and third quarters of 2026 and diesel demand by 3% to 4%, as pump prices reached new highs, RNZ reports. Gaspy figures this week put 91 petrol at an average $3.53 a litre nationwide, a record, with 95 at $3.72 and diesel at $3.23. […]
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• MTA appoints Mark Gilbert to refrigerant stewardship trust

  07-10-2026 23:33 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  The Motor Trade Association has appointed experienced automotive industry figure Mark Gilbert as its representative on the Trust for the Destruction of Synthetic Refrigerants.
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• Vehicle finance demand rises 4.5% y/y

  07-10-2026 02:46 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Demand for vehicle finance has increased 4.5% year-on-year, helping lift non-mortgage lending despite a broader decline in consumer borrowing, according to Centrix’s September Credit Indicator report. However, repayment pressures remain evident, with auto loan arrears reaching 5.4% in August, up from 5.1% a year earlier. The rise in vehicle finance enquiries, measured on a three-month […]
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• Sena becomes dominant owner of 2 Cheap Cars with 94% stake

  06-10-2026 20:37 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Sena & Co now holds 94.036% of 2 Cheap Cars Group and has become its dominant owner under the Takeovers Code, according to a notice to NZX. The investment vehicle of 2 Cheap Cars co-founder and chief executive David Sena says it has paid for and become the holder of 8,250,552 shares accepted into its […]
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• Ranger tops Australian September sales as petrol and diesel share edges up to 51.4%

  06-10-2026 05:52 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Petrol and diesel accounted for 51.4% of Australian light vehicle sales in September, up from 50.5% in August and down from 73.0% a year earlier. Australian new vehicle sales totalled 102,924 for the month, up 0.9% on September 2025, according to VFACTS. Year-to-date sales of 914,312 are level with last year. Petrol and diesel took […]
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• Delayed arrivals and rental fleets lift September vehicle market

  05-10-2026 05:20 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Delayed vehicle arrivals and strong rental fleet demand helped boost New Zealand’s new vehicle market in September, according to the Motor Industry Association (MIA).
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• Ezi Car Rental marks three years with Toyota

  05-10-2026 04:42 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Ezi Car Rental is marking three years since joining Toyota Finance New Zealand’s growing mobility business. The Kiwi rental company became part of Toyota Finance New Zealand in October 2023, and now operates from 24 locations around the country. “Three years ago, Ezi Car Rental joined the Toyota family. What a journey it has been,” […]
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• Turners holds first-quarter dividend at 7 cents

  05-10-2026 01:10 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Turners Automotive Group has declared a first-quarter dividend of 7 cents per share, fully imputed, unchanged from the same quarter last year. The dividend will be paid on October 29 to shareholders on the register at October 13. Shares issued under the dividend reinvestment plan will be priced at a 2% discount. The total payout […]
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• ‘Policy on the hoof’: FSF and VIA say Labour didn’t consult on ‘junk’ insurance ban

  05-10-2026 00:57 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  The Financial Services Federation and the Vehicle Importers Association say neither was consulted before Labour announced plans to ban “junk car insurance”, and both want evidence tested before any ban goes ahead. Labour’s Fair Go policy, released on October 1, would ban paint protection insurance and mechanical breakdown cover that “excludes almost everything”, put a […]
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• Used car arrivals rise as new imports ease in September

  05-10-2026 00:01 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  New Zealand imported 16,875 fully built-up vehicles in September, down 5% on August’s 17,763, according to provisional New Zealand Customs figures. Used car arrivals rose 9.1% to 7357, while new car arrivals fell 14.5% to 7430. The two were almost level for the month, with combined car arrivals of 14,787 compared with 15,438 in August. […]
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• Labour pledges ban on ‘junk’ car insurance, 14-day cooling-off on add-ons

  04-10-2026 21:06 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Labour would ban paint protection insurance and some mechanical breakdown cover, and put a 14-day cooling-off period on other insurance sold at the point of a vehicle sale, under its Fair Go policy announced last Thursday. Parts of the policy overlap with existing credit law and an industry code already in place. The policy, released […]
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• BYD confirms Shark 6 software defect after Four Corners hack, OTA fix coming

  03-10-2026 00:09 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  BYD has confirmed a software defect in the Shark 6 infotainment system that allowed a security researcher to install an untrusted app, and says it will fix it with an over-the-air update. The response follows an ABC Four Corners investigation broadcast in Australia on September 21, in which Dan Hreszczuk of Canberra-based Fortify Labs demonstrated […]
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• Heartland confirms CEO for proposed TSB merger

  02-10-2026 05:08 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Heartland Group Holdings has confirmed Leanne Lazarus as chief executive designate of the proposed TSB Heartland Bank, as plans progress to bring Heartland Bank and TSB together.
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• Hoist trials technician app and AI admin tools for NZ workshops

  02-10-2026 04:13 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Upper Hutt workshop management software company Hoist is testing a mobile app for technicians and developing AI tools to automate admin and reporting, after six months running its cloud platform in New Zealand workshops. Hoist was founded in 2025 by chief executive Jess Ross and chief technology officer Alex Snyman. The business grew out of […]
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