Automotive news

• Mazda increases prices across entire range

  08-02-2026 23:52
  Mazda has made pricing adjustments across its entire vehicle line-up, resulting in increases from $300 to $650 depending on the model.February sees prices of Mazda’s entire Australian line-up increase.The minor pricing adjustment affects every model in Mazda’s current line-up, with prices rising from $300 up to $650, depending on the model.Mazda’s compact models, including the Mazda 2, Mazda 3, CX-3 and CX-30, all rise by $300.The entry point for the Mazda 2 now starts from $27
  
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• GWM tows a Warriors bandwagon through rival NRL suburbs as finals begin

  09-09-2026 08:09 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  The Cannon Alpha PHEV and bandwagon outside Leichhardt Oval, home of the Wests Tigers. Image: GWM GWM has revealed itself as the brand behind a Warriors-liveried bandwagon that has spent the week being towed past the home clubs of eliminated NRL teams in Sydney, as the Warriors sponsor looks to convert Australian fans for the […]
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• Australian used vehicle sales rise again, EV demand accelerates

  09-09-2026 03:26 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Australia’s used and demonstrator vehicle market recorded a second consecutive monthly increase in August, with sales rising 1.3% to 243,514 units. Data from the Australian Automotive Dealer Association (AADA) and AutoGrab shows sales of one-to-five-year-old used vehicles performed particularly strongly, climbing 5.4% from July to 58,090. Victoria recorded the fastest growth among the five largest […]
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• Teletrac Navman names new chief executive

  09-09-2026 01:58 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Teletrac Navman has appointed Ricardo Buranello as its next chief executive, effective October 1.
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• Avanti names Pennell chief operating officer, folds personal lending into Robson’s auto remit

  09-09-2026 01:58 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Avanti Finance chief operating officer Tracy Pennell and general manager auto and personal Lee Robson. Avanti Finance has appointed Tracy Pennell as chief operating officer and handed Lee Robson responsibility for personal lending alongside the auto business he already runs, in a restructure the specialist lender says is aimed at clearer ownership across operations, risk […]
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• JLR to cut 4000 jobs in major cost-saving drive

  09-09-2026 00:22 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) plans to cut about 4000 jobs worldwide over the next two years as part of a £1.7 billion (NZ$3.93b) cost-reduction programme. The roles represent almost 10% of the Tata Motors-owned luxury carmaker’s global workforce of around 43,000. The reductions are expected to be made largely through voluntary redundancies and focus mainly […]
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• Ford to source from China for the first time in push to double NZ market coverage

  08-09-2026 22:06 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Ford Australia and New Zealand president and chief executive Fadi Mawal with the Transit City, Bronco Basecamp and Mustang at Ford Uncovered in Melbourne. Ford says it will double its coverage of the New Zealand market to more than 60% within three years and have over 90% of its volume in all-new or significantly refreshed […]
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• Yoogo Fleet puts sales and operations under Riches as general manager

  08-09-2026 03:29 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Yoogo Fleet general manager Dave Riches. Yoogo Fleet has appointed Dave Riches to the new role of general manager, bringing the fleet lessor’s sales and operations functions under a single leader. Riches joined the Speirs Finance Group business 18 months ago as general manager operations and started in the expanded role on 1 September. He […]
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• Petrol and diesel slip to 50.5% of Australian light vehicle sales

  08-09-2026 00:53 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  August 2026, passenger, SUV and light commercial. Source: VFACTS Pure internal combustion is now within half a percentage point of minority share in the Australian light vehicle market, with petrol and diesel accounting for 50.5% of August sales. Australian new vehicle sales reached 100,939 for the month, up 0.4% year-on-year, with year-to-date volume of 811,388 […]
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• Volkswagen to halve model range and cut 50,000 more jobs as Chinese pressure bites

  08-09-2026 00:52 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Volkswagen’s Emden plant, one of four German sites whose production cannot be guaranteed beyond the early 2030s. Image: Volkswagen Volkswagen Group will cut its model portfolio by around half by 2035 and shed around 50,000 further positions, under a restructuring its supervisory board approved unanimously on 3 September. The new cuts come on top of […]
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• Labour signals higher carbon price with ETS review pledge

  08-09-2026 00:45 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Labour leader Chris Hipkins. Labour would urgently review the Emissions Trading Scheme if elected, saying the carbon price is too low to drive emissions reductions, a position that points to a higher price being passed through at the pump. Leader Chris Hipkins and climate spokeswoman Deborah Russell say the review would look at ways to […]
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• Miles Toyota adds sales to Christchurch Airport site with new dealership

  08-09-2026 00:41 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  An artist’s impression of the Richard Pearse Road dealership. Image: Miles Toyota Miles Toyota will open a full-service dealership on Richard Pearse Road near Christchurch Airport in early 2027, adding vehicle sales to an operation that has been service-only for more than 30 years. The new store will offer new and used vehicle sales, finance, […]
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• Musk congratulates Tesla as EVs outsell ICE vehicles in Australian first

  08-09-2026 00:00 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Electric vehicles have outsold petrol and diesel vehicles in Australia for the first time, prompting Tesla chief executive Elon Musk to congratulate the company’s local operation. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for a record 24.9% of all new vehicle sales in August, while BEVs and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) combined took a 36% share. The milestone […]
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• Turners auctions Lawson’s race-worn Baku helmet

  06-09-2026 22:44 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Lawson’s signature on the Bell HP77 he wore at Baku. Image: Turners Turners is auctioning the helmet Liam Lawson wore at the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the first race-worn helmet the New Zealand Formula 1 driver has put up for sale. Lawson qualified third and finished fifth at Baku, his best result to date, in […]
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• VIA welcomes ACT vehicle policy that mirrors its own submissions

  06-09-2026 22:43 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  VIA chief executive Greig Epps. The Imported Motor Vehicle Industry Association has welcomed ACT’s transport policy, which commits the party to scrapping what it calls unrealistic vehicle emissions settings and opposing age limits on used imports, positions the association has been putting to officials for some time. ACT’s Keep New Zealand Moving policy, released on […]
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• MITO reports 23% rise in on-job training enrolments

  04-09-2026 06:07 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  New enrolments in MITO on-job training programmes have increased 23% compared with the same period last year, bucking a wider decline in on-job learner numbers across New Zealand. The increase covers programmes in the automotive, commercial road transport, extractives, drilling, gas and logistics sectors. MITO says enrolments are expected to continue growing as its industries […]
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• Vehicle arrivals fall sharply in August after July surge

  04-09-2026 04:30 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  New Zealand vehicle imports fell sharply in August following a strong July, with 17,763 units hitting local wharves during the month, according to the latest New Zealand Customs figures. That was down 36.5% from the 27,980 vehicles imported in July, when arrivals reached their highest monthly level of the six-month period shown in the Customs […]
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• Final call for 2026 Australasian Fleet Champions Awards entries

  04-09-2026 02:26 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Fleet operators and suppliers have one week left to enter the 2026 Australasian Fleet Champions Awards, with entries closing on Friday, September 11.
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• Affordable EVs score five-star ANCAP safety ratings

  04-09-2026 00:44 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Two of New Zealand’s most affordable electric vehicles have achieved five-star ANCAP safety ratings under tougher testing criteria introduced this year. The Geely EX2, priced from $32,990, and Leapmotor B05, from $43,990, are only the second and third vehicles assessed under ANCAP’s new 2026 Stages of Safety protocols. ANCAP chief executive Carla Hoorweg says the […]
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• August vehicle figures distorted by shipping disruption, MIA says

  03-09-2026 08:35 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  The Motor Industry Association (MIA) is urging caution when interpreting August’s new vehicle registration figures, saying typhoon-related shipping disruption affected vehicle arrivals and may have distorted individual brand and model results.
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• Battery health gap of 13.5% between identical used EVs, study finds

  03-09-2026 03:53 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  The 40kWh Leaf recorded the lowest median battery health and the widest spread of any model in the study. Two used EVs of the same model and mileage can differ by as much as 13.5% in battery state of health, according to the largest independent study of used EV battery condition yet published, a spread […]
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• Honda appoints Frankton Automotive as Queenstown service agent

  03-09-2026 03:50 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Honda’s Service Store format, introduced in 2021. Image: Honda New Zealand Honda New Zealand has appointed Frankton Automotive 2025 Ltd as its authorised parts and service agent for Queenstown and Central Otago. The business begins trading as Honda Service Centre Queenstown from today, operating out of 170 Glenda Drive, Frankton. It is a parts and […]
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• ChargeNet takes over six Unison and Centralines EV charging sites

  03-09-2026 01:43 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  ChargeNet is taking ownership and operation of six electric vehicle charging sites previously operated by Unison Networks and Centralines across the central North Island. The sites are at Hastings City Car Park, Dickens Street Car Park in Napier, 1 Kaimanawa Street in central Taupō, Rangitaiki Lodge, McVicar Road on the Napier-Taupō Highway, and the Civic […]
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• GWM extends Warriors sponsorship for another three years

  03-09-2026 01:30 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  GWM New Zealand has extended its sponsorship of the One New Zealand Warriors for another three years, building on a partnership that began in 2024.
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• Vehicle loan demand rises as households remain cautious

  03-09-2026 00:32 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Demand for vehicle finance is rising in New Zealand despite an overall decline in consumer credit demand, according to the latest data from credit bureau Centrix. Auto loan enquiries increased 7.4% year-on-year in August, while overall consumer credit demand fell 7.3%, suggesting households remain cautious about taking on new debt. The increase in vehicle finance […]
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• Obituary: Tony Howard, the napkin deal that built Manukau Toyota

  02-09-2026 23:47 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Tony Howard and his daughter Ali Guise. Photo: NBR Tony Howard, founder of the Howard Group and the man behind what is now Manukau Toyota Group, died in the early hours of Monday 31 August. The group says his “determination, commercial instinct, independent spirit and belief in people” helped build one of New Zealand’s largest […]
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• Reserve Bank lifts OCR to 2.75%

  02-09-2026 04:25 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has lifted the Official Cash Rate (OCR) by 25 basis points to 2.75%, saying a gradual withdrawal of monetary stimulus is needed to bring inflation back under control.
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• GAC combines Oceania and UK operations under new regional structure

  02-09-2026 02:01 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  GAC International has combined its Oceania and UK operations into a single strategic region as the Chinese carmaker develops its presence across right-hand-drive markets.
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• Chinese brands near 20% of August new vehicle market

  02-09-2026 01:11 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Vehicle sales in August “defied economic and political uncertainty”, with a strong result driven by the passenger vehicle sector, the Motor Trade Association (MTA) says. Chinese brands continued their strong growth, accounting for 18.7% of new vehicle registrations during the month and closing in on a fifth of the market. BYD, Chery, Jaecoo and GWM […]
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• MITO celebrates industry training leaders at inaugural summit and awards

  02-09-2026 00:43 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  More than 200 industry, government and education representatives have attended MITO New Zealand’s inaugural Industry Summit and Awards at Wellington’s Michael Fowler Centre.
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