Automotive news

• Michael Ahie appointed NZTA deputy chair

  24-09-2026 00:16 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Michael Ahie has been appointed deputy chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency board for a one-year term beginning October 1.
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• Atina leaves Ford NZ to run Ford Vietnam from 1 December, successor not yet named

  24-09-2026 08:10 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Annaliese Atina. Image: Ford New Zealand Ford New Zealand managing director Annaliese Atina will leave to run Ford Vietnam from 1 December, with her successor still to be named and the local business a month into the biggest reshaping of its network and product line-up in years. Atina relocates to Hanoi and will report to […]
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• AVATR likely for New Zealand but no timeline set

  24-09-2026 06:08 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  The AVATR 07L, the brand’s first right-hand-drive model. Image: AVATR Changan says its premium AVATR brand will most likely follow to New Zealand after its Australian launch, but has set no timing and has not decided how it will be distributed here. “Most likely, no confirmed dates, but our Australian rollout is normally followed by […]
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• Whanganui dealer Ken Williams calls time at 73 as his site goes industrial, Kia passes to David Jones Motors

  24-09-2026 05:45 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Kia’s move to David Jones Motors in Whanganui is the end of the road for Ignition Motor Group, which closes at the end of November, and for Ken Williams, who is retiring at 73 after more than five decades in the motor trade because the St Hill Street site he leases has been sold for […]
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• Sena 1.5 points short of 2 Cheap Cars threshold with a week to run and no more extensions

  24-09-2026 03:26 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  2 Cheap Cars co-founder and chief executive David Sena. Sena & Co has reached 88.45% of 2 Cheap Cars Group, leaving it 1.55 percentage points short of the 90% it needs, with the offer closing at 11.59pm on 30 September and no further extension available. A notice filed under Rule 49C of the Takeovers Code […]
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• NZTA widens repairs eligible for border damage flag removal from 14 October

  24-09-2026 03:23 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Imported vehicles at Captain Cook Wharf, Auckland. File image. Used imports flagged for damage at the border will be able to have the flag lifted after a wider range of repairs from 14 October, under amendments to two vehicle inspection manuals published by NZTA this month. The change sits in Technical bulletin 5 of the […]
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• Video: XPeng L03 priced from $49,990 for New Zealand

  24-09-2026 02:11 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  XPeng will open Australian and New Zealand pre-orders for its new L03 on September 24, with four electric and range-extended variants priced from NZ$49,990 before on-road costs. The five-seat model will be offered as the battery-electric RWD Standard Range, RWD Long Range and AWD Performance Ultra, along with the PowerX Long Range range extender. New […]
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• GWM marks 4000th full vehicle crash test

  24-09-2026 00:48 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  GWM has completed its 4000th full vehicle crash test at its safety laboratory in China, using the new Haval H7 plug-in hybrid for the milestone assessment. “Crashing 4,000 vehicles might sound destructive, but for GWM it represents years of engineering, testing and investment dedicated to making its vehicles safer,” the company says. The test evaluated […]
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• Vehicle imports rise 9% as CentrePort delivers strong result

  24-09-2026 00:09 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  CentrePort handled 14,706 imported vehicles in the year to June 30, 2026, a 9% increase from the previous financial year.
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• Turners Trucks and Machinery opens larger Drury branch

  23-09-2026 06:45 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Turners Trucks and Machinery has relocated its Auckland operation from Wiri to a new 18,000-square-metre site beside State Highway 1 in Drury, South Auckland. The branch, which opened in late September, is approximately twice the size of the former yard and forms part of Turners Auto Retail’s investment in its commercial vehicle and equipment network. […]
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• Toyota’s fictional D-RAVS to ‘review’ the RAV4 PHEV alongside real car reviews on Driven

  22-09-2026 23:51 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  The new generation RAV4 is Toyota New Zealand’s first vehicle with Toyota Connected Services. Toyota New Zealand is launching the plug-in hybrid RAV4 with a campaign that places branded “reviews” of the car, presented by its fictional D-RAVS characters, inside the YouTube feeds and publisher channels where buyers go looking for independent ones. The D-RAVS […]
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• Denza takes permanent Christchurch site as Harmony Auto opens second NZ showroom

  22-09-2026 00:57 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  The Manchester Street showroom, with the Denza service centre alongside. Image: Denza Denza will open a permanent showroom at 36 Manchester Street in central Christchurch this Friday, replacing the Northlands Mall pop-up it has run in recent months and giving BYD’s premium brand its second retail site in New Zealand. The Christchurch operation is run […]
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• Colonial warns crowded vehicle market is ‘unsustainable’

  21-09-2026 06:27 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  The Colonial Motor Company expects consolidation among New Zealand vehicle brands as an influx of new entrants intensifies competition and puts dealership margins under pressure. The NZX-listed automotive group says more than a dozen Chinese automotive brands have entered the local market during the past two years, many with aggressive market share ambitions and expanding […]
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• NPDGull appoints Stefan Geertsema as chief financial officer

  21-09-2026 01:27 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  NPDGull has appointed Stefan Geertsema as chief financial officer as the newly formed fuel retailer expands its network and commercial operations.
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• BYD passes 15,000 vehicles in NZ, two thirds of them battery electric

  21-09-2026 00:28 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  BYD Auto NZ general manager Warren Willmot, left, with a Shark 6. File image. BYD has passed 15,000 vehicles on New Zealand roads four years after launching here, a total that splits 9,824 battery electric and 5,248 plug-in hybrid. The plug-in share is the number worth noting. The brand arrived in 2022 as an EV-only […]
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• ANCAP calls for stronger safety focus beyond passenger cars

  21-09-2026 00:19 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP Safety) is calling for greater attention on commercial vehicles, trucks and motorcycles following the mid-term review of Australia’s National Road Safety Strategy.
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• Tower lifts catastrophe cover as reinsurance costs fall

  21-09-2026 00:00 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Tower has renewed its reinsurance programme for the 2027 financial year, increasing catastrophe cover while reducing its expected premium expense. The NZX and ASX-listed insurer has secured protection across its home, motor, boat and commercial portfolios in New Zealand and Pacific markets. Its catastrophe limit increases from $915 million in FY26 to $970m, including a […]
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• Giltrap opens indoor Zeekr flagship on Great North Road, with 9X, 8X and 001 FR on show

  20-09-2026 23:37 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  The 137 Great North Road site, in a render supplied by Zeekr New Zealand. Giltrap Zeekr opens to the public at 137 Great North Road, Grey Lynn, on Friday 25 September, a 550 square metre fully indoor showroom that puts the brand inside the Giltrap precinct a year after its New Zealand launch. The site […]
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• NZ Cheap Cars opens Mount Roskill four weeks after North Shore, with more sites in the pipeline

  20-09-2026 22:03 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  The Stoddard Road site ahead of Saturday’s opening. Image: NZ Cheap Cars NZ Cheap Cars will open its next Auckland dealership at 106 Stoddard Road, Mount Roskill, on Saturday 26 September, four weeks after its North Shore site opened on Wairau Road. The Mount Roskill branch is one of the two further sites the company […]
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• Turners auctions signed Liam Lawson F1 replica helmet

  18-09-2026 05:50 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Turners is auctioning a signed full-size replica of the helmet worn by New Zealand Formula One driver Liam Lawson during the 2025 season. The handmade 1:1-scale Bell HP77 replica carries Lawson’s Visa Cash App RB design and is one of only 12 produced for the season. Its pink and white livery features Māori-inspired motifs, a […]
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• Sena moves closer to 2 Cheap Cars takeover threshold

  18-09-2026 04:03 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Sena & Co has secured acceptances representing nearly 8.5% of 2 Cheap Cars Group’s issued shares as it pursues a full takeover and potential delisting of the NZX-listed automotive retailer. The bidder controlled approximately 76% of the company before launching its offer for all remaining shares and needs to reach 90% to begin compulsory acquisition. […]
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• Ford approves Armstrong’s takeover of North Harbour and John Andrew, effective 31 October

  18-09-2026 00:00 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  From left: Ford New Zealand finance director Linda Yuen, Armstrong’s executive director Rick Armstrong, Ford New Zealand managing director Annaliese Atina, Armstrong’s Group chief financial and operating officer Michaela Shaw, Armstrong’s chief executive Troy Kennedy and Ford New Zealand network director Greg McDonald. Image: Ford New Zealand Ford New Zealand has formally approved Armstrong’s Group […]
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• McLaren confirms performance SUV as Abu Dhabi backs £500m UK expansion

  17-09-2026 00:38 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  McLaren retails in more than 40 markets. Image: McLaren Automotive McLaren Automotive has confirmed it will build a performance SUV, ending years of speculation, as part of a £500 million investment programme funded by its Abu Dhabi shareholder. The money comes from L’IMAD, a sovereign investor of the Government of Abu Dhabi, which took control […]
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• Ebbett to consolidate four Tauranga sites into one nine-brand Tauriko village

  16-09-2026 23:58 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  A render of the Tauriko site, due to open in late 2027. Image: Ebbett Automotive Ebbett Automotive will replace four Tauranga and Mount Maunganui sites with a single purpose-built development at Tauriko, bringing nine brands and two dealership businesses onto one property in late 2027. Ebbett Tauranga currently runs Hyundai, Isuzu, BYD, Forthing and Foton […]
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• Porsche celebrates 50 years in NZ with Auckland showcase

  16-09-2026 04:59 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Porsche will mark 50 years in New Zealand with a free public event featuring more than 200 vehicles at Auckland’s Viaduct Events Centre on Sunday, September 20. The anniversary showcase will run from 11am to 2pm and bring together road and competition cars spanning five decades. Its headline exhibit will be a Gulf-liveried Porsche 917 […]
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• Evnex reaches 20,000 EV charger installations

  16-09-2026 04:30 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Christchurch-based Evnex has passed 20,000 electric vehicle charger installations across New Zealand and Australia following a sharp acceleration in sales.
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• Sena lifts 2 Cheap Cars takeover offer

  16-09-2026 03:58 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Sena & Co has increased its takeover offer for the remaining shares in 2 Cheap Cars Group from 80 cents per share to 90 cents.
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• Motor vehicle spending slips in August

  16-09-2026 03:41 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  New Zealanders spent $194 million on motor vehicles in August, down $600,000 or 0.3% from July, according to Stats NZ. The category has remained relatively stable this year, ranging between $190m and $198 million during the first eight months of 2026, according to seasonally adjusted figures. Compared with August 2025, motor vehicle spending was around […]
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• 2 Cheap Cars posts $2.32m five-month profit

  15-09-2026 23:13 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  2 Cheap Cars Group has reported an unaudited net profit after tax of approximately $2.32 million for the first five months of FY27, releasing the update to keep shareholders informed during the current takeover offer. The NZX-listed vehicle retailer recorded an NPAT of about $330,000 in August, according to its unaudited management accounts. The result […]
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• Breaking: Embattled caravan manufacturer collapses into administration

  15-09-2026 06:49 via abc.net.au
  
  Sunshine Coast-based Australian Off Road has called in administrators after the company went dark last week, leaving hundreds of customers and suppliers in limbo.
  
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