All Articles

New and tested 4WDs
Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy tested
Wednesday, 19 February 2025
It’s been a while since NZ4WD drove a Hyundai. Before Covid, in fact. Way back when the previous Santa Fe had a mid- life refresh.
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4WD Accesories
Protect the 4WD with Ironman
Tuesday, 18 February 2025
Bull bars are one of the first accessories to be added to any 4x4, improving and frontal protection. A bull bar is first line of  defence on rural roads and off-road tracks.
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Adventure NZ
Andrew’s Everest tourer
Tuesday, 18 February 2025
Andrew Nelson had done his time in ‘hard yakka’ 4WDing and was looking for a vehicle that could be an everyday driver and  off-road capable touring wagon.
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News and General
New Patrol creeps closer
Tuesday, 18 February 2025
It’s big, bold, and flying in the face of ‘electric everything’ car engineering it is petrol-only.
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Tech Talk
Transmission ratios: eight is enough
Tuesday, 14 January 2025
It’s a shifty business. Looking for a new or pre-loved 4WD is a chance to choose which fuel, which engine, and which transmission best suits the planned use of that vehicle.
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4WD Sports
Southern Trailblazers Rally
Tuesday, 14 January 2025
The sun was shining but the obstacles were deep, deep mud. Southern Trailblazers held its annual 4x4 rally on Southland’s “landslip” in November 2024.
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Adventure NZ
High country adventure
Tuesday, 14 January 2025
One of the many good things about retirement is that you can make a spur of the moment decision to go see a place you have not been before.
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Builds
My 4WD: the family obsession
Tuesday, 14 January 2025
Karl Goodall’s owned his Raptor 1 buggy since 2021. He’d gone to photograph the very first Ultra4 event in New Zealand and got hooked.
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Products
Redarc: power redefined
Tuesday, 14 January 2025
When deep in the heart of the New Zealand wilderness, where the air is crisp and the stars are endless, the hustle and bustle of the city is a distant memory.
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News and General
Toyota’s 4WD Hiace van gets a restomod
Tuesday, 14 January 2025
Back in the day, it wasn’t just Mitsubishi building off-road capable 4WD vans.
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New and tested 4WDs
JAC disrupts the ute market
Tuesday, 14 January 2025
The company is better known in New Zealand for its light truck range, but JAC is making a strong pitch for the ute market with its new T9 4WD double cab ute.
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News and General
KIA shows offroad ideas
Tuesday, 14 January 2025
KIA has shown off a pair of concept vehicles that reach out for some off-road credibility.
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Products
Ironman’s 4X4 shock absorber range expands
Tuesday, 14 January 2025
Ironman 4X4’s heritage is built on suspension solutions dating back to 1958.
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News and General
A caravan for every offroad adventure
Tuesday, 14 January 2025
Christchurch’s GLI Caravans sells lift-top campers, camper trailers and caravans and has just expanded into selling inflatable boats.
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News and General
JAC ute arrives
Tuesday, 14 January 2025
NZ’s newest 4WD ute is the JAC T9 ute, and it arrives with a single high spec model and a sharp sub-$50k price
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News and General
VW shows off Scout 4WDs
Tuesday, 14 January 2025
VW has shown off its new Scout EV 4WDs in America. The company will build a double cab pickup and a four door SUV, with vehicles going on sale in late 2026 or early 2027.
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News and General
Medium 4WD SUV of the Year: Land Rover Discovery Sport
Sunday, 15 December 2024
The 2024 version of the ‘Disco Sport’ is a revelation.
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News and General
Compact 4WD SUV of the Year: Suzuki Jimny
Sunday, 15 December 2024
It’s the very definition of a cult 4WD. Suzuki’s mighty Jimny is a firm favourite among all who own it.
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News and General
4WD ute of the year: Ford Ranger Tremor
Sunday, 15 December 2024
This is good, very good. The Tremor is based on the mid-spec 2.0-litre Ranger Sport but has the line-up’s full-time selectable 4WD system, which is standard on V6 Rangers.
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News and General
Overall NZ4WD of the Year 2024 and Large SUV of the year: Ineos Grenadier
Thursday, 12 December 2024
The first mistake an Ineos Grenadier owner makes is about time management.
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Adventure NZ
Adventuring in the south
Friday, 06 December 2024
My good friend Gordon Colmore and I try to get away midweek for an overnight trip once a fortnight or so.
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Adventure NZ
Overland in the south
Friday, 06 December 2024
After nearly 40 years in Europe, 4x4 Explorer Adventures owner Richard Soult returned to New Zealand in 2014 and began overlanding around the South Island.
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Tech Talk
Maintain it – tips, tricks and tech
Friday, 06 December 2024
Off-road/ Adventuring? Overlanding? The classic Kiwi ‘she’ll be right’ attitude won’t work.
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Adventure NZ
Special tours in the south
Friday, 06 December 2024
Great scenery, great company, great yarns. South Island Tours offers this and more on its small group off-road tours.
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Adventure NZ
Great New Zealand drives
Friday, 06 December 2024
They are short, long, steep, flat. They are all epic. New Zealand has some superb off-road drives to explore, and right now is the best time to get out there.
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