New and tested 4WDs

Pathfinding at Port Waikato
Sunday, 21 December 2025
The first-generation Pathfinder was unveiled in May 1985 and was introduced in July 1986 as a ‘three-door’ body-on-frame SUV.
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Super Duty on the descent of Mount Terrible. Image by Mark Baker.
Things to look forward to - Ford launches the toughest Ranger of all
Sunday, 14 December 2025
The 4WD landscape is changing fast.
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An SUV in true modern style
Hitting the trail
Saturday, 13 December 2025
A week in a modern SUV is quite revelatory after spending a lot of time  in 4WD utes. 
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Hilux development engineers get to grips with New Zealand conditions
Friday, 12 December 2025
Two of Toyota Motor Corporation’s leading engineers behind the new-gen
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The Ranger range gets reset for 2026
Ford resets its best seller
Friday, 05 December 2025
There's big change for Ford's Ranger family.
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Aimed at urban and family users, the U9 remains happy out in the mud
A leap forward: MGU9 launched in New Zealand
Friday, 14 November 2025
The MG brand has revealed its U9 midsize-plus ute for New Zealand in three models.
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Suzuki e VITARA set to arrive in New Zealand
Thursday, 13 November 2025
From the second quarter 2026, the fan-favourite Vitara is turning electric with the arrival of the Suzuki e VITARA.
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Ford farewells the Bi-Turbo Ranger engine
Thursday, 13 November 2025
 Ford has announced significant updates to its powertrain offerings for the award-winning Ranger and Everest, enhancing the proven 2.0L turbo-diesel engine and expanding the availability of the pow
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Ninth generation Hilux revealed
Toyota reveals ninth generation Hilux
Tuesday, 11 November 2025
Next year is looking like a big one for Toyota as it launches the ninth generation of its Hilux.
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Return to Prado-land
Wednesday, 22 October 2025
This month, we’ve been back in a new Prado for a second look at Toyota’s most capable 4WD SUV.
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Kia kicks off with strong contender
Thursday, 09 October 2025
It’s been a long time coming. But Kia's Tasman ute is finally here.
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A leap forward: MGU9 is here
Wednesday, 24 September 2025
MG has launched its first ute. Now there’s a sentence nobody thought they’d ever read.
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Forester 2025: another way to take the long way home
Wednesday, 24 September 2025
It’s been a favourite with outdoorsy Kiwi drivers for decades, and with good reason.
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Ford’s storm bringer
Saturday, 20 September 2025
This is the first New Zealand media drive of Ford’s new Stormtrak PHEV Ranger. Other scribes drove it overseas, but NZ4WD scored the first local test.
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NZSUV Buyers Guide 2025 - out now
Thursday, 18 September 2025
The NZSUV Buyers Guide is back for 2025
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The All-New MG MGS5 EV – Electric SUV
Thursday, 18 September 2025
MG Motor New Zealand has announced the MGS5 EV, an all-electric SUV poised to be a compelling option for corporate fleets across the country. It MGS5 EV combines operational efficiency, advanced...
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Cupra Launches the All-Electric Tavascan
Thursday, 18 September 2025
Cupra New Zealand is excited to welcome the all-new Tavascan – the brand’s first fully electric SUV coupé. With its sculpted, aerodynamic design and a driver-centric interior, the Tavascan represents...
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Jimny among the tall timber
Jimny: a fresh new way to go offroad
Saturday, 06 September 2025
Our Jimny month draws to an end with one last jaunt - up Klondyke Road near Port Waikato and into the strange and gnarly back blocks of the north Waikato.
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Rubicon returns
Friday, 15 August 2025
“The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon has always been a symbol of freedom and adventure. As the icon of the Jeep brand, it embodies the ‘go anywhere, do anything’ ethos.
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Sticking and slipping down by the river
Tuesday, 12 August 2025
Our month with Suzuki’s Jimny SUV takes us down into Waikato River trails – and delivers a couple of ‘teachable moments’.
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2025 Subaru Forester: A Smarter, Stronger Hybrid
Tuesday, 12 August 2025
For over 25 years, the Subaru Forester has been a cornerstone of the New Zealand vehicle landscape, serving as a dependable tool of trade for businesses and a versatile family adventurer alike.
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Trial by Mud
Tuesday, 12 August 2025
The Ranger Super Duty is undergoing extreme testing in Australia ahead of it launch. Rob Hugo, product excellence and human factors supervisor at Ford Australia, says the mud-pack test, a challenge...
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Beached as? Not this Jimny
Wednesday, 06 August 2025
We're driving a Jimny five door auto for a month, doing trips owners would do.
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Driving the big ‘D’
Saturday, 02 August 2025
Chewing though mid-day Auckland traffic, it’s hard not to feel just a wee bit superior. We’re aboard Jaguar Land Rover’s Discovery D350 in the most-popular HSE spec, and it is sublime.
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Living with Jimny
Thursday, 31 July 2025
Suzuki's Jimny is unlike any other 4WD. So tiny it's hard to think of it as an SUV, agile and light on its feet, and - with the advent of the five door - massively popular
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