Originally published 15 November 2023. Updated 27 November 2024.Wow! Turns out our 2024 Most Trusted award makes it 6 years in a row that Driveline has been voted NZ's Most Trusted Vehicle Finance … More »
Second-Time-Around Leasing On The Rise During Tight Times
As the government struggles to balance the books after inheriting a 'structural deficit', second-time-around leasing is gaining favour. … More »
Car Market Update: Axing of Ute Tax Leads to Seismic Shift
Axing the Clean Car program has thrown the new car market into disarray. This car market update reveals what's changed and what's in store. … More »
Utes Unleashed! No More Ute Tax = Tradies Buying Up Big
The end of the controversial Ute Tax on 31 December 2023 has seen ute sales explode and dealers struggling to keep up with demand. … More »
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Ute!
As 2023 ends we mourn the loss of the Clean Car Discount and celebrate the end of the Ute Tax that unfairly penalised hard working kiwis. … More »
Gummint Scraps Ute Tax – EV & Ute OOS May Ruin Buyer’s Plans
Prime Minister Chris Luxon unveiled the Coalition Government's 100-day plan comprised of 49 actions, including repealing the Ute Tax. … More »
The Votes Are In and Driveline’s Won; Massive Thanks to Everyone!
For the second year in a row, Driveline has taken out the National Most Trusted Vehicle Financing Company award, and been voted "NZ Nationwide Brand Most Trusted Winner" in the vehicle financing … More »
EV Rebate Changes Drive Post-Election Rush
National and ACT's looming EV rebate changes have inspired buyers to bring their purchase forward and take advantage while they can. … More »
Ex-Lease Utes for Sale: How Tom Avoids the Ute Tax
Finding a smart solution... How one business owner avoided the Ute Tax by choosing an ex-fleet ute from a list of ex-lease utes for sale. … More »
Transport Decarbonisation Driven by Drive Electric
Drive Electric's State of the Nation Report on E-Mobility in NZ 2023 and the push towards transport decarbonisation is a big read. … More »
Clean Car Discounts Might Die in October. Iffy EV & PHEV Buyers Will Suffer 🥶
Toyota NZ chief executive Neeraj Lala has hit back at Labour and Green Party ministers for meddling in the market rather than allowing companies to focus on reducing the impact of tailpipe emissions, … More »
Most Trusted Business Awards 2023
A personal message from Driveline CEO Lance Manins...I need your help! Last year Driveline won the Most Trusted Business Awards 2022 in two categories... … More »
Get a New EV Now Before Clean Car Discount Scrapped 😱
With polls predicting a change of government, it's inevitable we'll see the Clean Car Discount scrapped. Time to bring forward your EV decision!With the upcoming general election on 14 October looking … More »
EV Running Cost vs Petrol: Head-to-Head Comparison
It's eWeek at Driveline with two brand new EV deals! And we analyse an EV running cost vs petrol to help you work out the savings. … More »
Best Utes NZ 2023: Ute sales still soaring. We pick the best 5.
To help you find the perfect ute, we have carefully curated a list of the top 5 best utes NZ 2023 that are truly worth considering. … More »
Clean Car Fees: Utes & SUVs vs Govt 🤬🥊
Driveline CEO Lance Manins is frustrated with the latest twist in the war of Clean Car Fees: Utes & SUVs vs the Government… … More »
Is the Clean Car Rebate Ending? Big Changes Ahead.
Brace yourself for a big hike in the ute tax. Is the Clean Car Rebate ending? For some vehicles yes. Will others be taxed into oblivion? … More »
Ute Tax to Increase in April? Tradies Will Be Hit Hard.
Clean Car rebates cost the government 2x more than the Ute Tax collected last year. Here's how we fear the shortfall will be funded.There was a $98 million hole in the Clean Car scheme last year. Word … More »
Utes Top the Sales Charts
AA's Dec-2022 industry update says Ford Ranger was the #1 selling light commercial and overall top selling vehicle for the 2022 calendar year.No wonder Ford Ranger was AA Driven New Zealand Car of the … More »
Opel Mokka-e SUV Hits the Market
Looking for something a little different with your electric SUV? The new Opel Mokka-e SUV might be right up your alley.Opel is a major German brand founded way back in 1862, making it 41 years older … More »
Cargo Van Financing: Driveline Donates Van to Charity
Good Works Trust relied on volunteer vehicles too much. Driveline already provides cargo van financing, so we donated a delivery van!Good Works Trust is charitable trust committed to good works - just … More »
Most Trusted Business Awards Won By Driveline!
Driveline won "Most Trusted Vehicle Finance in New Zealand" and "Auckland's Most Trusted Company" in the 2022 Most Trusted Business Awards. … More »
EV Rebate Update
The EV Rebate system is firing on all cylinders… no pun intended… and with stocks of qualifying vehicles starting to make it to market the team at Driveline are super busy making sure client orders … More »
Funding Outside The Box
Driveline isn’t just all about financing utes, vans and cars. You may be surprised with the variety of other assets we fund from time to time. This week we share some "Outside The Box" funding … More »
More Bad News For Future Car Supply ?
More bad news for future car supply is just around the corner according to news reports coming down the wires over the weekend.If Covid-19 and a lack of micro processors to power up all those fancy … More »
Cash Is King
Covid-19 is creating cashflow concerns for many businesses, and ‘Cash Is King’ in the present climate. This creates an environment of uncertainty for business owners, making it difficult to plan for … More »
The latest Isuzu MU-X revealed
The all-new Isuzu MU-X SUV has arrived in New Zealand, gaining the platform and engine from the D-Max ute, more towing capacity, better off-road capabilities and better technology.It’s almost a little … More »
ONE-STOP TRADIE SHOP
We are managing over 100 vehicles per month for our clients and this includes managing all the aspects of vehicle purchase and getting the best deal and any fit-out requirements with a range of … More »
Isuzu D-Max, more than meets the eye.
We're sure you have all seen and heard the exciting news about the NEW Isuzu D-Max Ute that will be arriving on our shores pretty soon, that right the new Ute will be arriving in mid-October.So that … More »
The long-awaited Kia Sorento is back!
With its elongated, sculpted silhouette and purposeful stance the newSorento rewrites SUV style. The all new 2021 Kia SorentoA new generation of safety technologyThe 2021 Sorento introduces safety … More »
Battle of the SUV’s: Kia Seltos takes on Mitsubishi ASX — which is better?
They both have four wheels, five doors, and a keen desire to whisk through traffic on your way to work or rushing to be n time for the kid's soccer game. But despite being similar on the surface, the … More »
Porsche’s updated Panamera gets fresh looks and even more power
It may not be the most affordable wagon on the market, but if you're looking to stand out from all those suit-wearing corporates in their Audi RS6 wagons, the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo is a … More »
The Iconic L300 Mitsubishi Van is back!
The Mitsubishi Express van is due to land in September 2020 in New Zealand. This van is the highly popular successor to the L300 van which had been around for an eternity and last seen in the showroom … More »
The time to focus on cash flow is now!
Over the past few weeks, we have been contacting our existing clients as a direct response to the Covid-19 crisis and working closely with them to put together not only some relief packages to get … More »
Check out the two NEW Ford Transit Custom Vans.
There are two new Transit's added to the range this year – the Ford Transit Custom Sport Van, which has more power, great styling, interior treatment and features have all been … More »
Nissan Leaf VS Hyundai Ioniq
WHILE EV BUYERS ARE INFATUATED WITH THE MODEL 3, THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS OUT THERE, ADMITTEDLY WITH LESS RANGE THAN THE TESLA. TWO SLIGHTLY CHEAPER OFFERINGS ARE THE IONIQ AND LEAF. WHICH IS … More »
NZ car sales take expected to hit, waiting for a bounce back after lockdown.
Monthly new vehicle registration data released reveal the immediate impact of the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions on the New Zealand new vehicle market.March 2020 registrations were down 37.3 per cent … More »
Nissan Navara 450 Special Edition | DriveThru
No need to go over the top with these things. It’s based on the double cab ST-X and is available in both two-wheel drive and 4x4 options, with either the six-speed manual or the seven-speed auto.It’s … More »
Five cars that are turning 20 in 2020
If you're old enough to remember the turn of the century, you probably recall how exciting and unknown it seemed. We were really heading into the future: the year 2000!Look back at the cars of 2000 … More »
Happy Holidays from everyone at Driveline.
We hope your holidays will be filled with joy and laughter through the New Year. Thank you for your continued support and partnership.We look forward to working with you next year. … More »
The Volkswagen Crafter is of the Top Vans of 2019
For all of its life, the Volkswagen Crafter has lived in the shadow of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. It was not only based on the Mercedes van, but also built in the same factory. This led many people … More »
DRIVE THRU | SUV News
Driveline presents DRIVE-THRU The most relevant automotive news that you what to know about. Kia thinks compact SUV growth is ideal for the SeltosSouth Korean carmaker Kia is telling its global … More »
September Trade-in deal
The time has come too trade-in.Trade-in your old Toyota Hiace for a completely redesigned sixth-generation New Toyota Hiace that meets the needs of the widest group of customers, who are seeking a … More »
NEW Ford Ranger FX4 Bi-Turbo | Coming Soon
We are thrilled to announce the return of the Ford Ranger FX4 Bi-Turbo special edition, a highly regarded member of the Ranger family which has previously made a significant contribution to Ranger’s … More »
Driveline sponsors the Mongolian Rally for mental health
A drive of a difference to make a differenceImagine driving 18,000km across three deserts, five mountain ranges and 23 countries in the smallest smart car ever to help put the spotlight on mental … More »
Subaru Forester wins Car of the Year Award
Making its television debut on TV1’s prime time show Seven Sharp, Subaru’s Forester was presented with the 2018 New Zealand Car of the Year (COTY) Award tonight. It is a glittering accolade for this … More »
The Weekly Car News Roundup 39
Here are a couple of the cool things that have been happening in the motor industry this week. From reviews to announcements to forecasts, we've got it all. They say electric cars are … More »
The Weekly Car News Roundup 38
Happy Wednesday everyone. There are lots of interesting news pieces and reviews from the car industry this week. Here are a few of them. Stuff.co.nz had an interesting article this … More »
The Weekly Car News Roundup 37
The end of the year is coming up fast. Despite that, there's still a lot to be excited about in the automotive industry. So here's what has been making news. New vehicle registrations … More »
Pressure at the pump prompts companies to explore electric vehicle fleets
Pressure at the pump prompts companies to explore electric vehicle fleets As the cost of fuel has reached new heights, one of New Zealand’s leading vehicle leasing and finance companies has seen an … More »
The Weekly Car News Roundup 36
Stuff.co.nz have a look at the all new Kia Sportage GT line. The price of petrol is continuing to climb, with some areas now paying more than $2.40 a … More »
The Weekly Car News Roundup 35
It's the end of another busy week. So, here are some interesting car related articles and videos we found this week. Driven.co.nz looks at five of New Zealand's most fuel efficient … More »
The latest automotive news highlights just for you
We hope you're having an awesome start to the week. Here's the run down on some interesting things which have been happening in the automotive industry. Mercedes Benz are taking safety … More »
The Weekly Car News Roundup 34
The Autocar hot hatch showdown is on. Squaring off this time are the Renault Megane and the Honda Civic Type R. What is the future driving experience going to look like? Wired has a … More »
The new Ford Transit Tourneo Custom arrives in New Zealand
The new Ford Tourneo Custom is now available in New Zealand with a bold new design, an all-new interior and enhanced features offering the best seat in the house. The Tourneo Custom offers a spacious … More »
The Weekly Car News Roundup 33
Hi everyone. It has been an interesting week in the automotive industry. We've found a couple of interesting car reviews, announcements and more. Check them out. Dave McLeod, editor … More »
The Weekly Car News Roundup 32
It's been an interesting week on the automotive industry. So here's the rundown on some of the interesting things that have been happening. The regional fuel tax in Auckland has arrived. If you … More »
Ford Mustang Bullitt to arrive in October 2018
Ford Mustang BULLITT will be the most powerful Mustang sold by Ford New Zealand, celebrating one of the most famous car-chase scenes in motion picture history Enthusiasts will be able to … More »
The Weekly Car News Roundup 31
Here are some of the interesting things making news in the automotive industry recently. Motor1 has some great spy shots of next generation cars being tested. This includes a whole range of … More »
The Mazda CX-8 will soon be available in New Zealand
Mazda New Zealand is thrilled to confirm the brand new Mazda CX-8 will be joining the award winning Mazda SUV line up in the second half of 2018. The stylish new three row, seven seat SUV offers … More »
The Weekly Car News Roundup 30
There's a lot happening in the auto industry...so here are a few articles that caught our attention. Stuff has an interesting article that highlights the growing concern … More »
Meet the 2019 Ford Everest
Available from September 2018 and offered in the single premium Titanium variant, the 2019 Ford Everest brings significant upgrades and advanced technology including AEB, with a state of the art … More »
The Weekly Car News Roundup 29
We've got the lowdown on the latest car news. Here are a few articles that caught our attention. Pricing for the 2019 Ford Ranger has been released. You can see how each model prices up by going … More »
The Weekly Car News Roundup 28
Here are a few of the cool and interesting things that have been happening in the automotive industry in the last two weeks. The 2019 Ford Ranger will hit the New Zealand market later on … More »
2019 Ford Ranger to be released later on this year
The 2019 Ranger builds on the capabilities and off-road credentials that has made the award-winning Ranger the most popular vehicle in New Zealand for three years running and the most popular ute in … More »
The Weekly Car News Roundup 27
As the year moves along, the car industry continues to track along. Here are some of the interesting articles we found from the last week. Autoweek has a look at the new 2019 … More »
Top 10 Best Selling Cars in 2018 so far
The best selling cars of 2018 (so far) have been revealed. Utes continue to occupy most of the spots on the list (five), with three SUVs and two small cars rounding out the list. The Ford Ranger … More »
The Weekly Car News Roundup 26
Here are a few things that have been happening in the car industry. An interesting article came up on Stuff.co.nz. Ford and GM announced they could start making repairs to different … More »
New Zealand businesses make moves to future-proof their fleets with electric vehicles, but the change doesn’t come without challenges
Media Release 17 April 2018 With a global commitment towards minimising carbon emissions, New Zealand businesses are increasingly embracing more sustainable transport options to get … More »
The Weekly Car News Roundup 25
Here's the latest rundown on what's been happening in the automotive industry, here and abroad. Are you one of those people eagerly to get your hands on a Ford Ranger Raptor when it … More »
The Weekly Car News Roundup 24
There has been a lot of car news coming in over the last week. Here's a look at some of the latest reviews, events and videos which caught our attention. If you've … More »
The Weekly Car News Roundup 23
Here are some of the latest car news highlights that caught our attention. Driven.co.nz reviews the new and improved Mercedes CLS 450. If you've got a spare … More »
The Mercedes Benz X-Class gets put through its paces
When it comes to Utes, there are a couple of questions we often get asked. Here are a few of them... What's the towing capacity? How much storage space is there? What's the power? How … More »
The Weekly Car News Roundup 22
Here are some of the interesting things that have been happening in the automotive industry. The all new Holden ZB Commodore line up is here. Driven has the full review of it from … More »
The Weekly Car News Roundup 21
Here are some of the interesting things which have been happening in the automotive industry in the last week. Electric car lovers will be thrilled to know that the new Nissan Leaf is … More »
LDV T60 Range boosted with Single Cab Chassis 4WD
The Five Star ANCAP safety rated LDV T60 ute range has been boosted with the impending arrival of a manual 4WD single cab variant. Available in three colours white, silver and red, the T60 single cab … More »
The Weekly Car News Roundup 20
We've got the lowdown on what's been happening in the car and automotive industry. So, here are some of the things which have been making news. SUV's have been tipped to dominate the … More »
The Weekly Car News Roundup 19
From the latest reviews to best selling vehicle lists, here's our weekly car news roundup. Motor 1 editor Jeff Perez has a look at the new Hyundai i30 N. They … More »
Top 10 Car Choices for Kiwi Motorists in 2018
New Zealanders in the market for a new car this year will continue to add utes and SUVs to their wish-list, say automobile industry experts. Driveline, a specialist vehicle … More »
The Weekly Car News Roundup 18
Happy New Year everyone. We hope you all had a fantastic time over Christmas and New Year. 2017 was a big year in New Zealand's automotive industry. New vehicle sales hit new highs, Tesla came to … More »
Merry Christmas 2017
We are often touched by the amazing generosity and compassion which New Zealanders show at this time of the year to help out those in need. For some teenagers, the holiday season can be a difficult … More »
The weekly car news roundup 17
Christmas is just around the corner now. So, here's the latest rundown on what's been happening in the auto industry. An investigation into the price of petrol is underway in New Zealand. … More »
The Weekly Car News Roundup 16
From car of the year to self-driving cars, here is the latest car news. Good quality service goes a long way in business. Several car companies were recognised for this the other day at the 2017 … More »
Utes absolutely unstoppable in 2017
The end of the year is only a couple of weeks away; and what an eventful year it has been in the automotive industry. We’ve been lucky to test drive a lot of the new and exciting vehicles which … More »
What’s been happening in the automotive industry?
The automotive industry never sleeps. Here's the latest rundown on the news highlights you might have missed. Tesla has unveiled their latest piece of innovation: the Tesla Semi Truck. Tarmc … More »
Top 10 Luxury SUVs to look out for in 2018
There are some awesome cars coming out into the market in 2018. Cars & Technology has a look at some of the best luxury SUVs to keep an eye out for in 2018. … More »
Mercedes Benz X-Class Review
There were definitely a few eyebrows raised when Mercedes Benz announced it was moving into the ute market. Why would the German automotive giant want to move into such a market? One motoring … More »
The first of the month car news
Here is the latest car news roundup. On the back of a weaker dollar, petrol prices in New Zealand have gone up again. Stuff.co.nz has the full rundown on it. Tarmc and M2 … More »
The new LDV ute gets a 5 star safety rating
The Australian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has released its safety rating on the LDV ute range. Scoring a total of 35.46 points out of a possible maximum of 37, the T60 becomes the first … More »
The car news roundup
Even though the end of the year is fast approaching, there has been no slowdown in the automotive industry. Here are some of the interesting things that have been happening. The highly … More »
The latest vehicle news
Here are some of the latest vehicle news highlights. In just over 3 weeks time, the Big Boys Toys show kicks off. Their announcement that the Ferrari LaFerrari will be there is exciting … More »
All the latest car news
We've got all the latest car news fresh off the press. Check it out some of the things which have been happening. LDV's market share in the motor industry looks set to grow as they launch … More »
The latest car news fresh off the press
Here's the round up on what's been happening this week in the automotive industry. Lexus has unveiled the new LC500. Tarmc's Dave McLeod has the full review on it … More »
HOLDEN REVEALS WORLD’S MOST POPULAR GM SUV
The most popular Sport Utility Vehicle in the General Motors new vehicle portfolio, the Equinox, has been confirmed for launch in New Zealand on December 1 of this year. Sold in more than … More »
The latest car news…here and abroad
We hope you're enjoying a great start to your Friday morning. It has been a busy week in the automotive industry. So, here are some of the things which have been making news. Hamilton … More »
Schwarzenegger embraces electric vehicles
Back when he was the Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger was well known for his ambitious environmental policies. Although he's no longer in office, he's continuing his efforts to help the … More »
The Toyota Hilux outsells the Ford Ranger
The Toyota Hilux pipped the Ford Ranger as the best selling vehicle last month. 779 registrations were made on the Toyota Hilux in August, compared to 690 for the Ford Ranger. That's a 17% vs 15% … More »
What’s news in the car industry?
Here's a look into what has been happening in the car industry, both here and abroad. The Toyota Hilux pipped the Ford Ranger as the top selling vehicle in August in NZ. The Ranger is still … More »
2018 Ford Ranger Raptor
The Ford Ranger Raptor is coming to New Zealand shores in 2018. While the competition has been working hard to close the gap, the Raptor model of New Zealand's best selling vehicle should give it a … More »
The latest car news
Here's the lowdown on the latest car news. The Lamborghini Aventador has made it to New Zealand shores. Prices for the base model start at $595,000. Talking about super-cars, the Giltrap Group … More »