October issue out now

Leaders in the vehicle repair and used-imports sectors are campaigning for legislation to make technical information from manufacturers widely available. The aim is to give consumers the right to choose who works on their cars, as happens in Australia.

In-depth: 2 Cheap Cars is set to be delisted from the NZX and return to private ownership after David Sena upped his takeover bid from 80 to 90 cents. Autofile investigates what’s happened from start to finish, market updates, and how its shares have performed over the past four months. Plus: what happened at the company’s AGM.

Somewhere out there right now, someone may be shopping for a car at your dealership but you can’t see them. The person doing the comparison and shortlisting could be an AI, explains AdTorque Edge’s James Hendry.

Drive Electric and Rewiring Aotearoa want political parties to commit to assessing a New Zealand pre-tax EV leasing pathway – again, similar to what happens across the Tasman.

Autofile delves into the annual reports of Turners, Geneva and Colonial to examine issues impacting the automotive and finance markets.

We report from MITO’s inaugural industry summit awards ceremony in Wellington. Check out news from the event and who the winners were.

• GWM is aiming to break into the top five brands for new cars by the end of next year – and the top three by 2030. 

• Tracy Pennell has become chief operating officer at Avanti Finance as it boosts its executive structure.

• Border restrictions can become repair decisions on driveways. VIA’s Kit Wilkerson argues why coherent action is needed on the fleet and rules governing it.

• Annaliese Atina, Ford NZ’s MD, has been appointed to the same position with the marque in Vietnam.

• Transport funding needs a revamp, says the AA. Its five election campaign calls seek “less politics, smarter spending and safer roads”.

• The MTA’s James McDowall explains why an upgrade scheme is needed to improve the fleet’s quality.

Plus: Toyota NZ has ramped up its commitment to motorsport and performance driving by launching Gazoo Racing, lower FBT rate planned for EVs, decision on extra import safety features delayed and in-depth sales statistics.