New Holden, Ram utes bring touch of global glamour to National Fieldays

National Fieldays near Hamilton might be New Zealand's biggest agricultural event, but it's also rapidly turning into a default motor-show for light commercials.

National Fieldays near Hamilton might be New Zealand's biggest agricultural event, but it's also rapidly turning into a default motor-show for light commercials.

Distributors have always been keen to display their latest utes to a receptive audience, and there are always some very sharp deals on offer. But things have gone up a notch for 2016 with the display of a genuine concept vehicle and a major new-model launch for Fieldays, which runs June 15-18.

The Holden Colorado Xtreme is essentially a pumped-up, pimped-out version of the updated Colorado production model due for launch here in September. It was designed and built by Holden in Australia, and unveiled at the Bangkok Motor Show in March. It has since travelled to Spain for a General Motors product conference and is now passing through NZ on its way back to Australia.

So, bragging rights for Holden NZ: Fieldays will be the first time the Xtreme has been shown in the Southern Hemisphere. It hasn't even done the rounds in Australia.

READ MORE: * Holden teases next-gen Colorado in Bangkok * New Holden Colorado goes American

It's also the first time the vehicle has been displayed as a Holden. In Bangkok and Spain it wore Chevrolet badging, as does the production Colorado in those markets.

The badge-engineering for Down Under was actually carried out at Holden NZ headquarters in Auckland and includes a new grille, a reskin of the tailgate graphic (which now carries a very subtle black-on-black Holden logo) and a new steering wheel.

The one-off car, which Holden NZ managing director Kristian Aquilina describes as the "most expensive Holden we've ever had here", is present for the wow-factor and brand-building value.

But the Xtreme is also based on the new-generation Colorado, which was revealed in Chevrolet form back in April. So many elements, especially the classy new interior, show you what the new Holden ute will look like.

Note the more car-like dashboard architecture and the addition of new technology such as an eight-inch touch screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Back in 2012 when the current Colorado was launched, Holden executives admitted that the engineering and refinement of new-generation utes like the Ford Ranger had caught them by surprise. The new Colorado is the company's attempt at a serious catch-up.

"The Colorado will retain the features it's famous for, including a class-leading 500Nm of torque, 3.5-tonne towing and off-road capability, says Aquilina.

"But it will be a far more refined vehicle and offer an extended range of accessories that are fully integrated into the vehicle and backed by Holden."

Holden claims the Xtreme accessory package "inspired" similar products for the forthcoming production model, but of course the more likely scenario is that things have worked the other way around. The updated Colorado was signed off a long time ago and the accessories already designed, so the Xtreme's job is simply to preview them.

Indeed, features like the sports bar and side steps have already been pictured on production Chevrolet versions of the Colorado in Thailand and the United States.

Meanwhile, Fieldays is also the launch venue for American truck brand Ram in NZ, made by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA). A range of Ram pickup tricks is being offered here by Ateco Automotive, the Kiwi distributor for FCA.

The Ram trucks arrive via Australia, where they are converted to right-hand drive by American Special Vehicles (ASV), a joint venture between Ateco's Australian division and the Walkinshaw Automotive Group. The converted vehicles are covered by a three-year, 100,000km warranty.

Formerly associated with the Dodge brand, Ram was relaunched as a standalone truck division in 2009.

The Ram 2500 and 3500 models are built around a bigger-is-better philosophy: the core engine is a 6.7-litre Cummins turbo-diesel producing 1084Nm of torque and the vehicles are capable of towing over six tonnes. They are marketed as workhorses rather than lifestyle vehicles - at least in the US, although the appeal of a genuine American truck with new-vehicle warranty and support may dictate otherwise in NZ.

The six-speed automatic transmission includes driver-adaptive shifting and three multiple clutch packs.

Both models have three-link front suspension. The 2500 rides on five-link coils at the rear, while the more muscular 3500 has Hotchkiss leaf-springs on the back.

The Ram trucks are 4WD with a low-range transfer that FCA claims is suitable for rock-crawling and the most challenging terrain, with shift-on-the-fly and three operating ranges.

The cabin features leather seats, heated and ventilated in the front with 10-way power adjustment for the driver and six way adjustment for the front passenger.

There's a heated, leather bound steering wheel with integrated audio controls, dual-zone climate control, tinted windows, a 20mm touchscreen display, nine-speaker sound system with subwoofer, ports for mobile devices and a media hub.

Paris to Peking car rally set to test Kiwis' endurance

Half a dozen Kiwis are set to embark on a real-life marathon that to some will resemble the "Wacky Races".

Half a dozen Kiwis are set to embark on a real-life marathon that to some will resemble the "Wacky Races".

Ahead of the Kiwis - mother and daughter duo Heather and Jo Worth, father and son Bruce and Harry Washington, Chris Pike and Colin Smith - and over 100 other teams is over 13,500 kilometres in the Peking to Paris endurance rally.

Vehicles range from a 1915 American LaFrance through to a 1977 Mercedes-Benz 280E and their arduous race visits 11 countries, After Sunday's start in Beijing (formerly Peking), the borders crossed take the trek through Mongolia, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland and finally France for the finish on July 13 in the centre of Paris.

Auckland mother and duo team, Heather and Jo Worth, are one of only two all-women crews and have spent a small fortune entering and preparing their 1968 Volvo Amazon car which they bought in Howick a few years ago.

With the entry fee around $50,000, Heather quips it has been like a "little open drain for funds" and she reckons it will be the last chance they will be able to afford to do it.

They are, however, not novices in endurance rallying, having already completed the Road to Mandalay in February 2015.

"I'm feeling quite excited about this. We thought the day would never arrive," she said from Sydney a few days before heading on to Beijing.

While this is their second big endurance event, she says the P2P is "much bigger, more daunting."

Weight is a really big issue and they will only take one small carry bag of clothes each with t-shirts, shorts etc.

"We have to carry a large number of spares, two extra tyres and aim to rotate the tyres every couple of days.

"The back seats have gone as they are too heavy as have the carpets and the car has been fitted with a big new petrol tank that can take 90 litres.

"It will be extremely noisy but we have to make the sacrifices to keep the weight down."

The car has undergone other alterations, including final strengthening work in Britain before being shipped on to Beijing.

"They are really well known for endurance rallies. We really need it to be super super strong and the place we sent it to has prepared other cars for rallies like this."

They are racing under the moniker "Team Xena" which they said was an easy decision with car called an Amazon and the fact they were an all female team.

"Team Xena" could, however, easily be "Team Kiwi" as their car is black and will be adorned with Silver Ferns.

Heather, a professor and head of an international HIV research group at the University of New South Wales, will have no regrets if this is her last endurance rally before she plans to retire back to Auckland in a few years.

"It is tough work... tough long days... you need to be very organised" she says, adding that relationships are also tested.

"There are some days when you have pursed lips with each other. But it is really, really good to do this with my daughter. This has helped bring us closer together.

"The first rally I did was quite soon after my husband passed away. It was a great way to get myself up and running again."

Meanwhile, the Washingtons (from Timaru) are expecting to rely on some good old Kiwi ingenuity to get them to the finish line.

While Harry Washington, at 19, will be one of the youngest competitors, his dad Bruce will be in his third P2P driving his 1929 Chrysler 75 roadster after also completing the New York to Alaska event in 2012 and another around the bottom part of Africa in 2014 (both in a 1937 Dodge coupe).

For Bruce there seems to be a bit of unfinished business.

"In 2010 the motor blew up in Mongolia. We begged, borrowed and shared a ride to finish.

"We got to the end, but it was an empty feeling and decided to comeback in 2013 for another crack.

"Even though we bent the front axle on the third day we got to the finish with some Kiwi ingenuity and were first in class, second overall, won the team's event and second in the European Cup for cars up to 1940."

"There's a lot of luck in it, things can go wrong at any time and we're up against multi-millionaires. I know of one who has spent 600,000 on a car. The money is mindboggling.

"Our aim is to get to the end in one piece. It's an adventure. It's an endurance rally of man, machine, the climate, the food."

Bruce says in today's world which is overly complicated by health and safety the rally was "one of the last great adventures".

"It is a challenge."

He believes many competitors are in for a shock and those with real "life skills" would prosper on the journey.

"It's Kiwis can do and Kiwi ingenuity," Harry quips. "The number eight wire we can do it. It's about overcoming adversity."

Teams face daily travel of up to 600-700 kilometres, many of which will be special stages and long hours of travel.

Bruce Washington said their car, while still possessing its original brakes, engine, radiator, chassis and differential is "on steroids".

"It has a five-speed gearbox and the modern technology we've been able to use has doubled the motor's power... that gives it more horsepower and torque to climb the hills.

"We've re-made better what was old.

"It's got attitude. It's a car with balls," Bruce Washington says, in explaining that was to do with a decorative addition hanging off the middle of the rear bumper.

Top speed he touts as 147 kilometres per hour but won't reveal where that was achieved.

You can follow the exploits of Team Xena on their Facebook page and the Washingtons on the website, Peking2Paris.kiwi.

Plenty of kilometres to go with the 'old' Holden Trax

The Holden Trax can almost claim to be the vehicle that created the small SUV segment in New Zealand. If you remove the Suzuki Jimny from the scene - and let's face it, that vehicle has so much history its deserves to be a museum piece - pretty much everything else in the segment is younger than the Korean-built model.

The Holden Trax can almost claim to be the vehicle that created the small SUV segment in New Zealand. If you remove the Suzuki Jimny from the scene - and let's face it, that vehicle has so much history its deserves to be a museum piece - pretty much everything else in the segment is younger than the Korean-built model.

That speaks volumes about the growth in the popularity of small SUVs, which have taken over from hatchbacks as the small vehicles of choice. The sales figures underline all of that. In 2013 when the Trax was launched in New Zealand, there were 6947 small SUVs sold. Last year the number had doubled to 13,169.

The car companies are joining on this massive growth in popularity by introducing many excellent new models. Nissan Qashqai, Mazda CX-3, Suzuki Vitara, Mitsubishi ASX, Honda HR-V, Subaru XV and SsangYong Tivoli are just some of the small SUVs more recently launched to meet the growth in consumer demand for this new-age small car genre.

In amongst all of this remains the Trax - the veteran in the field even though it is not yet three years old. But that shows just how quickly the new vehicle market is changing these days.

READ MORE: Why it's time to stop talking about SUVs

The good news for Holden is that the Trax continues to be popular. So far this year it has been selling at rate of better than two a day to maintain about a 9 per cent market share. That might be half the rate of the top-selling small SUV costing less than $40,000 which is the Mazda CX-3, but it's pretty good all the same, considering the vehicle is facing up to all those newer and flasher entrants.

And the Trax will be comforted to know it is soon be facelifted.

The refreshed model was unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show in early 2016, and it is expected to go on sale in USA in the fourth quarter. The model has a substantially redesigned front end complete with daytime running lights, and on the inside there's a new 7-inch screen for an infotainment system that's compatible with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The facelifted model also features a host of safety upgrades.

Holden New Zealand has confirmed that the facelifted Trax will come to New Zealand, arriving some time next year. The company can't confirm at this early stage whether our Trax will feature what the US model has, but we expect it will contain everything we outlined in the previous paragraph - because that's what is now aboard the larger Captiva SUV which was facelifted earlier this year. Make sense?

Maybe we should explain why the Trax was at the Chicago Auto Show in the first place. It's very much a world car, a General Motors vehicle that is also sold as a Chevrolet, Buick and Opel in other parts of the globe. So when the facelifted model was unveiled at Chicago it was as a Chevy. Our model, which is built in South Korea, is distributed in New Zealand and Australia as a Holden.

When Trax was first launched in New Zealand, the only models available were powered by a 1.8-litre petrol engine from the slightly larger Cruze. It came in for some criticism for this, because they 103kW/175Nm engine offered only adequate performance, while the Cruze could also be purchased with a 1.4-litre turbocharged engine that, while offering essentially the same amount of power as the 1.8, developed 200Nm of torque from a lower 1850rpm.

Fortunately it wasn't long before the turbo engine found its way under the bonnet of the Trax, It was a good move, because it transformed the Trax into a little SUV with purpose. And that's how things remain today - you can buy the Trax in entry $32,990 (currently $28,990 as a Fieldays special) LS form with the normally aspirated 1.8-litre engine, or you can spend another $4000 and get what is known as the Trax Turbo which comes with an LTZ level of specification and the turbocharged engine.

At the LTZ level the Trax comes with 18-inch wheels instead of the LS model's 16-inch versions, front fog lamps, rain-sensing wipers, a trip computer, pseudo leather seat trim, heated front seats, driver's armrest, and a few other bits and pieces such as chrome strip inserts in the door handles and a storage tray under the front passenger seat.

And of course the car also has the turbocharged engine, which is the same as that which powers the Barina RS hatch.

It's worthwhile comparing this engine's power and torque figures with the 1.8-litre engine. Whereas the two engines develop exactly the same peak power of 103 kilowatts, with the 1.8 it is reached at 6300 rpm while with the turbo it is reached at a much lower 4900 rpm. And while the 1.8 develops its 175 newton metres of torque at 3800 rpm, the turbo's 200 Nm is reached at 1850rpm and remains available right through to 4900 rpm.

As a result, the LTZ's drive is a lot more effortless. This Trax doesn't offer the sort of down-and-dirty performance that can often be associated with turbocharging - rather, the engine is nicely responsive at both urban and highway speeds which makes for an enjoyable drive.

The Trax' chassis is also calibrated for this sort of driving.  Suspension has undergone Australasian tuning so it is quite soft in the interests of ride comfort over performance, and the electric power steering is calibrated for good on-centre feel.

Interior is comfortable, even if it does feature quite a bit of hard plastic, and the Holden does feature a large amount ot minor storage with cubby holes and bins all over the place. It also features the MyLink touch-screen information system which remains very good, although it will almost certainly be improved once the facelifted model arrives next year.

During our recent week with the Trax Turbo LTZ, we had to contend with foul weather every day as a result of the New Zealand autumn finally arriving in force - probably with winter mixed in as well. So we had to drive the Holden in conditions ranging from heavy rain and hail, to gale-force winds and thunder. The little SUV handled it all, and a major reason was because of the flexibility of that turbocharged engine.

It might be small in cubic capacity, but it is big in its ease of operation. And that's something that can be said of the Trax in its entirety.