GITI Tyres Big Test; Fuelled for efficiency

The high horsepower truck brands have the biggest profile at the heavy-duty end of the New Zealand market. But the four Japanese marques – at the most with a touch over 500hp on their menu – still secure a significant share of the sales.

Japanese brand reputation for reliability, accessible service networks, and value-for-money definitely helps.

The registration stats revealed that a challenged Kiwi truck market shifted a little in the direction of Japan last year with 33.5% of truc...

GITI Tyres Big Test; The heartbeat of the Horsepower

The three digits carried on the badges immediately raise high expectations. And it’s only a few minutes into our Big Test before the truck starts confirming its capability.

I’ve climbed into the passenger seat of a new Volvo FH16 780 for the first time near Rainbow Mountain to join Self Loader Logging day shift driver Andy Southgate from Taupo.

It’s early on a mid-December morning and Andy finds a gap in the State Highway 5 traffic to turn right. The bl...

GITI Tyres Big Test; Bright Ideas

Very few products falling under the broad description of `freight’ have increased as significantly in dimensions and weight as new vehicles have done in the last couple of decades.

During my 30-plus years spent road testing new cars, one of the themes I regularly noted was the ever-increasing physical dimensions and kerb weights accompanying nearly every new model generation.

Comparing a modern Mini to the original is a glaring example while a Honda Accord that began life...