Alright, Charlotte, let’s dive straight into the hot topics of the day. First up, Subaru New Zealand just confirmed the sixth-generation Forester is now open for preorders.Exactly, and this one sounds like a huge step forward. They're calling it the "most significant evolution" for the model. There are six variants, including three hybrids that’ll feature Subaru’s much stronger hybrid system. The electric motor is jumping all the way from 12kW to a pretty impressive 90kW.That’s a massive upgrade. Starting at just under 50 grand, right?Yep, $49,990 for the AWD and up to $60,990 for the Hybrid Touring. First arrivals hit New Zealand roads in July.Nice! Next up, the LDV Terron 9 ute is making its debut at Fieldays this month. This thing’s a beast — 163.5 kilowatts of power, 520Nm torque, and a towing capacity of 3.5 tonnes.And it’s not just about muscle. LDV’s really aiming to "stimulate the segment," as they put it. They’re also tossing in exclusive Fieldays perks, like a $3,000 accessory pack for any LDV purchased at the event. Pretty tempting if you’re in the market.Definitely. Oh, and attendees get to meet some famous faces this year. She Builds Bro’s Chelsea Roper and, yep, even rugby player Katelyn Vaha’akolo.Alright, now shifting gears—literally—to the Pacific Ocean, where a cargo ship carrying 3,000 vehicles, including hundreds of EVs, caught fire. The Morning Midas, which was headed from China to Mexico, had to be abandoned after the crew couldn’t suppress the blaze. Thankfully, all 22 crew members were safely rescued.Tough start to the week for them. Alright, before we move on, let’s take a quick break to thank our sponsor.Today’s podcast is sponsored by Autocheck. Stop paying too much for vehicle checks. Get your comprehensive vehicle reports for less! Check out Autocheck.co.nz, your trusted vehicle data provider.Now, onto Stats Week. First up, new vehicle registrations for May. Nothing groundbreaking here—10,251 new vehicles registered, up just 65 units from last year. The Motor Industry Association says this could mean demand is stabilising.But here’s a little twist—used imports jumped over 73 percent last month. That’s massive, especially compared to new vehicles. More than 8,500 used vehicles were brought in during May.Right. And on the sales leaderboard, it’s still Ford Ranger versus Toyota RAV4. Not much has changed there, though Ford’s slowly chipping away at Toyota’s lead.Alright, Charlotte, let’s keep it rolling. In Other News, BYD New Zealand’s expanding its network after a long-term deal was confirmed. Ateco Automotive’s putting the focus on steady growth after a tough 2024 for EVs.And speaking of growth, auto lending is also picking up. Centrix’s May Credit Indicator shows a slight 0.6 percent rise in new vehicle loan enquiries. Combine that with a cut to the Official Cash Rate, and we could see even more vehicles hitting the market soon.Good news for the industry. Now, onto International EV news. Guess who's giving Tesla a run for its money? Geely!Absolutely. In April, Geely delivered nearly 95,000 units, beating Tesla for second place. BYD’s still way ahead, though, almost tripling Geely’s numbers.Really putting the heat on. Meanwhile, Xpeng’s performance soared 273 percent year-on-year. And Toyota might not be dominating in Japan, but their EV sales in China and Europe? Flying.Finally, let’s hit the one-liners. Take it away, Jack.Alright—Brad Lang joins Avanti Finance as CFO after a 12-year stint at Partners Life. Next up, Avanti also named Leo Gregan and Chloe Webster as auto relationship managers.Meanwhile, a bogus vehicle inspector from Auckland just got home detention for issuing hundreds of fake WoFs.Ouch. Ford’s claiming Ranger PHEV’s 43-kilometre EV range hits the “sweet spot” for towing and off-roading. And lastly, production for Mercedes-Benz’s new CLA EV has begun, with AI and digital twins powering their factory setup.And that’s a wrap. Make sure you subscribe to this podcast so you never miss an episode. And head over to thefullbrief.nz to catch all the articles we mentioned today and subscribe to the daily email.

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NZ Automotive News - 6th June 2025