Travel genuinely broadens the mind; it adds new facts and information about places, people and cultures, it corrects misconceptions, it can stimulate ideas in both the traveller and the host, it builds relationships and enduring friendship. It is unashamedly a Good Thing. Traveling to a small country may also lead to witnessing influences and experiences from neighbouring areas – USA and Canada or continental Europe in the UK for example. New Zealand offers that, with influences from Europe, Australia, south east Asia and the Far East.
A major source of cars in NZ is imported, used, Japanese domestic market (JDM) vehicles. For someone who has not been to Japan, the resulting traffic can provide a rich source of the unfamiliar, but also the familiar, at the same time. Familiar brands, sometimes model names, sometimes familiar styles and appearance, often not all at once and not as seen at home.
Indeed, NZ new car registrations are outstripped by registrations of imported used cars, by around 150,000 to 100,000 a year. The majority of these cars come from Japan, where right hand drive and kilometres are familiar, as well as the rigorous shaken annual safety inspection. The test itself costs around £1000.00/$1350 and many Japanese cars will be worth little on the domestic market by five or six years old. Continuing to meet stringent emissions controls is a common issue.
So, let’s have a run through some of the cars we saw in New Zealand last January, and specifically those that were not familiar to a British Curbivore, starting with this 2005 Honda Airwave. The Airwave was a station wagon derivative of the Fit/Jazz, with a 1.5 litre engine and a CVT transmission, and like the Fit, has a very flexible five seat interior. Production lasted to 2010; this was imported in 2012.
Next up is another Honda – a 1999 Avancier, an estate based on the 1999 Accord platform. This was a JDM only vehicle, with a 2.3 litre VTEC 4 cylinder engine and an automatic gearbox. This car was imported in 2003, just as production was ending. Given the increased height over the regular Accord estate, maybe this car was Honda’s take on the raised estate, exemplified in Europe by the Fiat Croma, or the Chevrolet Malibu Maxx.
This Accord is a 1995 model, imported in 2001. It is equivalent to the North American fifth generation CD Accord and was sold in some European markets but not the UK, where a car closely linked to the Rover 600 was assembled, Although this car was imported used from Japan, the model was also assembled in New Zealand by Honda (Honda NZ has a heritage that is traceable to BMC, of all people). In this case, an 1840cc engine and enduring well for its age.
This Honda Integra, never sold in the UK as a saloon, is a 1.6 litre 1997 model, imported in 2005. In the UK, the Integra was always a performance option usually offered as Type R, but not here, clearly.
The most popular brand in New Zealand, perhaps unsurprisingly, is Toyota, and the range seen is much wider than that seen in Europe. This 1997 Trueno Coupe is a derivative of the 1995 on Corolla E110, sold in the US as a saloon only.
The car successfully hides its Corolla origins – indeed I initially thought it was another Acura or Honda – albeit under a cloak of blandness.
More typical was this 2005 Toyota Isis Platana, a minivan/monospace/MPV seating seven. Imported in 2013, this car has the benefit of pillarless access on the passenger side, with the front passenger door and sliding rear passenger door interlocking on each other and the roof, rather than on a B pillar. Access is therefore much easier and added to very flexible seating, passenger and load configurations are increased. This car has a 2.0 litre engine.
Isis may not be a great name now, but it has history, having been used by Morris and BMC for many years. In front is a Mazda Demio, a Ford Fiesta cousin, sold in Europe as the Mazda 2.
In contrast, this Corolla has been NZ registered since 1988. The red car is a 2006 Euro spec Ford Focus Mk 2.
A newer Toyota was this 2006 Toyota Wish (sorry WISH) – when you see this against the Isis you start to realise how complex and wide reaching the Japanese market variations within Toyota’s range are.
For example, this is a Toyota MkII Qualis, not a Qualis MkII, which is a pickup and related compact MPV built mainly for India and Indonesia. This is actually (you will have spotted) a Camry, albeit nudged slightly upmarket. This example dates from 1997 and was imported in 2003.
This example has a 2.2 litre engine, and was also offered as a Daihatsu, presumably to keep us all on our toes. There was some Camry assembly in Australia, but not for sale in NZ.
This Camry (V40 series) was imported in 2008, and is a 1998 1.8 litre example.
Alongside is 2006 Toyota Premio, also known as the Allion, a car that succeeded the Corona and Carina nameplates, and is related mechanically to the European market Avensis.
Our hire car was a Nissan Tiida, and of course there were many other (unfamiliar) Nissans.
Perhaps the most appealing was the Lafesta. If the Tiida was the Nissan take on the Renault Megane, then the Lafesta was the Nissan take on the Renault Scenic, and indeed shared a platform with the French car.
This is a 2004 car, imported in 2014, and powered by a 2 litre engine. To my eyes, it’s a pretty good example of the minivan/MPV, with a big square profile, sliding doors and big deep windows. You have to wonder exactly why Nissan kept this from Europe, and gave us dreary Almeras instead.
The Nissan Wingroad, seen here in 2007 form, was an estate version of the Tiida and Lafesta. This example has a 1.5 litre engine.
The Wingroad was also available as the Mitsubishi Lancer Cargo and Mazda Familia, and as the Nissan AD van, all vehicles which can be best described as delivery vans with windows. Visually, they match the Wingroad wagon but have a stripped out interior. The Wingroad seems a popular rental car choice, for its space and flexibility.
If, like me, you always think sports car when you hear “Nissan Skyline”, then a Skyline saloon is a bit of a challenge. This is a 2001 C35, the eleventh(!) generation of Skyline, and was sold in the US as the Infiniti G35, and shared a lot with the Nissan 350Z.
In this case, 3.0 litre V6 giving something like 260bhp, and is undoubtedly the most powerful imported car we saw, and one of the more powerful cars we saw as well.
This 1994 Mazda Lantis is a derivative of the Mazda 323F sold in Europe, which came as a five door hatchback with frameless windows. This car was effectively a four door coupe version of the 323F, and in this case has a 1.8 litre four cylinder engine. Imported in 2002.
Mitsubishi Legnum is not a name that is familiar in Europe – the car was sold in the Europe as the Galant, albeit in fairly small numbers by the time this 1997 car was built. Don’t be taken in the bodykit – it has a 1.8 litre engine, the smallest available
Finally, a car with a familiar name but an unfamiliar style – a 1990 Ford Capri. Capri is one name from Europe that has a history worldwide, with North American use of the name over many years, and this Australian version ticked a box for me. Johnh875 has covered the history of this brave experiment well earlier this year, and it bears re-reading.
Johnh875 makes the point that although this was contemporary to the first MX-5/Miata, it was not really intended to compete with it, being more of a convertible take on the Mazda 323/Ford Laser with just two seats and sharper styling than many cars of that ilk. From the style, it is clearly late 1980s, rather than semi-retro like the MX-5, but also loses something in the proportions. But taking a convertible around the Bay of Islands certainly appeals!
NZ is a great place for a holiday, if you can handle the long flight from the northern hemisphere. The Kiwis are great, friendly people, and the location terrific. See you there one day?
That Toyota Qualis wagon is sure nicer looking than the dorky gen II and III Camry wagons we got here.
Happy Motoring, Mark
If you look closely, it’s a gen 4 Camry. The doors are the tell.
The Qualis immediately caught my eye, and I had to study the pictures carefully to pick out the Camry heritage. Very well disguised. And I thought I’d never love a Camry…
Yeah, it’s the Gen 4 Camry wagon we never got. It almost looks a bit Taurusish from some angles.
It’s actually quite odd as the standard Mark II (non Qualis) was a RWD saloon offered with 1 and 2JZ I6’s–the polar opposite of the Camry’s transverse 1MZ and definitely a different car indeed!
Well Roger, as someone who tends to love people-moving appliances, you have tempted me with a lot of forbidden fruit. This selections of wagons/estates, minivans and hybrids between the two (none of which is seen in the US) really has started a little envy party in my heart.
I could be quite happy with any of those you have shown us.
I wonder if the E90 Corolla was imported from Australia? They made the Corolla there too. As the E90 was made starting May of 1987, 1988 would have been too short of a time period for the car to have to be removed from Japanese roads.
I could see the original owner buying that car and driving around NZ while listening to a Satellite Spies Destiny in motion cassette.
According to carjam.co,nz, it was built in Japan and exported new to NZ in May 1988
Quite likely an import but compared to the local versions they are crap to drive NZ Toyotas got Chris Amon suspension mods (approved by Toyota) to suit local conditions, local assembly cars were also galvanised so the bodywork would last as long as the mechanicals, Toyota went to a lot of effort to cement its market position in NZ and Kiwis were the Beta testers for the world conquering wide body Camry series.
Roger, this is fascinating. I seem to remember that it was at the time of the NZ economic collapse (in the early 90s?) that the importation of like-new JDM vehicles started, but I had no idea it so dominated the market. Any info on how this is handled today? If the used JDM market exceeds the new car market, there must be some pretty established companies in the import game. I can’t imagine these are the car makers (nor must they be thrilled by this).
I wonder if you can spec out a new-ish car from these import companies, or do they simply bring over boatloads of what they think might sell?
This is just our normal. There’s a thriving little market with both big and small operators bringing these over. These cars are sourced at auction in Japan and come over in ginormous cargo ships to get dumped straight into our car yards. There are people who will source special vehicles to order, but that is relatively rare.
On the whole it’s recognised that these are transport appliances rather than premium vehicles, so a car that has lived in New Zealand its whole life is more desirable. Typically imported cars smell of cigarette smoke, have obscure electronic devices installed all over the dashboard, and their maintenance history is poor. There’s no real overlap with the “new” end of the market so I doubt the big dealerships really care. Just means that the lower end of the market is saturated with cheap wheels!
Pleased to hear that you had such a good holiday Roger. To respond to 3 Pedal, the car companies, after initial obstruction, have gone where the money is. Toyota NZ for example are major JDM importers themselves. When they closed their Nelson assembly plant, they converted it into a rebuild facility for their own imports. They sell them with warranties as Toyota Signature Class alongside the NZ-new cars.
Singapore is also happy hunting grounds for the importers. Plenty of immaculate (on the surface anyway) prestige cars if you don’t mind some pretty odd specs.
Roger, this was an absolute treat!
Astonishingly, I’ve never been to NZ other than to Auckland airport numerous times. And yet it’s cheaper to fly across the ocean to NZ than it is to fly to some cities in Australia. I need to do it!
I need to spend some time on the Japanese Wikipedia and read the timelines on each Japanese automakers’ page (you know, the table at the bottom that splits the brand into segments and years?). Because I have a vague recollection of some of these cars but others are new to me. I didn’t realise the Fit Shuttle was preceded by the Airwave, for example.
We have a lot of grey imports here in Australia but absolutely nowhere near the amount as in NZ. I feel when I finally go to NZ, I’ll be endlessly snapping photos.
With all these different and various JDM used cars as grey market imports, wouldn’t that complicate servicing and spares availability in NZ?
It does complicate things a bit. Only the most common parts are usually kept in stock by dealers / Repco. Everything else is ordered when needed.
Well done Roger, you only scratched the surface of used imports something that began but with more regulations before WW2, Japanese cars are just the latest to arrive, I’m reading this sitting on an interisland ferry and on the port here in Picton are several car transporters loaded with Toyota signature class and other new and used cars, people love them you can get a quite late model car fairly cheap if you crash it there maybe no replacement parts available and the stereo will be useless as will the sat nav but they still sell well and give reasonably good service. New Zealand always had a far bigger range of vehicles than Australia which is odd given the relative populations but the lifting of import tariffs created a flood of ex JDM cars
Fascinating. Not unlike say, Russia, Moldova, Kazakhstan and many other ex-USSR states where one gets to see many ex-EU cars in use many years after their use by date in the country where they were sold originally.
To be technical, the Trueno is a Sprinter Trueno — the Toyota Auto version of the Corolla Levin coupe. The XZ grade was second from the bottom, with the cooking 1.6-liter 4A-FE and 113 hp. In Toyota engine-speak, “FE” meant an economy-oriented twin-cam engine while “GE” meant a performance one. The 4A-FE isn’t as racy as the 20V 4A-GE version (which had fully 50 hp more), but is an excellent engine in its own right: peppy, very economical, and impressively reliable.
For some reason I never realised that this was fwd, or at least forgot in the 20 years since it was in the news! A shame really.
Ten years ago I went on a business trip to Vladivostok, Russia, and the city was full of ex-JDM cars. I had spent some time in Japan a few years earlier, so I recognized most of them, but it was unexpected. My host (who had a Toyota Hi-Ace van) pointed out the logic: Japan was a nearby source of inexpensive, quality used cars, whereas Western Europe (anything west of the Urals, really) was a far away source of expensive, questionable cars. I spotted an Golf and Megane Scenic, and a bunch of Russian beaters but that was about the extent of the “European” car presence.
Then there was the whole on-road experience. Aggressive LHD drivers + RHD cars + city with steep hills and narrow streets = excitement!
I’m told that Putin cracked down on the JDM imports (at least until his cronies could take over the business), and the vehicle mix has changed. Perhaps one of our other world travelers (Robert Kim?) can verify this.
I have always wanted to own some of those cars! That Trueno looks like a puffed up Paseo though.
My top pick from your list would have to be that Legnum wagon.
The second largest exporter of second-hand cars after Japan is, believe it or not, Singapore. That’s due to registration incentives that encourage cars to be sold, deregistered or scrapped on or before its 10 year mark – as the government has an active policy of limiting the growth of car registrations. So older cars that are deregistered are often exported.
Very interesting Roger and a lot of cars we don’t see in Australia. The first Accord seems like a ‘normal’ one, although it may be a <1.7m (3-number?) version of the slightly-wider rest of world car. The Mazda Lantis was sold here, with a 1.8L four or 2.0L V6.
Skylines have always had a sedan version, here is the same R32 as the iconic Godzilla GT-R (the original)
For a while, my dream car was the 1999 Avancier. I know it sounds crazy, but I love the look of this car. When you think about it, back in the ’90s, it was way ahead of its time. The aerodynamics are incredible and storage space above par. This would be an excellent car for a family. Awesome post! Thanks for sharing.