The team at DRIVEN tests hundreds of cars in a typical year. But 2021 was far from typical, with 107 days of Covid-19-induced lockdown for Auckland meaning our day-to-day driving was severely restricted. Still, we managed to review 117 cars this year and judging by the readership of those stories, there was a huge appetite among our audience for news of new metal and tales of the open road.
Each year we like to inform and entertain ourselves by identifying the top 10 most-read reviews; it's a great snapshot of what really resonates with you out there. So without further ado, here we go (and click on the headlines if you want to read the full stories).
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 was DRIVEN's most read review of 2021 - even more impressive when you consider that it was published right at the end of the year.
The name is familiar, but the Ioniq 5 is one of the new breed of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) that pushes us into the future with ever-increasing speed.
There's massive interest in all things BEV in New Zealand thanks to the Government's Clean Car Discount (several Ioniq 5 models come in under the $80k cap), but we're not sure this new Hyundai needed the benefit of that to capture people's interest.
It's a stunning, high-tech machine inside and out.
To view all electric Hyundais listed on DRIVEN, click here
In fact, we judged it mostly on the $100k-plus variants when we awarded it our Luxury Car of the Year for 2021. The Ioniq 5 also made it into the top three for the overall prize in the AA DRIVEN NZ Car of the Year.
There was much excitement over the all-new Land Cruiser 300 (replacement for the legendary 200-series) when a single preview vehicle arrived in NZ for media drives. The big news for this big 4x4 was the demise of the beloved V8 turbo diesel, but in its place comes a 3.3-litre V6 that offers even more grunt.
To view all Toyota Land Cruisers listed on DRIVEN, click here
Not available at the time was the much talked-about GR Sport version, and while we'd love to say we've tested it since, we haven't had the chance thanks to severe supply shortages of the new model all-round. But we'll do it in 2022, we promise!
Kiwi buyers simply can't get enough of the Ford Ranger and here's the proof. Our review of the adventure-focused Raptor wasn't even published in 2021: it was actually the most popular review of 2020, but kept on rolling through 2021 to make it into the top three for this year.
Interest has been high in all things Ranger for a number of reasons. The looming Clean Car "feebate" scheme put the focus firmly on popular diesel one-tonners and while many ute-makers were hampered by supply shortages this year, Ford NZ managed to keep Rangers rolling out of Thailand and onto NZ-bound ships, pushing it to new sales highs.
To view all Ford Ranger models listed on DRIVEN, click here
Ranger will likely be big news again in 2022, with an all-new model on the way.
The Jimny is one of those SUVs that defies logic. It's unashamedly old-school, puts off-road ability way above on-road comfort and handling and shuns much modern technology. It's also absolutely adorable any way you look at it.
So it makes little sense in a 2021 context, but for the reasons above it gets a free pass from both critics and the buying public. We all love it.
To view all Suzuki Jimny models listed on DRIVEN, click here
Any excuse to drive one is okay, but in this case it was the Safari limited-edition model, which brought a tasty array of extra kit for a $3k premium over the standard model. Manual only, not a touch screen in sight.
Another top-performing ute story from last year that's carried through to 2021. Twenty twenty was a big year for Hilux, with a new model that strengthened the core values of the model and fixed a lot of the niggles. Finally a worthy Ranger rival.
To view all Toyota Hilux models listed on DRIVEN, click here
Our story gathered together drive impressions of every double-cab model tested and we argued that the very bottom (workhorse SR) or very top (kitted-up but great value SR5 Cruiser) were the places to look for your new Hilux.
No surprise to see our AA DRIVEN NZ Car of the Year overall winner on the list. The GR Yaris was actually one of the first cars we tested this year back in January, but we stayed hooked on Toyota's small wonder right through the year.
It's a hero model for Gazoo Racing's road-car business, but it's also a unique hot hatch, a technical powerhouse, brilliant value for money and endlessly entertaining on any road... at any speed.
VOLKSWAGEN GRAND CALIFORNIA 600
Our second big story on the Volkswagen Grand California 600 came along at just the right time, as lockdown restrictions started to lift for Auckland and people were dreaming of hitting the road for summer.
To view all Volkswagen Grand California models listed on DRIVEN, click here
But the big Cali remains a brilliant machine no matter how far you're going, or in what context. Based on VW's full-size Crafter van, it's a full factory effort that turns this light commercial into a self-contained luxury apartment on wheels.
Yet another Toyota, proving just how high public interest is in NZ's number one brand. Formerly a business/rental stalwart, the new-gen Highlander taps into modern tastes perfectly by putting the emphasis firmly on hybrid power throughout the range (although you can still have the traditional petrol-only V6 if you want).
To view all Toyota Highlander models listed on DRIVEN, click here
Another Toyota with a big waiting list, the Highlander serves up serious family seven-seat space with top quality and remarkable frugality.
The MX-30 is a landmark car for Mazda: its first mass-market BEV, although the pure-electric Takami model has since been joined by a mild hybrid model.
We were deeply impressed by the MX-30's individualistic style, sense of quality and the emphasis on driving dynamics: in terms of power delivery, steering, ride and handling it's one of the most polished mainstream BEVs on the market.
Yes, people do just keep coming back to ute stories. This was the final report of a Triton long-term test that we started back in 2019; we lived with a GLX-R model and covered everything from the urban commute to beach life and towing.
To view all Mitsubishi Triton models listed on DRIVEN, click here
The verdict? Compared on ability and value against the competition, Triton makes a compelling case for itself.