Otaki company selling affordable all purpose vehicles

Onboard Hawk all purpose vehicles, from left, Sebastian Neumayer, Victor Luan, William Luan and Tony Ayres.

An Otaki company is introducing a new brand of affordable all purpose vehicles (APV) into New Zealand.

Lifestyle Direct Imports is importing the APV parts from a 40,000sqm factory near Shanghei, operated by the Taizhou Nebula Power Company, before assembling the Hawk all purpose vehicles in Otaki.

The vehicles comprise three different models including a 400cc model, a 200cc model and an electric model.

The models, which should be popular with farm and lifestyle block owners, include roll cages, interchangeable seating/tray and the option of a steering wheel instead of handlebars, and more.

Lifestyle Direct Imports owner Tony Ayres said all purpose vehicles are available on the market "but the real reason we got into these is the cost".

"I have a lifestyle property myself and wanted an all purpose vehicle because they're very handy to have around but I wasn't prepared to pay $20,000 for one," he said.

"So I investigated what alternatives there were.

"We will be retailing these at an introductory start out price from $11,995 for the 400cc or the electric, and the 200cc would be about $1000 cheaper."

Mr Ayres said the quality was "excellent".

"I wouldn't be bringing them into the country if I didn't think they were good quality.

"It's a very good quality machine out of China - there is no question about it."

He assembled the first six himself "because I wanted to see what the quality was like and so far so good, we've given them a pretty vigorous workout up in the hills."

Mr Ayres, who has hosted a delegation from Taizhou Nebula Power Company, namely general manager Victor Luan and international sales manager William Luan, to help foster the link between both companies, said his company would be launching the Hawk vehicles in stages throughout New Zealand starting in Kapiti.