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Culture Toys & Motoring<br />
TOP GEAR<br />
Cool tech, things for pets and this month’s hottest wheels.<br />
TOYS JENNY FARRELL MOTORING CAMERON OFFICER<br />
PET SMART<br />
Keep tabs on pets while you’re<br />
away from home with an appcontrolled<br />
flap. The Microchip<br />
Pet Door Connect, designed for<br />
cats and small dogs, uses an app<br />
and the SureFlap Hub to monitor<br />
and control your pet’s movements<br />
in and out of the house. It also<br />
keeps out intruder animals –<br />
the flap only unlocks when it<br />
recognises your pet’s microchip.<br />
The door and hub together<br />
cost $360, and the app is free.<br />
sureflap.com/connect<br />
A mover and a shaker<br />
This handsome cocktail tote from New<br />
York-based W&P Design is the perfect<br />
gift for the person who has everything.<br />
The hand-crafted canvas and leather<br />
carry bag includes all the essentials<br />
for making cocktails on the<br />
go, including a shaker,<br />
muddler and jigger.<br />
Sewn-in sleeves keep<br />
bottles and shaker<br />
upright and secure<br />
while you’re on<br />
the move.<br />
wandpdesign.com<br />
LIKE A SHOT<br />
Sony has come out with its most<br />
technologically advanced and<br />
innovative digital camera, the new a9,<br />
$4499. It’s an impressive piece of kit<br />
– the full-frame mirrorless a9<br />
combines speed and versatility<br />
with ease of use. sony.com<br />
Subaru XV 2.0i<br />
In a crowded market, this<br />
Subaru SUV stands out for<br />
all the right reasons.<br />
If compact crossover SUVs are where the Kiwi<br />
market is at, then Subaru must be confident in<br />
having a sure thing. The new Subaru XV had<br />
me with its “symmetrical all-wheel drive”<br />
(an increasing rarity in a market dominated<br />
by 2WD sales), but there are plenty more<br />
chocolates in this particular box.<br />
Subaru New Zealand has come out<br />
swinging in a competitive market – $39,990<br />
for the 2.0i Premium ($34,990 for the 2.0i<br />
Sport). For the amount of standard kit these<br />
cars arrive with, those are very good<br />
window stickers.<br />
The Premium XV comes with 18-inch alloy<br />
wheels, chrome accents, silver roof rails, a<br />
sunroof, TomTom satellite navigation (over<br />
and above standard Apple CarPlay and<br />
Android Auto phone mirroring systems<br />
already in the car) and leather-accented seats.<br />
There’s also a Vision Assist package with<br />
equipment such as blind-spot monitoring,<br />
high beam assist, rear cross-traffic alert and<br />
a new addition – reverse automatic braking,<br />
to stop you hitting that low wall as you back up.<br />
The symmetrical all-wheel drive puts this<br />
car into a different bracket from its more<br />
urban-style competitors – that of a driver’s<br />
car, regardless of the surface under the tyres.<br />
Take cover<br />
The Velosock Indoor Bike Cover, $74, is the<br />
solution for those who need to store bikes<br />
inside or cart them around<br />
in the car. Made of stretchy<br />
polyester and spandex, the<br />
Velosock protects your<br />
floors, car and most<br />
importantly, your bike.<br />
There are 17 cover<br />
designs on offer and<br />
even a sock for kids’ bikes.<br />
velosock.com<br />
ENGINE: 2.0-litre four-cylinder Boxer<br />
TRANSMISSION: Seven-stage Lineartronic automatic<br />
POWER: 115kW<br />
TORQUE: 196Nm<br />
FUEL ECONOMY: 7.0L/100km<br />
EMISSIONS: 159g/km<br />
PRICE: $39,990<br />
126 <strong>Kia</strong> <strong>Ora</strong>
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