Picked the Outback for Subaru’s AWD, but the branch said the model I booked was in for repairs so I couldn’t have it (no idea if that was actually true). They said I could “upgrade” to a pickup, which made no sense since we had huge suitcases, so the only SUV option left was to upgrade to a Ford Everest. The price wasn’t crazy, about 60 RMB per day. They ended up giving us the Platinum version – great spec, V6 diesel with full-time 4WD, perfect for all the different road conditions on the South Island – so we didn’t bother arguing at the counter, but it still felt like a bit of a sneaky upsell. In terms of driving, the Everest was totally fine: RWD on tarmac, switchable 4WD off-road, more than enough. The paint was tough too, all those flying stones didn’t leave any visible scratches. Only downside: it guzzles fuel – 80L of diesel for about 650km of range.

The rental staff were very friendly and gave us a brand-new pickup truck with just over 1,000 kilometers on it. The truck bed had a cover, providing a large storage space. We easily fit three suitcases inside with plenty of room to spare. The vehicle had great power, and we felt completely at ease even when driving through waterlogged roads while exploring several national parks. The return process was very efficient—they only asked if the tank was refueled and refunded the deposit quickly in no time.

Pretty good

The Europcar counter is right in the domestic arrivals hall. We picked up the car around 9 am. There was no one in line, so we were helped immediately. All the counter staff were of Indian descent and had a bit of an accent, but they were very nice. They checked our passport, driver's license, and its translation, asked if we had bought insurance, and then gave us the car keys. We walked to the parking lot ourselves to pick up the car. The parking lot is left when you exit the arrivals hall. Compared to other car rentals at the airport, Europcar has relatively fewer parking spots.

Both pickup and return are very convenient.