Articles by Stephen Ottley

Stephen Ottley

Contributing Journalist

Steve has been obsessed with all things automotive for as long as he can remember. Literally, his earliest memory is of a car. Having amassed an enviable Hot Wheels and Matchbox collection as a kid he moved into the world of real cars with an Alfa Romeo Alfasud.

Despite that questionable history he carved a successful career for himself, firstly covering motorsport for Auto Action magazine before eventually moving into the automotive publishing world with CarsGuide in 2008. Since then he's worked for every major outlet, having work published in The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Drive.com.au, Street Machine, V8X and F1 Racing.

These days he still loves cars as much as he did as a kid and has an Alfa Romeo Alfasud in the garage (but not the same one as before... that's a long story).

Family values: Why Hyundai and Kia have evolved different design philosophies - and what it means for your next car

29 April 2025 by Stephen Ottley

How much is the cheapest Tesla in Australia?

28 April 2025 by Stephen Ottley

Trying to pin down the cost of a Tesla in Australia is a bit like...Read more

The 2025 Hyundai Inster costs more than Chinese electric car rivals like the MG4, BYD Dolphin and GWM Ora, but is that because of its edgy design?

26 April 2025 by Stephen Ottley

What price do you put on style? If you’re Hyundai, it’s $39,000 (plus...Read more

'Time is right': Petrol power wins over EV as Genesis confirms its first sports coupe to take on Lexus LC500, BMW 8 Series and Mercedes-AMG GT

23 April 2025 by Stephen Ottley

Genesis is finally ready to join the big names in the luxury car market...Read more

Tesla Model Y 2025 review: Long Range AWD

19 April 2025 by Stephen Ottley

As recently as this time last year, Tesla was riding high. It was the darling of the electric vehicle world, the leader of the pack thanks to its colourful leader, Elon Musk. Fast forward to now and so much has happened to Tesla in the last year it’s hard to know where to start. Sales have declined...Read more

Too many ute options in Australia? From the Ford Ranger and BYD Shark to the upcoming MG U9 and Foton Tunland, how many pick-ups is too many? | Analysis

19 April 2025 by Stephen Ottley

Can you have too much of a good thing? Australians love utes and in...Read more

Move over Toyota Prado and Land Rover Defender! 2026 Hyundai Palisade XRT Pro headed to Australia with real off-road capability!

17 April 2025 by Stephen Ottley

Hyundai Australia may still be waiting for a ute, but it just got the...Read more

Hyundai's luxury car brand gets rugged! Range Rover targeted by new rough and tough Genesis X Gran Equator 4WD concept

16 April 2025 by Stephen Ottley

Genesis has unveiled its boldest concept yet, the X Gran Equator, an...Read more

Our buyers want 'something real': Why Chinese supercars like BYD's Yangwang U9 are dismissed by this historic brand, even as it develops its first all-electric car

13 April 2025 by Stephen Ottley

Lamborghini has dismissed the potential sales threats posed by the...Read more

'We've still got a lot of work to do': Chery admits it needs to do better on active safety as it launches its BYD Sealion 6-rivalling Jaecoo J7 family SUV

12 April 2025 by Stephen Ottley

Chinese newcomer Chery has admitted it has work to do fine-tuning its...Read more

How Ford, Holden and Aussie-built Toyotas could have not only survived but thrived if the Australian government had introduced tariffs again | Opinion

6 April 2025 by Stephen Ottley

Could the Australian car industry have been saved?

It’s a...Read more

This Chinese brand won't follow Kia, Hyundai and GWM's lead and hire local experts to fine-tune its cars for Australian taste

5 April 2025 by Stephen Ottley

Chery won’t follow the lead of Hyundai, Kia and now GWM and hire local...Read more

Is China's answer to Jeep coming to Australia? Chery sub-brands Jetour and Exeed plans outlined but will its Toyota Prado and Tesla Model S rivals make it here?

30 March 2025 by Stephen Ottley

Chery is stopping at three brands… for now. But China’s answer to Jeep...Read more

How many is too many? Chery to spin-off Omoda into its own brand alongside Jaecoo in Australia as it looks to take on Toyota, Kia, BYD, GWM and more

29 March 2025 by Stephen Ottley

Chery may only have arrived in Australia a few years ago but the...Read more

Jaecoo J7 2025 review: AWD & PHEV - Australian first drive

28 March 2025 by Stephen Ottley

Yep, it’s yet another new brand. And, yes, it’s from China. You can be forgiven for not keeping up with the influx of new car brands in recent years, even as a professional I can find it challenging at times. But that’s why we’re here, to help you determine which brands to pay attention to and...Read more