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).

All-new MG Ute coming 'as early as possible' to challenge the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux and Isuzu D-Max

18 November 2024 by Stephen Ottley

Are electric vehicles running out of charge? Why new performance heroes are good news for fans of six-cylinder and V8 engines as Ford Mustang and Dodge Charger stick with petrol

18 November 2024 by Stephen Ottley

Is the Dodge Charger Daytona the canary in the coal mine for electric...Read more

China's new hybrid Toyota Corolla Cross and Hyundai Kona rival arrives! 2025 MG ZS Hybrid lands in Australia with new style and fuel sipping tech

15 November 2024 by Stephen Ottley

MG has launched its new-generation ZS small SUV, debuting it with an...Read more

Why this new car brand is a massive gamble: Scout is Volkswagen's latest attempt to take on Tesla - and it may not pay off as it prepares to battle the Ford F-150 Lightning, Tesla Cybertruck and Rivian R1T | Analysis

10 November 2024 by Stephen Ottley

An all-new brand, nimble and contemporary, designed specifically to...Read more

The biggest car brand you've never heard of ... until now: Why the 'Apple of China', Xiaomi, could be the next big Chinese carmaker to land in Australia

9 November 2024 by Stephen Ottley

It rivals Apple and Samsung and Ford boss Jim Farley raves about its...Read more

Lotus Emeya 2025 review

7 November 2024 by Stephen Ottley

The third film in a trilogy is often the hardest to get right - Return of the Jedi is not as acclaimed as The Empire Strikes Back . The Godfather III is nowhere near as revered as its predecessors. Which I mention because we’ve come to the end of our Lotus trilogy, as regular readers may have...Read more

Buying a car is easier than ever - but people don't like it | Opinion

3 November 2024 by Stephen Ottley

People hate change. It’s just a fact of life, once we get accustomed to...Read more

'There's a clear trend': Electric cars struggle to gain traction as premium carmakers like Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and Fiat pivot to hybrid and combustion engine development

2 November 2024 by Stephen Ottley

There’s a reason why McDonald’s sells Big Macs and cheeseburgers and...Read more

Tesla's missing cars: Why you shouldn't hold your breath for the affordable Tesla Model 2 or super-fast Tesla Roadster

29 October 2024 by Stephen Ottley

Tesla fans are amongst the most patient and tolerant car buyers in the...Read more

What is the highest speed limit in Australia?

23 October 2024 by Stephen Ottley

What is the fastest speed limit in Australia?

Will wave of new utes challenge Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger's dominance? 2025 Kia Tasman, BYD Shark 6, Foton Tunland will struggle topple the market leaders | Opinion

21 October 2024 by Stephen Ottley

It’s been a busy period for new utes with all-new models coming our way...Read more

Lotus Eletre 2025 review

17 October 2024 by Stephen Ottley

This is a Lotus - but it’s not like any Lotus you’ve ever known. In fact, forget everything you know about Lotus , the British brand previously famous for small, lightweight sports cars is now evolving into something very different. Very, very different. Under the control of Chinese automotive...Read more