Articles by Andrew Chesterton

Andrew Chesterton
Contributing Journalist

CarsGuide contributing journalist Andrew Chesterton is an award-winning Australian automotive reporter with more than 20 years of experience across newspapers, magazines, digital publishing and automotive corporate communications.

Andrew began his journalism career at Sydney’s The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph, reporting across business, courts, crime, property and state politics before moving into automotive journalism.

He joined Top Gear Australia as its online editor in 2008, later being appointed editor of Top Gear New Zealand. He subsequently worked as an assistant editor during the Australian launch of the Daily Mail Australia, and as communications manager at FCA Australia, now Stellantis.

His experience on both sides of the media industry gives him an unrivalled understanding of the automotive industry, and the relationship between car manufacturers, the media, and Australian consumers.

Andrew’s work has appeared across leading automotive, news, business, luxury, travel and lifestyle publications, including CarsGuide, EV Central, DMARGE, The Sydney Morning Herald, Marie Claire, Top Gear, GQ Australia, The Australian, WISH Magazine, Boss Hunting, The West Australian, The Nightly, Women’s Day Australia, Carsales, NRMA, Men’s Health, CEO Magazine, Australian Financial Review and more.  

Andrew specialises in industry news, vehicle reviews, policy,  performance and luxury cars, electric vehicles, automotive technology, EVs hybrid and plug-in hybrids, and the broader Australian new-car marketplace.

In 2025, Andrew was named Newspress Australia News Journalist of the Year and was a finalist for the overall Journalist of the Year award.

Earlier honours include Website of the Year wins at the Australian Magazine Awards and ACP Awards, the ACP Rising Star Award and recognition in the Bauer Media and News Ltd journalism awards.

Expertise

  • Electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles
  • Performance, luxury and supercars
  • New-car reviews and road testing
  • Australian automotive industry and new-car sales
  • Chinese automotive brands and emerging manufacturers
  • Utes, SUVs and family vehicles
  • Automotive technology
  • Policy

Awards

  • 2025 Newspress Australia News Journalist of the Year

Featured Publications

Note: The author, Andrew Chesterton, is a co-owner of Smart As Media, a content agency and media distribution service with a number automotive brands among its clients. When producing content for CarsGuide, he does so in accordance with the CarsGuide Editorial Guidelines and Code of Ethics, and the views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.

NSW Police cars! 300 SRT out, Kia Stinger in!
By Andrew Chesterton · 27 Feb 2022
The Kia Stinger has stepped up to fill the void left by the Commodore, Falcon and, more recently, the Chrysler 300, with the NSW Police Force to take on the Korean performance car as a part of its patrol fleet.Chrysler has reportedly withdrawn support for
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Ford Ranger Raptor's secret weapon!
By Andrew Chesterton · 26 Feb 2022
Australian ute fans' lust for power has been massively rewarded by Ford, with the new Ranger Raptor more powerful in Australia than almost anywhere else.In good news for local Raptor buyers, the new ute's prodigious power outputs aren't a global standard.
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Kia EV6 2022 review
By Andrew Chesterton · 25 Feb 2022
Make no mistake, this is a brand-defining moment for Kia. For a company that cut its teeth on affordable motoring for the masses, this premium, pricey and very electric EV6 is a Big Deal. So does the brand's first major electric vehicle play live up to the hype? We put it to the test to find out.
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More power for new Toyota LandCruiser Prado?
By Andrew Chesterton · 23 Feb 2022
The soon-to-be-updated LandCruiser Prado could welcome a serious power boost, with Toyota dialling up the grunt on the engine in the beefy HiLux GR-S, unlocking access to extra power for the same-engined Prado.While HiLux's engine hasn't changed, the upgr
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Toyota's iForce Max engine registered for Oz
By Andrew Chesterton · 20 Feb 2022
Toyota's game-changing i-Force Max engine has been trademarked for Australia, with the potent hybrid powertrain paving the way for an electrified LandCruiser 300 Series, or even the Toyota Tundra.The application was lodged in Australia on February 4, and
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2022 Volkswagen Amarok takes shape
By Andrew Chesterton · 18 Feb 2022
The teaser campaign for the new Volkswagen Amarok continues, with the German brand releasing sketches of the new model ahead of an official on-sale date late in 2022.
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The LC400 is closer than you think
By Andrew Chesterton · 18 Feb 2022
The Toyota has become infamous for the time it takes to reveal new LandCruiser models, with the gap between the launch of the 200 Series and the new LC300 stretching an incredible 14 years in Australia.
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Waiting for Ford and Holden 2.0? Good luck
By Andrew Chesterton · 13 Feb 2022
There was understandably huge interest in a story that broke last week, detailing how Australia could become an electric vehicle manufacturing powerhouse - a return to our glory days, when we were pumping out Holden Commodores and Ford Falcons just as qui
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Toyota HiLux powers up!
By Andrew Chesterton · 11 Feb 2022
Toyota has at last revealed a HiLux that would be crowned Australia's most powerful four-cylinder diesel dual-cab ute, pulling the covers off a HiLux GR-S in South Africa that would shade arch rival the Ford Ranger Raptor.
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New 2022 Ford Ranger Raptor details drop
By Andrew Chesterton · 10 Feb 2022
The wait to see the new Ford Ranger Raptor is almost over, with the brand today confirming the official unveil date - as well as releasing some tasty footage of a prototype barging its way through - and over - the Aussie bush.
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