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.

How to get Ford Bronco in Australia (kind of)
By Andrew Chesterton · 12 Jan 2022
Chinese brand Chery could use the just-revealed Jetour TX as a launch halo vehicle in Australia, with the Ford Bronco-aping off-road SUV just revealed in China.The bite-sized but tough-as-nails SUV might look a little familiar, with the massively popular
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JDM lives! Nissan Silvia to make comeback!
By Andrew Chesterton · 10 Jan 2022
The iconic Nissan Silvia, or 200SX, is poised to make a comeback as early as 2025, with recent Japanese reports pointing to the performance car being reborn with electrification.The news would completes the turning back of the clock undertaken in Japan re
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Where is Australia's hardcore HiLux?
By Andrew Chesterton · 10 Jan 2022
Australia is world-renowned for our love of dual-cab utes, but when it comes to Toyota's first hardcore HiLux, we're going to have a wait a little longer for our version of the HiLux GR Sport.Toyota in Australia says it's "excited" about the many GR Sport
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Five affordable cars that will soar in value
By Andrew Chesterton · 04 Jan 2022
Let’s start with the world’s most obvious disclaimer: Investing in almost anything comes with a fair share of risk. From art to shares, cryptocurrency to foreign cash, nothing in the money-making world is guaranteed. Well, except for maybe Australian property, but really, who can afford that?
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The 10 cars removed from sale in 2021
By Andrew Chesterton · 25 Dec 2021
A new year is always tinged in a tiny bit of sadness for us car peeps.
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Kia Stonic GT-Line 2022 review: long-term
By Andrew Chesterton · 23 Dec 2021
It might be Kia's smallest SUV, but the Stonic GT-Line is big on personality. But is that enough to put it at the top of your micro-SUV shopping list? Our man Chesto puts it to the urban family test to find out.
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Keen on a Volkswagen Amarok Raptor?
By Andrew Chesterton · 21 Dec 2021
Volkswagen is investigating ways to launch a true Ford Ranger Raptor rival to market as part of the new ute's launch plan - and if Ford refuse access to theirs, VW might just build their own.That's the word from VW's Commercial division, who, after a mass
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Toyota’s EV HiLux is coming. Get used to it
By Andrew Chesterton · 19 Dec 2021
No sooner had Toyota released the very first image of an all-electric ute that will no doubt replace the diesel-chugging HiLux we know today - and possibly as soon as 2024 - did the internet begin to light up with comments about it not being a real ute, a
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Toyota goes BIG on EVs
By Andrew Chesterton · 14 Dec 2021
It might not have been the first company to launch a fully electric vehicle, but Japanese giant Toyota also won't be left behind, with the brand today unveiling plans to launch 30 new EVs by 2030.Making the point that this is not some "dreamy" vision deca
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Toyota MR2 confirmed?
By Andrew Chesterton · 14 Dec 2021
Toyota appears to have confirmed a reborn MR2 performance car will launch before 2030, with the svelte orange vehicle parked at the back of a major Toyota EV announcement pointing to the brand's "three brothers" strategy finally taking off
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