Articles by Andrew Chesterton

Leapmotor says its D19 will be a "desert-ready" 4WD that has the "crazy champions" (the Y63 Nissan Patrol and Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series) firmly in its sights thanks to its potent range extender powertrain and off-road capability.

Nissan is doubling-down on an off-road focused future, with the reports the brand will toughen-up the nex-generation Pathfinder with a ladder-frame chassis and real off-road credibility to act as pseudo smaller Y63 Patrol that can take the fight to the Toyota LandCruiser Prado.

Mitsubishi in Australia seems to have dropped a hint as to what to expect from the new Pajero, telling CarsGuide that monocoque platforms produce "durable off-road vehicles", as the new model prepares for testing in Australia.

Elon Musk has reportedly green-lit not one but two new and cheaper models in the Tesla portfolio as the brand seeks to safeguard itself against falling sales and the threat of BYD.

The Ford Ranger Stormtrak launches into an increasingly congested plug-in hybrid ute market, but it promises to do things a little differently to the top-selling BYD Shark 6.

The previous Subaru Forester hybrid copped heat for not being hybrid enough, but this new-generation rights those wrongs, debuting a new "Strong Hybrid" powertrain that, on paper, puts it on a collision course with the Toyota RAV4. We put the flagship Forester Hybrid Touring to the long-term test to see how it measures up.

Alfa Romeo’s new Tonale promises to reinject the “Alfa Romeo driving appeal” into its small SUV, with a new generation doubling down on the driving fun in an effort to lure in more customers.

Nissan's new Y63-inspired SUV has taken a sizeable step closer to an Australian launch, with the brand securing the Tekton through our trademark office.

Hyundai's tough, ladder-frame and ute-based 4WD now on the table to take on everything from the Ford Everest to the Toyota LandCruiser Prado could launch with turbo-hybrid power, with the brand seemingly testing a rear-drive AWD version of the new powertrain in Europe.Intitially thought to be a possible partnership with GM, the latest news confirms Hyundai is taking development of its Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger rival in-house. At Hyundai's recent Investor Day, in which company chief José Muñoz confirmed the pickup would arrive before 2030, a slide was shown that read "build-out pickup truck portfolio and broaden customer base, with potential for body-on-frame SUV variant".And we now have our best clue at just what will be powering it, with the model increasingly likely to debut with petrol-hybrid power, with the 2.5-litre turbo-hybrid that has just debuted in the Palisade the most likely candidate.In Palisade form, the powertrain develops 245kW and 460Nm, giving us an indication of the kind of power expected from Hyundai's ute offering, with the same engine combinaton then a sure-bet to pop up in the SUV variant.Hyundai in Australia has made secret of the fact its ute won't offer a diesel solution, with the brand's local chief, Don Romano, telling CarsGuide that "Australia doesn't need another diesel ute"."I think we have to look at options. And I can't tell you whether that's a PHEV, a HEV or a BEV, but I think those are options that have to be considered. And I think those are the areas that will give us an opportunity for expansion," he said."Our position here in Australia is that we don't need another diesel ute. But we do want Kia to be successful because right now we see a decline in total ute sales, and that could delay the development when people look at it and say 'is that really an important segment that we need to be in?' The answer is 'yeah'."We want to be able to point to our sister company to say look at the success that they've had. Just having an open bed, I think that's important."The hybrid powertrain might have just taken a signifiant step in its development journey, with what appears to be GV70 hybrid spied testing in Spain with a 'HEV' sticker on its rear. While the Palisade is front-drive AWD, a ute or 4WD offering would need to be rear-drive AWD, and if the GV70 is testing the 2.5-litre turbo-hybrid, then it the brand has likely developed a solution."The group plans to introduce a rear-wheel-drive 2.5 turbo hybrid system in 2026 and aims to gradually expand its hybrid technology to the Genesis luxury brand by applying this powertrain to key models over time," the brand said at the unveiling of its new hybrid technology, also promising that the tech would have "broad application from sub-compact to large vehicles".Hyundai is yet to confirm exactly what powertrain will be fitted to its ute and SUV.

Kia appears to have solved its biggest hurdle in bringing a Tasman Hybrid to market, with what appears to be a rear-drive version of the company's 2.5-litre turbo-hybrid powertrain spied testing in Europe.