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.

Zeekr bets big on Australia
By Andrew Chesterton · 22 Sep 2025
Zeekr has outlined its bold ambitions for Australia, confirming a string of new models and the launch of the Lynk & Co brand, the latter of which will likely be wrapped under the Zeekr umbrella.
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Zeekr 7X 2026 review: Australian first drive
By Andrew Chesterton · 22 Sep 2025
The Zeekr 7X is the mid-size Tesla Model Y rival the Chinese brand has been waiting for. In fact, this model alone has already tripled the brand's sales, and it hasn't even arrived yet. The question is, does it live up to the hype?
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Toyota Fortuner that could take down Ford Everest
By Andrew Chesterton · 21 Sep 2025
A Toyota Fortuner that could reverse the model's underwhelming sales performance and finally take the fight to the Ford Everest is coming soon – but is Toyota in Australia preparing to axe the model just as its about to come good?
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Zeekr’s big promise to 7X customers
By Andrew Chesterton · 17 Sep 2025
The Zeekr 7X is gearing up for sale in Australia, with the brand’s MD Frank Li revealing deliveries for the hotly anticipated model would begin on October 15.
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Ferrari Roma 2026 review: Spider
By Andrew Chesterton · 07 Sep 2025
Ferrari's drop-top stunner, the Roma Spider, promises to be the easiest daily driving model from the Prancing Horse. But does its manners in traffic mean its wild side is a little less wild? We put it to the test to find out.
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Deepal S07 2026 review
By Andrew Chesterton · 03 Sep 2025
This could be a comeback story for the ages, with the Deepal S07's overzealous safety systems – which saw this mid-size EV derided as one of the country's most annoying cars – apparently fixed with what appears to be an industry-first solution. Andrew Chesterton climbs back behind the wheel to put this updated model to the test.
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MG IM6 2026 review: Performance
By Andrew Chesterton · 31 Aug 2025
IM is a premium play from Chinese mainstay MG, with the new brand a joint-venture between MG parent SAIC and China's version of Amazon, Alibaba, amongst others, seemingly with the goal of toppling Tesla. There's a Model 3-sized IM5 we've already tested, and this Model Y-sized IM6. And this one is the Performance, which offers supercar speed in properly sumptuous surrounds.
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3000 reasons 2026 Toyota HiLux can't come soon enough
By Andrew Chesterton · 31 Aug 2025
At a glance, last month's sales numbers paint a familiar picture of Australia's dual-cab market. The Toyota HiLux was the country's best-selling vehicle in July, with the Ford Ranger the nation's second best-selling ute.
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Ford Ranger 2025 review: Platinum long-term | Part 3
By Andrew Chesterton · 30 Aug 2025
Utes are, apparently, no longer mere tools of the trade. They're increasingly lifestyle-friendly family vehicles for those who want to take advantage of the space and practicality on offer. And given Andrew 'Chesto' Chesterton's family has just grown by one, who better to put the Ford Ranger Platinum to the family test?
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Hyundai says it won't follow Mazda's premium path
By Andrew Chesterton · 30 Aug 2025
Hyundai says its premium push will look very different to rival Mazda's, declaring itself in a "different league" to the Japanese brand, and assuring its vehicles will still cover the full price spectrum.
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