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.

Hyundai Ioniq 9 2026 review: Australian first drive

By Andrew Chesterton · 07 Aug 2025

Nine may not logically follow five and six, but in the world of Hyundai's EV sub-brand the large, three-row, dual-motor Ioniq 9 SUV has joined its existing pure-electric Ioniq 5 and 6 stablemates. With a price tag to match its substantial scale it propels the South Korean maker into new territory in the local new car market. Will it make an impact? Andrew Chesterton is on a mission to find out.

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LEAKED! New Toyota HiLux to borrow from Ford Ranger

By Andrew Chesterton · 04 Aug 2025

The new Toyota HiLux will borrow from its greatest rival when it launches in Australia later this year, with international media reportedly scooping offical exterior design sketches that show one of the Ford Ranger's key features on display.

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China is the best things to happen to Aussie utes

By Andrew Chesterton · 02 Aug 2025

Think back to the before times – before GWM sent its Cannon Alpha PHEV charging up Beer O'Clock Hill, before BYD caught the old-guard napping with its Shark 6, and before brands like MG, JAC and more announced their own plans for innovative dual cabs.

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2026 Mitsubishi Pajero powers up!

By Andrew Chesterton · 01 Aug 2025

Mitsubishi will have a large 4WD in Australia year, with the Pajero promising to be bigger than a Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series, and cheaper than a Nissan Patrol, according to reports out of Japan.

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The bonkers Tesla Model Y and Model 3 safety warning you probably don't know about

By Andrew Chesterton · 28 Jul 2025

Tesla has issued a warning to Australian owners about driving their vehicles through tunnels with the cruise control system activated, warning that it is a “known-limitation” of the model’s Traffic-Aware Cruise Control. The situation came to light most recently through user complaints of phantom braking when the cruise system is active in a tunnel, with a complaint to Tesla eliciting the warning. It is also included in Tesla’s user manual.

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The real dual-cab battle of 2025

By Andrew Chesterton · 27 Jul 2025

The hottest ute battle of 2025 looks like it will contain two new faces, with the battle between Ford and Toyota overshadowed by the race between two relative – and unexpected – newcomers.

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Chery's Chinese take on the Ford Falcon ute

By Andrew Chesterton · 26 Jul 2025

We now know that Chery will be among the wave of new Chinese utes hitting Australia (think BYD, MG, GWM et al), with the relative newcomer to launch not one but two new utes.

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KGM SsangYong Torres 2025 review: Ultimate long-term | Part 3

By Andrew Chesterton · 24 Jul 2025

Sharp new pricing pitches the KGM SsangYong Torres Ultimate into battle with the cheaper Chinese newcomers, rather than its Korean siblings in Hyundai and Kia, which feels like a much fairer fight. Perfect timing, then, for Chesto to spend his final month with his Torres, which has mysteriously changed colour...

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Has BYD peaked?

By Andrew Chesterton · 22 Jul 2025

BYD's plans for domestic and global domination appear to have hit their first hurdle, with the Chinese giant reportedly set to miss its lofty 2025 sales target. Interestingly, the issue isn’t the international markets the brand hopes to conquer, but rather a slowdown in its home market where increased competition is denting sales.

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2026 Toyota HiLux leaked!

By Andrew Chesterton · 22 Jul 2025

The new Toyota HiLux appears to have been leaked in an international presentation, with the 2026 model debuting a new-look front-end, bolder wheel arches and a new LED light treatment.It's not known whether the new look is the same as the one that will arrive in Australia, but if these are official images as is being reported, then they'd be in keeping with what we think we know so far about the new HiLux – namely that it would be an evolution rather than a revolution that carries-over much of the important stuff from the current-gen model.The 2026 model is expected to persevere with Toyota's 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine, aided (as it is now) by a 48-volt mild-hybrid system.We haven't yet seen the interior of the new HiLux, but it's in the cabin where the bigger changes are expected to appear, with new materials and the addition of the Ranger-rivalling technology, including new screens.Plug-in hybrid and even hydrogen-fuelled options are on the horizon, but there aren't any major powertrain updates expected at launch – and a question over whether the HiLux's now-ageing platform could even be retrofitted for green energy solutions.It's more likely those options will appear some way down the track, when another new HiLux is debuted. In fact, CarsGuide has previously reported on a potential two-model HiLux strategy, where this 'new' model is joined by a genuinely all-new ute primed for electrification.All will be revealed soon enough, with the new HiLux expected to debut in the coming months, ahead of a launch in either late 2025 or early 2026.

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