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.

Toyota HiLux GR Sport 2.0!

By Andrew Chesterton · 09 Apr 2025

Toyota has whipped the covers off an updated HiLux GR Sport in Europe, with the model scoring increased ground clearance, wider front and rear tracks and revised suspension and damping to deliver what the brand calls “the best driving HiLux yet".But before were get too excited, Toyota in Australia tells us it isn’t aware of any plan to update our HiLux GR Sport, instead suggesting that the new model “introduces many of the features already available in Australia”.Billed as the Toyota HiLux GR Sport II, the European model does feature a lot of the upgrades already present on our hardcore HiLux, but the biggest discernible difference is the ground clearance.While Australia’s GR Sport is listed at 265mm, the V2 model increases that numbers to 323mm. It shares the same wider front and rear tracks, by 135 mm and 155 mm respectively, and the new information out of the Europe promises revised suspension and damping.“The suspension system has been revised with a 70 mm increase in the width of the front arms, the adoption of a lighter, tubular anti-roll bar and repositioning of the spring and damper assemblies further outboard. At the rear the axle has a new square cross-section and the dampers have been repositioned, to the outside of the vehicle’s frame,” Toyota Europe says.“Measures to gain a smoother and more stable ride over any terrain include new monotube dampers with large-diameter (46 mm) pistons in place of the previous twin-tube units. These provide better performance and faster response in tough conditions.”The Toyota HiLux GR Sport in Australia isn’t going anywhere — though a new model is reportedly earmarked for 2026.“The HiLux GR Sport being released in selected European markets introduces many of the features already available in Australia, such as the wider tracks and the 48V technology, although there may be some market-specific differences in specification and trim,” a Toyota Australia spokesperson told CarsGuide.Change is coming to the HiLux, though, with reports the 2026 update will include a GR Sport version that won't just feature key upgrades to improve its capability, comfort and cabin technology, but could also feature the thumping 2.4-litre i-Force Max hybrid powertrain from the Toyota Tacoma as an engine option.

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Our best-selling utes have a big problem2025 BYD Shark 6

By Andrew Chesterton · 06 Apr 2025

The Ford Ranger might have found itself back on top of Australia’s sales charts in March, but a dig into the numbers reveal cracks in the sales ambitions of the Ranger, Toyota HiLux and Isuzu D-Max.

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Why 2026 could be Toyota's biggest year ever

By Andrew Chesterton · 05 Apr 2025

Next year is shaping as one of the biggest, and most important, in Toyota's history, with fresh reports pointing to an avalanche of new products including an affordable LandCruiser, the updated Toyota HiLux and new RAV4 Hybrid.

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New JAC T9 Hunter PHEV revealed!

By Andrew Chesterton · 04 Apr 2025

JAC’s Ranger Raptor-style plug-in hybrid dual cab it calls the Hunter will launch in Australia in Q1 next year, with the potent plug-in unveiled for the first at the Melbourne Motor Show.

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Ford Ranger sales shine in March

By Andrew Chesterton · 03 Apr 2025

The Ford Ranger, BYD Shark 6 and Toyota LandCruiser Prado were among the big movers of Australia's new-vehicle market in March, as the overall sales decline appeared to slow.

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Tesla sales tank in 2025

By Andrew Chesterton · 03 Apr 2025

Tesla has underperformed most analysts worst-case scenario, with the EV company reporting a total 323,800 units sold globally in the first three months of 2025.

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Is this Australia's biggest EV bargain?

By Andrew Chesterton · 02 Apr 2025

The price for one of the best-reviewed Chinese electric SUVs in Australia could be about to fall dramatically, with the international pricing for the XPeng G6 lopping more than 10 per cent off its sticker price.

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Aussie automotive manufacturing goes global

By Andrew Chesterton · 31 Mar 2025

It's not just from from Australia to the world for our latest automotive export. The Nissan Navara Warrior program that will now be launched globally can be tracked all the way back to Premcar's facility in Epping, Victoria.

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Volvo EX90 Ultra Twin Motor Performance 2025 review: snapshot

By Andrew Chesterton · 31 Mar 2025

The Ultra Twin Motor acts as the flagship model in the Volvo EX90 range, and lists at $134,990 plus on-road costs.It builds on the entry-level Plus’s equipment list — think four-zone climate control, a 14.5-inch central screen (vertical) with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but also Google built-in, giving you access to native maps and apps. Then there's wireless phone charging, a heated leather steering wheel — with niceties like ventilated seats up front, better High Definition Pixel headlights, and a wondrous 25-speaker Bowers & Wilkins High Fidelity stereo.Like the Plus, the Ultra is a twin-motor, AWD setup, delivering an impressive 380kW and 910Nm — and a sprint to 100km/h of just 4.9s.It nabs an 111kWh lithium-ion battery, and promises a WLTP driving range of 570km.When it comes time to charge, the EX90 is set up for 250kW DC fast charging, meaning 10-80 percent charged in 35mins. At home, a three-phase wallbox will take more like 10 hours. But if yours is only a 7kW connection, it will be slower still.

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Is Tesla's FSD full of it?

By Andrew Chesterton · 31 Mar 2025

Tesla has been forced into an embarrassing backdown over a trial of its Full Self-Driving tech in China, with owners of Tesla vehicles reportedly accruing fines for disregarding certain road rules, before the much-hyped – but misleadingly titled – technology was rebranded as Intelligent Assisted Driving.

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