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.

I was wrong about the Ford Ranger Raptor

By Andrew Chesterton · 31 Mar 2025

I’m going to be totally honest with you, when news of the first Ford Ranger Raptor surfaced, I felt it was little more than an automotive curiosity.

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Toyota's game-changing hybrid tech

By Andrew Chesterton · 30 Mar 2025

One of Toyota's most senior global executives has outlined the big changes coming to the brand's most popular hybrid vehicles, and laid out a timeframe of exactly when to expect them.

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Volvo EX90 Plus Twin Motor 2025 review: snapshot

By Andrew Chesterton · 29 Mar 2025

The Plus Twin Motor is the entry point to the two-model Volvo EX90 range - and we reckon it’s the pick of the bunch. After all, both models are twin-motor, AWD affairs, with the Plus delivering a total 300kW and 700Nm, while the Ultra dials it up to 380kW and 910Nm. The sprint to 100km/h times for each are 5.9s and 4.9s respectively.I don’t know about you, but the Plus offers all the performance that I’m looking for in a three-row SUV.The Plus Twin Motor starts at $124,990 plus on-road costs and rides on 20-inch alloys. There is a fixed panoramic glass roof with an optional sun shade, and there’s LED lighting outside.Inside, there are leather-like seats made from mostly recycled plastic, which are heated in the first two rows. Then there's four-zone climate control, a 14-speaker Bose stereo that pairs with 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. There’s also wireless phone charging and a heated leather steering wheel. The driver’s binnacle has been replaced by a 9.0-inch horizontal screen above the steering wheel.Interestingly, both EX90 models share the same 111kWh lithium-ion battery, and both promise the same WLTP driving range of 570km, because both claim the same efficiency of 16.9kWh/100km. Weird, because more power usually means less efficiency and a smaller driving range.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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Volvo EX90 2025 review - Australian first drive

By Andrew Chesterton · 27 Mar 2025

The 2025 Volvo EX90 is the Swedish premium car brand's new flagship. It's a fully electric alternative to the long-running XC90 seven-seater. So, is the luxurious upper-large SUV that you should buy? We put it to test to find out.

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Porsche 911 2025 review: Carrera GTS T-Hybrid - Australian first drive

By Andrew Chesterton · 26 Mar 2025

Yes, this new 911 is technically a midlife update, but the changes here go beyond skin deep. Leading the charge, so to speak, is the introduction of a hybrid option for first time, with the 911 Carrera GTS debuting a new t-hybrid powertrain that dials up the performance. But it also fundamentally alters everything we’ve come to know, and love, about the 911. But is it a change for the better?

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Toyota LC300 scores first facelift

By Andrew Chesterton · 25 Mar 2025

Not that you can tell by looking at it, but the face-lifted Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series has debuted before its launch in Australia, with the tough 4WD's exterior unchanged, but its cabin tech overhauled.

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BYD bets big on Australia

By Andrew Chesterton · 24 Mar 2025

BYD says it's just getting warmed up in Australia, promising a "proliferation of product" with a focus on "utes and SUVs" as it seeks to make good on its promise to dethrone Toyota at the top of the new-car sales charts. The brand currently has six models in Australia – the Dolphin, Atto 3, Seal, Sealion 6, Sealion 7 and Shark 6 ute – but says it will launch two new models this year, with the roll

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BYD Seal wagon is a plug-in hybrid with punch

By Andrew Chesterton · 20 Mar 2025

Having already turned its hand to passenger cars, SUVs and utes in Australia, Chinese brand BYD appears poised to conquer the wagon segment, with details of the incoming BYD Seal Travel Edition leaking in China.

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Honda Civic 2025 review: e:HEV L

By Andrew Chesterton · 19 Mar 2025

The Honda Civic is an all-hybrid affair in Australia - and it might be one of our absolute favourites. But there is one sizeable sticking point - its price.So, is the Civic e:HEV L worthy of its more-premium price tag? We put it to the test to find out.

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Do you really want an electric HiLux?

By Andrew Chesterton · 19 Mar 2025

Toyota has at last sped up its EV rollout, confirming this week that it will have six new electric vehicles on sale by next year, including a battery-powered ute.

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