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.

Does the new Patrol sound better than an FPV?
By Andrew Chesterton · 16 Jun 2023
Sorry, Ford fans, but the company responsible for the Ford Falcon GT Holy Grail – among a host of other FPV hits – says the incoming Nissan Patrol Warrior is the best-sounding V8 it has ever produced.
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Nissan Patrol Warrior detailed
By Andrew Chesterton · 15 Jun 2023
The long-awaited Nissan Patrol Warrior will launch in Australia before the end of the year, with the brand detailing just what to expect from the V8-powered off-road beast that will take on everything from the LandCruiser 300 Series to the Lexus GX and LandCruiser Prado.
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Nissan Ariya confirmed for Australia!
By Andrew Chesterton · 15 Jun 2023
The Nissan Ariya has at last been confirmed for an Australian launch, with the Japanese brand's all-electric SUV to target the top-selling Tesla Model Y.
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New Kia Tasman to target police fleet
By Andrew Chesterton · 15 Jun 2023
The incoming Kia Tasman ute appears to have set its sights on official police duties, with sources shown a ute dressed in police livery and modified to become a 'divvy van' - or division van, used to transport crooks and suspected criminals.The image woul
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Kia Seltos 2023 review: GT-Line long-term | Part 2
By Andrew Chesterton · 10 Jun 2023
To paraphrase a (traditionally pretty naughty) saying, it's not so much the size that matters in the new-car world, but more what you can do with it.
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LandCruiser Prado Hybrid will boost the brand
By Andrew Chesterton · 10 Jun 2023
You could almost see the diesel tears rolling down the faces of the LandCruiser Prado faithful when the new Lexus GX was revealed on Friday with - gasp - two petrol powertrains, with one of them being a hybrid.
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New LandCruiser Prado will change the game
By Andrew Chesterton · 08 Jun 2023
The new Toyota LandCruiser Prado will adopt not one but two hybrid powertrains, and will grow in every possible dimension, according to fresh reports out of Japan.
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Has Kia just dropped its ute's name?
By Andrew Chesterton · 05 Jun 2023
Kia's all-new dual-cab might just have been named, with a new trademark application possibly dropping the official model name of Kia's Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger rival.Just a week after the new model was finally confirmed through solid sources, a new na
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Toyota HiLux leads new-car sales boom in May
By Andrew Chesterton · 05 Jun 2023
The new-car market has again proved itself immune to financial headwinds, with the Toyota HiLux leading a sales boom that saw the market record its best ever May result.
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The dawn of the $100k dual-cab!
By Andrew Chesterton · 04 Jun 2023
Here's a fun fact for you: Back in 2017, you could nab a V8-powered Holden SS Ute - complete with Holden's screaming LS3 V8, a 6.2-litre beastie that will generate 304kW at 6000rpm and 570Nm at 4400rpm - for $43,990 before on-road costs.Today, it will cos
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