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.

Mazda CX-90 Australian powertrains confirmed!
By Andrew Chesterton · 01 Feb 2023
Mazda in Australia has confirmed the engine lineup that will feature in the CX-90 when its premium flagship launches in the second half of 2023, with two six-cylinder engines locked in – and a plug-in hybrid powertrain on the ropes.
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Meet the ultra-premium Mazda CX-90
By Andrew Chesterton · 01 Feb 2023
The Mazda CX-90 has broken cover overnight, with the company's most powerful - and most premium - SUV set to act as a three-row flagship for the Japanese brand in Australia.The biggest application yet of Mazda's new "CX."
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Tesla has just changed the EV game in Oz
By Andrew Chesterton · 31 Jan 2023
Tesla has just changed the EV landscape in Australia (again), and it's good news if you drive a Kia EV6, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Polestar 2 or a BYD Atto 3
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Haval H6 2022 review: Ultra - long-term
By Andrew Chesterton · 30 Jan 2023
The medium SUV field has always been stacked with heavy hitters like the Mazda CX-5, the Toyota RAV4, the Hyundai Tucson and the Kia Sportage. So, can the Haval H6 mix it with the big boys? Andrew 'Chesto' Chesterton puts the H6 Ultra to the long-term test to find out.
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Kia's plan for dual-cab dominance
By Andrew Chesterton · 29 Jan 2023
Kia's ute is almost ready to break cover, and details of just how the all-new Korean dual-cab will take the fight to the Toyota HiLux (and models like the Ford Ranger Isuzu D-Max, Mitsubishi Triton and Nissan Navara) are seemingly beginning to emerge.And
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Ram 1500 Revolution: Better than a large SUV?
By Andrew Chesterton · 27 Jan 2023
Ram has used the CES show in Las Vegas to unveil what it thinks could be the next step in the jumbo-truck space, with the Revolution 1500 debuting a three-row seating arrangement with room for seven people.
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Your first look at the all-new Toyota HiLux?
By Andrew Chesterton · 26 Jan 2023
Leaked Toyota Tacoma patents have revealed our first look at the all-new Toyota HiLux, with the two utes to share underpinnings, and – if these lodged documents are our guide – will be styled to look like mini versions of the Toyota Tundra.
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LandCruiser 70 Series to live on without a V8
By Andrew Chesterton · 25 Jan 2023
Toyota in Japan may be about to give us our clearest look yet at what will power the 70 Series LandCruiser in years to come, with reports out of the auto giant's homeland suggesting V8 power is headed for the scrapheap.
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Why the Toyota Tundra is made for Australia
By Andrew Chesterton · 22 Jan 2023
Toyota is now embarking on a never-before-done local engineering and testing program designed to ensure the incoming Tundra pickup truck is every bit as ready for Australia as the HiLux or LandCruiser.The Tundra might be a left-hand-drive, American-built
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The ute that will change Toyota's game in Oz
By Andrew Chesterton · 19 Jan 2023
Toyota's mini-HiLux ute could be revealed as early as June this year, with the city-friendly truck primed to take on the Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick.
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