Articles by Andrew Chesterton

Andrew Chesterton
Contributing Journalist

Andrew Chesterton should probably hate cars. From his hail-damaged Camira that looked like it had spent a hard life parked at the end of Tiger Woods' personal driving range, to the Nissan Pulsar Reebok that shook like it was possessed by a particularly mean-spirited demon every time he dared push past 40km/h, his personal car history isn't exactly littered with gold.

But that seemingly endless procession of rust-savaged hate machines taught him something even more important; that cars are more than a collection of nuts, bolts and petrol. They're your ticket to freedom, a way to unlock incredible experiences, rolling invitations to incredible adventures. They have soul.

And so, somehow, the car bug still bit. And it bit hard.

When "Chesto" started his journalism career with News Ltd's Sunday and Daily Telegraph newspapers, he covered just about everything, from business to real estate, courts to crime, before settling into state political reporting at NSW Parliament House.

But the automotive world's siren song soon sounded again, and he begged anyone who would listen for the opportunity to write about cars. Eventually they listened, and his career since has seen him filing car news, reviews and features for TopGear, Wheels, Motor and, of course, CarsGuide, as well as many, many others.

More than a decade later, and the car bug is yet to relinquish its toothy grip. And if you ask Chesto, he thinks it never will.

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.

Nissan's says e-Power is better than hybrid
By Andrew Chesterton · 24 May 2022
Nissan says only its e-Power technology can deliver a true electric vehicle driving experience, unlike conventional hybrid technology offered by the top-selling Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and most other semi-electrified brands.
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Our first look at the all-new Toyota HiLux?
By Andrew Chesterton · 23 May 2022
This might be our first look at the all-new Toyota HiLux, with reports pointing to the all-important workhorse getting an early mark to take on the all-new Ford Ranger in the quest of dual-cab dominance.
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Ford goes BIG on F-150
By Andrew Chesterton · 20 May 2022
Ford's F-150 launch plans are taking shape, with the brand trademarking both the F-150 Tremor and F-150 Lightning in Australia as it prepares an assault on the pick-up truck segment.
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Here comes the Volkswagen Amarok!
By Andrew Chesterton · 18 May 2022
The Volkswagen Amarok has an official unveil date, with US reports pointing to the Ford Ranger-related ute officially break cover on July 7 ahead of a global on-sale date later in 2022.
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How to score a free EV charger
By Andrew Chesterton · 17 May 2022
MG will subsidise thousands of EV chargers across regional NSW, tapping into a state government grant program that could see as many as 3500 charging station appear across the state.The NSW State Government recently announced a $20m grant program that wou
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Nissan Patrol a new off-road king?
By Andrew Chesterton · 15 May 2022
Nissan's Australian will take advantage of its bigger seat at the product-planning table to demand a focus on off-road capability for the next Y63 Nissan Patrol.It's been a big year for the Patrol in Australia, with the brand accruing half of its entire 2
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2022 Cupra Formentor review
By Andrew Chesterton · 12 May 2022
The Cupra Formentor is a genre-bending car. Part hot hatch, part mid-size SUV, it promises to offer the best of both worlds – performance and practicality, style and space – and the option of an electrified plug-in hybrid powertrain. So how does it measure up? We took the Formentor to Sydney Motorsport Park to find out.
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LandCruiser 70 Series isn't going anywhere
By Andrew Chesterton · 11 May 2022
Toyota's iconic LandCruiser 70 Series is set to soldier on, with a new update set to arrive in November that will breath new - or at least ongoing - life into the ageing off-roader.Toyota has today confirmed a 2022 update will arrive towards the end of th
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Patrol Warrior versus LandCruiser GR Sport
By Andrew Chesterton · 10 May 2022
News that Nissan is hard at work on a new Patrol Warrior to join the Navara Pro-4X Warrior in its Premcar-tuned family means a battle of the beasts is brewing, with the obvious target being the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series GR Sport.Nissan is so far keepi
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The world's biggest hydrogen-powered truck!
By Andrew Chesterton · 09 May 2022
While Australian miners are getting busy with electrified examples of the Toyota 70 Series LandCruiser - and H2X is converting Ford Rangers into hydrogen fuel cell vehicles - South African mining firm Anglo American is thinking a little bigger.
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