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.

China is coming for Toyota
By Andrew Chesterton · 29 Apr 2022
Chinese brand Chery has trademarked its first model for Australia, and it's anything but a cut-price offering.Instead, the brand has registered the Exceed nameplate, reserved for its premium-feeling SUVs, with a host of models that could target everything
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Cupra Ateca 2022 review
By Andrew Chesterton · 26 Apr 2022
Cupra might be a new brand in Australia, but its relatives – Volkswagen and Skoda – are both already well-known here. The Spanish performance brand promises to put fun and performance at the centre of what it delivers, and that includes the Ateca SUV, which arrives in a single, high-performance trim level that out-punches the Tiguan R in a sprint to 100km/h. But is it merely a one-trick pony?
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Cupra Leon 2022 review
By Andrew Chesterton · 26 Apr 2022
Any day another hot hatch family lands in Australia is a good day, but does the Cupra Leon have what it takes to mix it with rivals like the Hyundai i30 N, or its VW Group siblings, the Golf GTI and Golf R? We put the most powerful example of the new Leon to a track-attack test to find out.
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Mazda backs rotary revival
By Andrew Chesterton · 26 Apr 2022
Mazda Australia has thrown its weight behind the brand's impending rotary revival, describing the unique powertrain technology as "fundamental to the brand".The only question now is, how far will that revival go? To the MX-30, certainly.
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Here comes Mazda's RX-9?
By Andrew Chesterton · 22 Apr 2022
The Mazda RX-9 could at last be readying to launch, with the brand quietly trademarking a new sporty-looking badge in Australia, with the mysterious logo seemingly channeling the Spirit R examples of the RX-7 and RX-8.
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Haval H6 2022 review: Hybrid
By Andrew Chesterton · 22 Apr 2022
You're nowhere in the mid-size SUV space without an electrified powertrain these days, and Haval wants a slice of that cake, too. Enter, then, the H6 Ultra Hybrid, which promises to blend an extensive features list with miserly fuel use and plenty of space. But can it take the fight to models like the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid? We put the H6 Ultra Hybrid to the test to find out.
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Toyota's secret SUV to top LC300 - reports
By Andrew Chesterton · 21 Apr 2022
Toyota is cooking up a new luxury SUV that would sit atop the LC300, with international reports suggesting a high-riding version of the brand's Crown could become Toyota's most expensive SUV.
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Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe 2022 review
By Andrew Chesterton · 19 Apr 2022
Electrification is coming for everyone in the automotive space, and that includes brands that have built their reputation on rugged outdoor adventures. But does the addition of a plug-in hybrid powertrain help or hinder a vehicle like the Jeep Grand Cherokee? We put the new 4Xe PHEV to the test to find out.
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Cupra Born launch confrmed!
By Andrew Chesterton · 19 Apr 2022
Australia is set to welcome a new all-electric halo, with the Cupra Born EV set to hit dealership in early 2023.
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Don't hold your breath for a new Mazda6
By Andrew Chesterton · 17 Apr 2022
Mazda Australia say the current-generation Mazda6 will be soldiering on without an all-new rear-drive replacement, saying its SUV range is and will continue to be its priority.The medium sedan segment is shrinking in Australia - and around the world - wit
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