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.

Toyota is coming for the Ford Ranger Raptor!
By Andrew Chesterton · 06 Jul 2022
Toyota Australia is rolling out a series of major upgrades to its flagship HiLux products as it readies for war with the all-new Ford Ranger in Australia.The two utes are constantly duking it out for the top sales spot in Australia, and with a new Ford Ra
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Price shock for Kia EV6!
By Andrew Chesterton · 06 Jul 2022
Pricing for the Kia EV6 in Australia has been increased by $4600 across all models with the brand blaming the soaring costs of materials.While the Kia EV6 range launched locally in three trim levels, the Air ($67,990) the GT-Line RWD ($74,990) and the GT-
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Polestar topples Tesla in EV sales battle
By Andrew Chesterton · 05 Jul 2022
Tesla has been outgunned by Polestar in June in Australia as supply issues continue to hamper Elon Musk's EV giant.
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Has Toyota just saved diesel?
By Andrew Chesterton · 04 Jul 2022
Toyota will reportedly launch the new HiLux and Fortuner in 2023 with diesel-hybrid powertrains, potentially breathing new life into an engine technology thought to be on the verge of extinction in the EV era, according to new reports out of Thailand.Acco
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LandCruiser chaos coming to Australia soon?
By Andrew Chesterton · 03 Jul 2022
Toyota in Japan has suspended all LandCruiser 300 Series orders until further notice as customer wait times in the product's domestic market now span years, not months.The Japanese brand says global demand for its Nissan Patrol rival "greatly exceeds our
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Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace 2022 review
By Andrew Chesterton · 01 Jul 2022
Five passengers in comfort, seven at a pinch, or simply more room for your groceries and goodies – the VW Tiguan Allspace aims to be a little bit of everything for everyone. We put it to the CarsGuide test to see how it measures up.
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Kia Niro 2022 pricing and spec revealed
By Andrew Chesterton · 01 Jul 2022
Kia's new Niro has arrived in Australia, with the brand ditching its plug-in hybrid powertrain and instead launching with conventional hybrid and pure EV variants.Both the Hybrid and All Electric models touch down in two trim levels, the S or GT-Line, and
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Aussie Tesla fans have officially gone wild
By Andrew Chesterton · 29 Jun 2022
We've heard of people buying, holding, then selling their Tesla Model 3 for a tidy profit in Australia, but this is the first we've heard of this.Places in the queue for a Tesla Model Y are now being offered for $5000 on Australian classified sites - not
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More baby Toyota HiLux details revealed
By Andrew Chesterton · 28 Jun 2022
Toyota's baby HiLux would be less a traditional workhorse and more a "SUV with a bed", as the brand plots a way to jump in on the sales success of the Ford Maverick and the Hyundai Santa Cruz in the USA.The brand even went so far as to detail what a new s
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Ram TRX is Australia's most powerful pick-up truck
By Andrew Chesterton · 27 Jun 2022
Ram Trucks Australia has confirmed pricing and specification detail for Australia's latest and most powerful truck, with the Ram 1500 TRX set to redefined workhorse performance.
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