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.

Kia Picanto, Rio and Cerato safe in Oz
By Andrew Chesterton · 02 Mar 2022
Kia's push into the premium EV space is now officially underway with the launch of the EV6, but the shift to electric powertrains won't come at the cost of the Korean brand's cut-price petrol-powered models.
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NSW Police cars! 300 SRT out, Kia Stinger in!
By Andrew Chesterton · 27 Feb 2022
The Kia Stinger has stepped up to fill the void left by the Commodore, Falcon and, more recently, the Chrysler 300, with the NSW Police Force to take on the Korean performance car as a part of its patrol fleet.Chrysler has reportedly withdrawn support for
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Ford Ranger Raptor's secret weapon!
By Andrew Chesterton · 26 Feb 2022
Australian ute fans' lust for power has been massively rewarded by Ford, with the new Ranger Raptor more powerful in Australia than almost anywhere else.In good news for local Raptor buyers, the new ute's prodigious power outputs aren't a global standard.
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Kia EV6 2022 review
By Andrew Chesterton · 25 Feb 2022
Make no mistake, this is a brand-defining moment for Kia. For a company that cut its teeth on affordable motoring for the masses, this premium, pricey and very electric EV6 is a Big Deal. So does the brand's first major electric vehicle play live up to the hype? We put it to the test to find out.
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More power for new Toyota LandCruiser Prado?
By Andrew Chesterton · 23 Feb 2022
The soon-to-be-updated LandCruiser Prado could welcome a serious power boost, with Toyota dialling up the grunt on the engine in the beefy HiLux GR-S, unlocking access to extra power for the same-engined Prado.While HiLux's engine hasn't changed, the upgr
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Toyota's iForce Max engine registered for Oz
By Andrew Chesterton · 20 Feb 2022
Toyota's game-changing i-Force Max engine has been trademarked for Australia, with the potent hybrid powertrain paving the way for an electrified LandCruiser 300 Series, or even the Toyota Tundra.The application was lodged in Australia on February 4, and
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2022 Volkswagen Amarok takes shape
By Andrew Chesterton · 18 Feb 2022
The teaser campaign for the new Volkswagen Amarok continues, with the German brand releasing sketches of the new model ahead of an official on-sale date late in 2022.
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The LC400 is closer than you think
By Andrew Chesterton · 18 Feb 2022
The Toyota has become infamous for the time it takes to reveal new LandCruiser models, with the gap between the launch of the 200 Series and the new LC300 stretching an incredible 14 years in Australia.
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Waiting for Ford and Holden 2.0? Good luck
By Andrew Chesterton · 13 Feb 2022
There was understandably huge interest in a story that broke last week, detailing how Australia could become an electric vehicle manufacturing powerhouse - a return to our glory days, when we were pumping out Holden Commodores and Ford Falcons just as qui
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Toyota HiLux powers up!
By Andrew Chesterton · 11 Feb 2022
Toyota has at last revealed a HiLux that would be crowned Australia's most powerful four-cylinder diesel dual-cab ute, pulling the covers off a HiLux GR-S in South Africa that would shade arch rival the Ford Ranger Raptor.
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