Articles by Byron Mathioudakis

Byron Mathioudakis

Contributing Journalist

Byron Mathioudakis connected with cars right from the start.

His earliest memory is a dream of him driving an Austin A30. Soon after, Byron fell in love with movies watching Duel (1971) where a Valiant sedan takes on a murderous Peterbilt truck. Meanwhile, at Tottenham Primary, teacher Mr Chitty prised opened his world with Wheels magazines, later leading him to perform a one-person musical about the then-new Ford XD Falcon. Everyone thought he was strange.

Eager to keep his car passion separate from work, he graduated from Advertising at RMIT, but wasn’t happy in that industry, so did the ‘90s Gen X thing of back-packing, with stints in hospitality, exploring his love of music working in a record store, tending bar, acting, dancing, modelling and even being a singing telegram, thankfully in faraway Canada.

His eventual YouTube debut happened as an extra in a Violetine video of that era, You Know.

Anyway, by 28, Byron realised he wanted to write about cars and nothing else, and on the eve of his 30th, landed a job at John Mellor’s Australian Automotive Business, a predecessor to GoAuto, where he still feels he belongs after four decades, breaking through with an unsolicited road test of his mother’s Peugeot 306.

Going freelance in 1999, he worked at the long-defunct eauto.com.au (it’s still on Wayback Machine), then picked up a gig at Wheels magazine, citing 11 years of Car of the Year judging as a life-changing employment experience. Among scores of amazing people, it was there he became great friends with Peter Robinson, the editor of that first car magazine he devoured back in ’77. Do meet your heroes.

In 2020, Byron started at CarsGuide, where he is a Contributing Journalist to this day. Other regular media outlets he writes for include the RAC WA and Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine.

Note: though Byron has many old cars he loves, he has never owned an Austin A30, Valiant, XD Falcon or Peugeot 306. To paraphrase Bjork, to do so may break the charm.

You can find Byron on LinkedIn.

Education

Associate Diploma in Advertising, RMIT | 1987-1990

Awards

2024 Newspress Australia Road Tester of the Year

Featured Publications

GoAuto | 1997-2022
Wheels | 2009-2021
CarsGuide | 2020-present
RAC WA
Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine

Shock 2026 arrival! Ford Bronco for Oz

By Byron Mathioudakis · 13 Dec 2025

Ford has all but signed, sealed and delivered a new type of Bronco for Australia. According to our sources, the Toyota RAV4 mid-sized SUV rival is set to arrive late next year as the belated 2027 replacement for the unsuccessful Escape that was dropped in 2023. Despite looking very similar, note that this is not related to either the monocoque-bodied Bronco Sport SUV, or the much-beefier Bronco 4WD off-roader that’s built on the T6 Ranger platform. Launched in 2021, both are very popular North America-focused models not earmarked for our market.

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Toyota HiLux 2026 review: Australian first drive

By Byron Mathioudakis · 11 Dec 2025

Can you teach an old dog new tricks? The Toyota HiLux has undergone an big facelift inside and out for 2026 for a fresh look. But it's underneath where the most welcome changes occur, with new comfort-biased suspension from SR5 grades and up, to improve the previous hard ride. And even the carryover heavy-duty suspension is nicer. Yes, the HiLux is still old and cramped, but it's palpably better.

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Toyota Tacoma to sit alongside HiLux in Australia?

By Byron Mathioudakis · 09 Dec 2025

Toyota has finally confirmed its desire to introduce the Tacoma to Australia as soon as possible, as part of a wider ute strategy that will crucially also involve – rather than supplant – the HiLux. The intention would be for the N400-series one-tonne ute unveiled in North America back in 2023 to eventually sit above the newly-restyled HiLux in this country, as a larger, premium proposition.

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2026 Nissan Navara sales to grow ute market

By Byron Mathioudakis · 06 Dec 2025

Nissan believes Australians will continue to buy the traditional one-tonne ute in increasing numbers, directly contradicting what Toyota said at the recent launch of the facelifted HiLux range.

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Nissan Australia MD: Please appreciate what we've got

By Byron Mathioudakis · 03 Dec 2025

The head of an entire region within one of the larger car companies in the world has asked Australians to better appreciate the scale of achievement behind bringing their latest model to market. Speaking at the global unveiling of the Nissan D27 Navara in Adelaide last week, Nissan Oceania Managing Director, Andrew Humberstone, said that dismissing the one-tonne ute as merely a rebadged Mitsubishi Triton is underestimating the magnitude of hard work that has gone into the project.

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Hitting Peak SUV and the return of cheaper cars

By Byron Mathioudakis · 30 Nov 2025

Has the world finally hit peak SUV? Hot on the heels of the release of the BYD Atto 1 and Kia K4 hatch in Australia, smaller, lighter, more efficient and – best of all – more-affordable passenger-car models are set to start making a comeback, as manufacturers respond to consumer and market shifts alike.

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Why you might be underestimating this new ute

By Byron Mathioudakis · 29 Nov 2025

The Nissan D27 Navara is still a few months away from hitting dealers, but there are signs it could be the best-value dual-cab pick-up in Australia. With full pricing and specification details to be revealed soon, the newly-Mitsubishi Triton-based ute – the fifth generation to wear the badge in 40 years – already boasts several features that may make it a surprise hit for buyers.

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Nissan Navara 2026 review - Australian preview drive

By Byron Mathioudakis · 26 Nov 2025

Nissan tried but failed with its previous (and maybe last-ever) in-house-developed diesel one-tonne ute, the D23 Navara. For 2026, the "all-new" D27 Navara is a mildly-restyled Mitsubishi (MV) Triton, and might only be Australia/New Zealand-only, for now. But there is one massive difference, and that is the retuned suspension, courtesy of Melbourne's Premcar, that is behind the Warrior series.

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The key to Chinese brand's domination

By Byron Mathioudakis · 21 Nov 2025

GWM has admitted there is still plenty of work left to do to boost the popularity of its entry-level Cannon 4x2 and 4x4 range in Australia. Whilst recording a decent 19 per cent volume rise year-to-date, to just under 7000 units, on the back of a significant diesel engine and transmission upgrade earlier this year as part of 2025 facelift, the keenly-priced Chinese mid-sized ute is only in seventh spot.

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Not what we expected: Foton’s next move in Australia

By Byron Mathioudakis · 21 Nov 2025

Foton is on the comeback trail in Australia, but what comes next won’t be an SUV or a larger and more-powerful ute. Instead, the Chinese brand has at least one new value-focused van under consideration, as it seeks to cement its reputation as a provider of no-nonsense commercial vehicles in this country.

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