Articles by Byron Mathioudakis

Byron Mathioudakis
Contributing Journalist

Byron started his motoring journalism career when he joined John Mellor in 1997 before becoming a freelance motoring writer two years later.

He wrote for several motoring publications and was ABC Youth radio Triple J's "all things automotive" correspondent from 2001 to 2003.

He rejoined John Mellor in early 2003 and has been with GoAutoMedia as a senior product and industry journalist ever since.

With an eye for detail and a vast knowledge base of both new and used cars Byron lives and breathes motoring.

His encyclopedic knowledge of cars was acquired from childhood by reading just about every issue of every car magazine ever to hit a newsstand in Australia.

The child Byron was the consummate car spotter, devoured and collected anything written about cars that he could lay his hands on and by nine had driven more imaginary miles at the wheel of the family Ford Falcon in the driveway at home than many people drive in a lifetime.

The teenage Byron filled in the agonising years leading up to getting his driver's license by reading the words of the leading motoring editors of the country and learning what they look for in a car and how to write it.

In short, Byron loves cars and knows pretty much all there is to know about every vehicle released during his lifetime as well as most of the ones that were around before then.

Hyundai Ioniq T7, Ioniq T9 utes: what we know
By Byron Mathioudakis · 23 Nov 2024
Hyundai is putting the finishing touches to its breakthrough range of dual-cab utes, offering elevated levels of design, engineering, capacity, capabilities and choice against competition as diverse as the Ford Ranger, BYD Shark 6, Rivian R1T and Ford F-150 Lightning.
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2025 Hyundai Ioniq 9 breaks cover, here soon
By Byron Mathioudakis · 21 Nov 2024
Hyundai has finally pulled the covers off the long-awaited Ioniq 9. Set for Australia by the middle of next year, pricing and local-market specification details have yet to be revealed, though we understand that a sub-$100,000 entry cost is likely, to challenge the closely-related Kia EV9 Air’s $97,000 before on-road costs starting point.
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2026 Ford Ranger Super Duty details emerge
By Byron Mathioudakis · 19 Nov 2024
Ford has announced its strongest and most capable Ranger yet in the shape of the new Super Duty line-up. While little has been revealed for now, since sales won’t commence until 2026, Ford has confirmed a breakthrough 4500kg towing capacity, as well as 4500kg Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) and 8000kg Gross Combined Mass (GCM) ratings.
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Is a BYD Shark 6 EV and cheap hybrid coming?
By Byron Mathioudakis · 16 Nov 2024
BYD is set to fortify the Shark 6 plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) ute offering with additional variants, including an EV and possibly an entry-level hybrid version, as the Chinese brand takes on the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger in Australia.
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Will BYD cut prices or bring in cheaper EVs?
By Byron Mathioudakis · 10 Nov 2024
Is BYD going to go match other Chinese brands with significant discounts on electric vehicles (EVs)? Or will it release an even cheaper city car based on the Seagull hatch?
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Where are the Isuzu D-Max hybrid utes?
By Byron Mathioudakis · 03 Nov 2024
Are you wondering when Australia’s third best-selling ute, the Isuzu D-Max, is finally going hybrid? The simple answer is: not yet.
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BYD van wars! Electric E-Vali EV van looms
By Byron Mathioudakis · 02 Nov 2024
BYD’s unbridled expansion in Australia is set to include vans, as the Chinese carmaker continues to court fleet buyers searching for affordable and hassle-free hybrid tech.
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Isuzu D-Max 2025 review: Blade - Australian first drive
By Byron Mathioudakis · 01 Nov 2024
With the help of engineering firm Walkinshaw, the Isuzu D-Max Blade gatecrashes the Australian-developed, off-road dual-cab ute shindig, as defined by the Ford Ranger Raptor and Nissan Navara Warrior. Aimed at the latter rather than the former, it may miss out on extra grunt, but gains improved on- and off-road capabilities, thanks to extensive engineering upgrades. Is it the best D-Max ever?
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Will BYD release a fleet-focused Shark 6 ute?
By Byron Mathioudakis · 28 Oct 2024
Is BYD about to go after the fleet market in Australia? It's already started!
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Why the BYD Shark 6 won't have it so easy
By Byron Mathioudakis · 26 Oct 2024
Right now, the BYD Shark 6 is the ute of the moment in Australia with pioneering hybrid tech, keen pricing, generous equipment and impressive packaging causing a buzz.
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