Articles by James Cleary

Growing up, my parents went through a phase of buying well-used P4 Rovers as family cars. A (mainly) 1950s British icon with top-notch leather, proper wood trim and luxuriously thick carpet. But these hulking sedans are also cumbersome, fugly and painfully slow.

What’s a car without a name? It’s an object that may function superbly well. It might even look impressively tough or beautifully sleek.

Forget the Kia Tasman or Subaru Outback, and nice try Renault Kangoo. Toyota has out-Aussied itself with a model name even the Prado Kakadu can’t hold a flamin’ candle to.Launched earlier this year, the Toyota HiLux Rangga (named Champ in other markets) is a single cab ute produced in Thailand and the Philippines as a budget-friendly workhorse underpinned by a simplified version of the HiLux’s ladder-frame chassis.Now a three-row SUV version has been officially launched, initially for domestic consumption, with exports to other markets in South-East Asia and South America likely to follow.Indonesia’s Toyota Astra Motor (TAM) commissioned local conversion specialist New Armada to develop the five-door, seven-seat SUV as a cut-price alternative to the Fortuner.Previewed in prototype form this October, TAM has now released images of the full production version of the car, at the same time confirming an early 2025 on-sale date.Identical to the ute it's based on from nose to B-pillar, the big, boxy rear section is all new, featuring a single-piece tailgate, simple vertically-oriented tail-lights and a step-up rear roof section complete with load rails.Six-spoke black alloy rims appear to have grown to at least 16-inch diameter, up from the standard ute’s 14-inch wheels, although they still look tiny underneath the Rangga SUV’s oversize body.Inside, seating is 2-3-2 with each row trimmed in synthetic leather and boot space behind the rear row somewhat limited relative to the car’s approximately 5.3m overall length.In Indonesia, the Rangga is available with a choice of a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, naturally aspirated petrol engine producing 102kW/183Nm, or 2.4-litre turbo-diesel four delivering 110kW/343Nm. A choice of five-speed manual gearbox or a six-speed automatic transmission sends drive to the rear wheels only.And unlike that ‘other’ automotive redhead (hello, Ferrari Testarossa) the Toyota Rangga SUV is aimed at price-sensitive family buyers.Toyota Astra Motor Marketing Director Anton Jimmy Suwandi says the entry-grade petrol, five-speed Rangga SUV will start from under $39,500 (price calculated on a direct Indonesian Rupiah to AUD conversion). The HiLux Champ Rangga is expected to form the basis of Toyota's much-anticipated, cut-price Mini LandCruiser FJ in the future.

Eighteen months ago we dived into the Chinese car manufacturing business in an attempt to establish just how many domestic brands were involved in the ultimate automotive cage fight. 

Honda has unveiled a demonstration production line for solid-state batteries as a prelude to a full-scale assault on the new technology.

The Australian Government has launched an independent review of its national standards for road vehicle safety, anti-theft and emissions with the aim of harmonising them with international regulations.

Volkswagen Australia used its Amarok dual-cab ute to set a new record for crossing Australia's 10 deserts... in one go. And a limited run of 300 '10 Deserts Edition' examples has been commissioned to celebrate. We've driven it on-road and over some challenging off-highway trails to find out if the value and dynamic ability equation adds up.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has confirmed it’s collaborating with Melbourne-based Walkinshaw Group on a new generation version of a high-performance Amarok dual cab ute.

I get it. The Chevy Silverado, Ford F-150, Ram 1500 and soon to arrive Toyota Tundra are eff off big trucks. In many situations, arguably too big for Aussie conditions.

You never know what’s going to bob up in an otherwise dry, sombre, Powerpoint-driven financial results presentation.