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Articles by Justin Hilliard

Justin Hilliard

Justin Hilliard

Head of Editorial

Justin’s dad chose to miss his birth because he wanted to watch Peter Brock hopefully win Bathurst, so it figures Justin grew up to have a car obsession, too – and don’t worry, his dad did turn up in time after some stern words from his mum.

That said, despite loving cars and writing, Justin chose to pursue career paths that didn’t lend themselves to automotive journalism, before eventually ending up working as a computer technician. But that car itch just couldn’t be scratched by his chipped Volkswagen Golf R (Mk7), so he finally decided to give into the inevitable and study a Master of Journalism at the same time.

And even with the long odds, Justin was lucky enough to land a full-time job as a motoring journalist soon after graduating and the rest, as they say, is history. These days, Justin happily finds himself working at CarsGuide during the biggest period of change yet for the automotive industry, which is perhaps the most exciting part of all.

In case you’re wondering, Justin begrudgingly sold the Golf R (sans chip) and still has plans to buy his dream car, an E46 BMW M3 coupe (manual, of course), but he is in desperate need of a second car space – or maybe a third.

Two months into ‘ownership’ and the 2024 Subaru Solterra Touring is fitting into my everyday life very nicely. So far the Japanese brand’s fully-electric mid-size SUV has proven to be an ideal urban commuter, but questions still remain about its value equation, which you can read all about in the...Read more
Subaru finally has a fully electric vehicle in its model line-up, with the all-new Solterra mid-size SUV well and truly late to the party. To be fair, Subaru isn’t the only legacy brand that’s been slow to move on the EV front. In fact, another Japanese marque in the same bucket is Toyota, so it’s...Read more
My third and final month with the 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce PHEV Q4 has undoubtedly been the most insightful, as it has finally exposed me to what long-term life with a plug-in hybrid can be. As promised, I will share my driving impressions and final verdict on the petrol-electric small SUV in...Read more
I’ve now been living with the 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce PHEV Q4 for two months, which have been eventful to say the least. There’s a lot to wrap your head around when it comes to living with a plug-in hybrid like this Alfa. I’ve never spent longer than a week driving a PHEV, so this extended...Read more
The 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce PHEV Q4 is a truly significant new model for the famous Italian brand for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the Tonale Veloce PHEV Q4 is an example of Alfa Romeo’s first small SUV, which is an entry-level segment that should deliver the premium marque significant...Read more
This is a goodbye that I am not looking forward to. I don’t think there’s been a long-term test vehicle I’ll miss more than the 2024 Genesis GV60 Performance. As mentioned in the first two parts of this long-term EVGuide review, the GV60 Performance ticks so many of my boxes. It is, therefore, an...Read more
Two months into daily driving the 2024 Genesis GV60 Performance and it continues to thoroughly impress me. It’s a real box-ticker with very few negatives. In the first instalment of this long-term EVGuide review, I went into detail about the ‘small’ SUV’s pricing and features – including safety –...Read more
Here at CarsGuide , we always talk about finding the right car for you. After all, the Ford Ranger ute might’ve been Australia’s best-selling new vehicle in 2023, but it is not for everyone. So, when I think about my personal list of requirements for a new vehicle, I think I’ve finally found the...Read more
And so the time has come to say goodbye to ‘my’ Nissan X-Trail e-Power Ti. It’s been four months since I collected keys and it’s been a memorable ‘ownership experience’, with the 'Scarlet Ember' test vehicle subject to the trials and tribulations of urban life. It’s been about two months since I...Read more
I’m now two months into ‘owning’ a 2024 Nissan X-Trail e-Power Ti and it remains one of the most interesting vehicles I’ve driven. In the first instalment of this long-term EVGuide review, I explained what makes this mid-size SUV so interesting, so be sure to click on the link below to read all...Read more
The 2024 Nissan X-Trail ePower might just be the most interesting vehicle that I’ve been tasked with reviewing to date. That’s a bit of a weird thing to say about a mainstream mid-size SUV , right? Well, despite its family focus, this new-generation model has a lot under the bonnet to wrap your...Read more
How has it been three months already? Yep, the time has come for me to say goodbye to the 2023 Volvo C40 Recharge Twin Motor. I'll miss it, to say the least. In the first two instalments of this long-term UrbanGuide review, I covered off the all-electric small SUV's pricing, features, aftersales...Read more
I've already spent two months living with the 2023 Volvo C40 Recharge Twin Motor!? Time really does fly by, but what an enjoyable time it has been so far. As promised, in this instalment of my long-term UrbanGuide review, I'm going to share my thoughts on the C40's design inside and out, as well as...Read more
I’ve been fortunate enough to have driven a lot of electric vehicles, but this EV, the 2023 Volvo C40 Recharge Twin Motor, is already one of my favourites. And in good news for me and my family, I’ve got the keys to one for the next three months. So, what exactly is a C40 ? And fair enough, too, if...Read more
And just like that my three months with the 2023 Nissan Qashqai ST-L are over. If you’ve read the first two instalments of this long-term UrbanGuide review, you’ll already know I am genuinely going to miss it. There are many reasons why, and I’ve already covered those on the value, ownership,...Read more
I’ve now ‘owned’ my 2023 Nissan Qashqai ST-L for two months, and I’ve genuinely found myself appreciating it more and more every day. After all, as far as I’m concerned, it’s ‘no nonsense’ motoring in the best way possible. But as promised, in this second instalment of my long-term UrbanGuide...Read more
I've spent a lot of time behind the wheel of the previous-generation Nissan Qashqai. No, seriously, there's no other car I've spent more time in over the years. And for what it's worth, I always rated the second generation of the small SUV, mainly because it was surprisingly practical due to its...Read more
And just like that, my three months with the Mazda CX-3 Akari LE AWD have come to an end. But will I miss it? Yes, and no. Before I get into why, in the second instalment of this three-part long-term review, I first promised to go into detail about how the semi-premium light SUV drives. And in that...Read more

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