Articles by Marcus Craft

Marcus Craft

Contributing Journalist

Raised by dingoes and, later, nuns, Marcus (aka ‘Crafty’) had his first taste of adventure as a cheeky toddler on family 4WD trips to secret fishing spots near Bundaberg, Queensland. He has since worked as a journalist for more than 20 years in Australia, London and Cape Town and has been an automotive journalist for 18 years.

This bloke has driven and camped throughout much of Australia – for work and play – and has written yarns for pretty much every mag you can think of.

The former editor of 4X4 Australia magazine, Marcus is one of the country’s most respected vehicle reviewers and off-road adventure travel writers.

How many cars in Australia?

By Marcus Craft · 30 May 2024

So, how many cars in Australia? More than 21 million, according to the latest publicly available federal government figures … but for even more interesting facts around this topic, read on.

Read the article

Should you turn on your headlights when it's raining?

By Marcus Craft · 22 May 2024

Turning on your headlights makes your vehicle more easily seen by other drivers and for you, the driver, it makes the task of being able to see the road or track more clearly ahead of you in those same conditions easier.

Read the article

What is overdrive on a car?

By Marcus Craft · 10 May 2024

Overdrive in a vehicle is "an automotive transmission gear that transmits to the drive shaft a speed greater than engine speed”.

Read the article

What is a Heavy Vehicle?

By Marcus Craft · 06 May 2024

A heavy vehicle, as defined in the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL), is “a vehicle that has a Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM*) or Aggregate Trailer Mass (ATM**) of more than 4.5 tonnes”.

Read the article

Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series 2024 review: 79 Series Single Cab Chassis Workmate auto - off-road test

By Marcus Craft · 05 May 2024

The V8 Toyota LandCruiser 79 Series is so popular the mind boggles. This is a purpose-built ute to the extreme. It's big and brash, noisy and not so nice - and in a molly-coddled, too-easy-to-be-triggered world, the 79 remains truly refreshing. But now that it's had a modern-ish update - replete with a 2.8L four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine and six-speed auto - is this the end for the beloved V8?

Read the article

Kia Sorento 2024 review: S Diesel

By Marcus Craft · 19 Apr 2024

Entry-level doesn't mean sub-par. If you're in the market for a decent seven-seater with updated technology and a solid features list, then it's a given Kia's Sorento S diesel AWD is likely in your sights. It may not exude the posh appeal of the Sorento upper-spec variants, such as the GT-Line, but this practical SUV has plenty of potential as a family mover.

Read the article

Hyundai Palisade 2024 review: Calligraphy 2.2D AWD 8-seat

By Marcus Craft · 08 Apr 2024

The Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy is a big, classy eight-seat SUV, packed with features, and it's even all-wheel drive, but its price tag is more than $80,000.In a highly competitive SUV market does the Calligraphy make the right impression, or does it get lost in the crowd?

Read the article

70 Series vs Ineos Quartermaster on paper

By Marcus Craft · 31 Mar 2024

The latest 70 Series line-up has shown that Toyota is not completely ignoring customer feedback – introducing a HiLux 1GD-FTV 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine and Aisin six-speed automatic transmission choice to the range – but is the time right for another hardcore 4WD ute to knock the 70 off its perch? Something like the Ineos Grenadier Quartermaster, perhaps?

Read the article

New 4WDs set to disrupt the Aussie car market

By Marcus Craft · 30 Mar 2024

There are plenty of notable new 4WD releases this year – including the all-new Mitsubishi Triton (already here), revised Isuzu D-Max and MU-X (coming soon), the Lexus GX and even a petrol-electric BYD ute, to name a few – but in this yarn I’m throwing the spotlight on three 4WDs that I reckon will shake up the market.

Read the article

2025 Toyota RAV4 – everything we know so far

By Marcus Craft · 24 Mar 2024

The Toyota RAV4 is one of the most popular medium SUVs on the Australian market. The current fifth-generation RAV4 has been around since 2018 so it's well overdue for more than a mere spit and polish.

Read the article