Articles by Neil Dowling

Neil Dowling
Contributing Journalist

GoAutoMedia

Cars have been the corner stone to Neil’s passion, beginning at pre-school age, through school but then pushed sideways while he studied accounting.

It was rekindled when he started contributing to magazines including Bushdriver and then when he started a motoring section in Perth’s The Western Mail.

He was then appointed as a finance writer for the evening Daily News, supplemented by writing its motoring column. He moved to The Sunday Times as finance editor and after a nine-year term, finally drove back into motoring when in 1998 he was asked to rebrand and restyle the newspaper’s motoring section, expanding it over 12 years from a two-page section to a 36-page lift-out.

In 2010 he was selected to join News Ltd’s national motoring group Carsguide and covered national and international events, launches, news conferences and Car of the Year awards until November 2014 when he moved into freelancing, working for GoAuto, The West Australian, Western 4WDriver magazine, Bauer Media and as an online content writer for one of Australia’s biggest car groups.

He has involved himself in all aspects including motorsport where he has competed in everything from motocross to motorkhanas and rallies including Targa West and the ARC Forest Rally.

He loves all facets of the car industry, from design, manufacture, testing, marketing and even business structures and believes cars are one of the few high-volume consumables to combine a very high degree of engineering enlivened with an even higher degree of emotion from its consumers.

Ford Ranger Raptor could come in around $80k
By Neil Dowling · 13 Feb 2018
Ford’s Ranger Raptor is expected to sit atop the Australian dual-cab 4x4 pick-up market with a circa-$80,000 pricetag.
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No price rise for updated Nissan 370Z
By Neil Dowling · 09 Feb 2018
Pricing remains as is but the Nissan 370Z gains some styling flourishes.
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Subaru adds tS variant, ups pricing for BRZ
By Neil Dowling · 05 Dec 2017
Subaru has added a new flagship tS variant to its BRZ as part of a model year 2018 refresh that also sees range-wide upgrades and a price rise of $1000 for the rear-drive sportscar.
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Range Rover Sport facelift here in April
By Neil Dowling · 30 Nov 2017
Land Rover has opened its order books for 2018, announcing the pricing for the facelifted version of its hot-selling Range Rover Sport that cops a price hike.
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Steep price rises for new Range Rover line-up
By Neil Dowling · 30 Nov 2017
Land Rover has shown facelifted versions of its Range Rover for 2018 during the Los Angeles motor show that gets some upmarket equipment from its new Velar sibling and a substantial price increase.
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Local launch of Lexus RX L planned for Feb
By Neil Dowling · 30 Nov 2017
Lexus has added an L to its large-size RX SUV to create a seven-seat variant that was unveiled this week at the Los Angeles motor show and goes on sale in Australia from February next year.
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Toyota upgrades Prado for safety, cuts prices
By Neil Dowling · 10 Nov 2017
Toyota has added some new active safety features to its strong-selling LandCruiser Prado off-roader range as part of a late-life model update that also ushers in some price cuts.
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Hyundai Sonata gets new face to lift appeal
By Robbie Wallis · 30 Oct 2017
Australia’s declining mid-size car segment has been given a shot in the arm with the mid-life refresh of Hyundai’s up-specced Sonata sedan hitting showrooms from $30,990 plus on-road costs.
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Kai concept previews next-gen Mazda3
By Tung Nguyen · 26 Oct 2017
Mazda says the current Mazda3 design is “juvenile and fresh” while the Kai concept aims to be “sporty and mature”.
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Vision Coupe hints at next Mazda6
By Tung Nguyen · 25 Oct 2017
Mazda has unveiled its sleek, minimalist Vision Coupe concept at this week's Tokyo Motor Show as a preview of the next-generation Mazda6 sedan expected to be launched by 2020.
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