Articles by Stephen Ottley

Stephen Ottley

Contributing Journalist

Steve has been obsessed with all things automotive for as long as he can remember. Literally, his earliest memory is of a car. Having amassed an enviable Hot Wheels and Matchbox collection as a kid he moved into the world of real cars with an Alfa Romeo Alfasud.

Despite that questionable history he carved a successful career for himself, firstly covering motorsport for Auto Action magazine before eventually moving into the automotive publishing world with CarsGuide in 2008. Since then he's worked for every major outlet, having work published in The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Drive.com.au, Street Machine, V8X and F1 Racing.

These days he still loves cars as much as he did as a kid and has an Alfa Romeo Alfasud in the garage (but not the same one as before... that's a long story).

We need to do better on the road | Opinion

By Stephen Ottley · 24 Aug 2024

Reviewing cars for CarsGuide is a wonderful job (in fact, don’t tell them but it really doesn’t feel like a job) and it means I’m on the road more than the average motorist. It also means I’ve been lucky enough to drive in other countries and get a sense for what’s the same, what’s better and what’s worse.

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The secret to Lotus' future revealed

By Stephen Ottley · 22 Aug 2024

The booming Chinese electric vehicle industry could be the key to Lotus reinventing itself as a luxury brand.

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BYD Atto 3 2025 review

By Stephen Ottley · 18 Aug 2024

The BYD Atto 3 has been one of Australia's best-selling electric vehicles. But it's getting older and 'early adopters' are running low, so BYD has given its small SUV an upgrade. But is it enough to keep the Tesla Model Y rival appealing to buyers? We drive it to find out.

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Mercedes makes surprise u-turn

By Stephen Ottley · 15 Aug 2024

Nothing sums up the rapidly changing trends in the Australian new car market than Mercedes-Benz Australia’s view of plug-in hybrids.

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Lotus' big plans for Australia

By Stephen Ottley · 14 Aug 2024

Forget everything you think you know about Lotus.

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AMG is bringing the V8 back for popular model

By Stephen Ottley · 07 Aug 2024

Mercedes-AMG is bringing back a fan favourite. After more than a year of criticism for switching its iconic C63 sports sedan from V8 to a four-cylinder turbocharged plug-in hybrid power, the brand has all-but-confirmed the incoming CLE63 will keep the bigger engine.

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Mercedes-Benz CLE 2025 review - Australian first drive

By Stephen Ottley · 06 Aug 2024

Mercedes-Benz has looked to simplify its line-up, replacing both the C-Class and E-Class coupes with a single two-door model - the all-new CLE Coupe. The CLE Coupe is based on the C-Class sedan but gets a bigger body to try and appeal to the two different buyers. We test the new model to see how it performs and find out if it will convince coupe customers that less is more.

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Mercedes-AMG GLC63 2025 review: S E Performance - Australian first drive

By Stephen Ottley · 01 Aug 2024

Mercedes-AMG is famous for its big engines but modern pressures have forced a re-think. We drive the all-new AMG GLC63 S E Performance, which swaps a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 for an Formula One-inspired turbocharged and hybrid powertrain. The new model is faster, more powerful and more efficient - but is it better? We drive it to find out how it performs and whether it lives up to AMG's reputation.

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Why I'm happy they made a Ford Mustang EV

By Stephen Ottley · 28 Jul 2024

As William Shakespeare famously wrote: ‘What’s in a name? Would a Ford Mustang with an electric motor still be a Ford Mustang?’

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This car brand should have the others worried

By Stephen Ottley · 22 Jul 2024

“China has yet to create a single international marquee of its own that is universally recognised and respected. It is time for Chinese carmakers to upend the order of the global automotive industry and chart a course into a new vast territory.”

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