Articles by Stephen Ottley

The MGS6 RWD Essence is the brand’s new mid-size electric SUV offering, sitting above the MGS5.Priced from $49,990, drive-away, it comes well-equipped with 20-inch alloy wheels, wireless smartphone charging, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, an 11-speaker sound system and a combination of synthetic leather and synthetic suede trim.The MGS6 RWD has a single electric motor, mounted on the rear axle, which makes 180kW of power. With its 77kWh battery, MG claims it has a driving range of up to 530km.The MGS6 is fitted with all the usual passive and active safety features you’d expect in this day and age. These include autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane departure warning, blind-spot warning, adaptive cruise control and a 360-degree parking camera.MG offers a standard seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty with the option to extend to 10 years/250,000km if you get all your servicing done at an MG dealer.Servicing intervals are every 12-months or 25,000km, whichever comes first. For the RWD model the five year service plan totals $1321 and $1877 for the seven year plan.

It’s the equivalent of Toyota opening its own service station franchise, but BYD Australia has admitted it could open its own public electric vehicle charging network.It’s one of a number of options on the table for the Chinese brand as it introduces its proprietary ‘Flash charging’ system to Australia. The initial rollout will focus on its Denza premium brand dealers in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide before expanding to BYD dealers in the future, but beyond that the options are wide open.“We’re working through that, but we'll have them in public spaces,” explained Stephen Collins, BYD Australia chief operating officer.“Now, whether it's next to a KFC or a shopping centre or a standalone ... the ones in China, for example, are basically standalone, so they're basically like the old petrol station. But it's just electric, a mega charging- electric service station.”Collins said creating standalone charging ‘service stations’ is possible thanks to the Flash charging technology, which can recharge at up to 1500kW and take a compatible battery from zero to 97 per cent capacity in just nine minutes. Currently the most powerful chargers in Australia are 400kW.Because of the speed of charging, Collins said this opens up the possibility of specific charging locations, instead of so-called ‘destination chargers’, such as those at shopping centres and hotels.“ I think that what they've shown in China is… ultimately having a public charging station, like the old petrol station, you literally drive in and in six, seven, eight, nine minutes, bang you're full,” he said.The BYD boss also said that Flash charging should help reduce another factor in buyer hesitation towards electric vehicles.“ I think ‘time to charge’ has been a barrier, and that's what this technology solves,” he explained. “So I think it will be a big factor, next year and into the following years is that time to charge.”The technology is specific to BYD and Denza and requires the company’s latest generation Blade Batteries with 1000V capacity, so cars from other brands will not be able to use the Flash chargers.

MG is looking to bounce back from a tough 2026 with an important new model - the MGS6. This is the brand's crucial new rival to the likes of the BYD Sealion 7, Tesla Model Y and a raft of other electric and hybrid powered family SUVs. We drive the new MGS6 to assess its performance, practicality, safety and more and find out if it has what it takes to get MG headed in the right direction again.

BYD is poised to step up its attack on the ute market, with a raft of possible Shark 6 expansion models under consideration.The Chinese brand’s decision to triple the Shark 6 line-up with the new 2.0-litre Performance model and the Cab Chassis variant is only the beginning of its growth plans for the popular ute.BYD Australia Chief Operating Officer Stephen Collins said the company is focused on expanding the appeal of the plug-in hybrid ute to potential fleet customers in the short-term, with more options on the table beyond that.“There's more sub-segments that are pretty obvious that we're talking to HQ about,” Collins told CarsGuide.“So nothing I can confirm at this point, but yeah, we're certainly looking to continue to grow where it makes sense in the range. So whether that be at the top, whether it be at the bottom, whether it be certain mining-spec cars or whatever it may be, definite opportunities there. And because we're the lead market I think we have a lot of pull in what we can bring to the market.”The addition of the Shark 6 Performance means the ute can now tow up to 3500kg, opening the market to customers who tow larger items, such as ‘grey nomad’ caravaners and other tradespeople. While the new Dynamic Cab Chassis gives the Shark 6 more appeal to tradies and fleet customers in need of a specific solution at the rear instead of the integrated tub.Collins wouldn’t be drawn on any specific areas where the Shark 6 range could expand to, but did underline just how important growing its share of the lucrative fleet market is.“I think the obvious one has been fleet. We said last night that 35 per cent is about the norm. We've been at 10, we're now at 20 . So I think fleet is probably the obvious one where we've really been missing out, and we've established a fleet department. We work closely with our retail partners. We've probably got, in combination with our retail partners, we've probably got 25 people working on fleet. So that's the obvious one.“I think we just appeal broadly now, and I think there's just more opportunity as the car's only been in the market for 14-15 months. We've quickly gained, I think, a strong reputation getting on the shopping list. And I think now we're just getting on the shopping list of more tradies, grey nomads, families who just want to go camping, sparkies, just all of the above. And I think this just widens the appeal.”One likely option would be installing the new 2.0-litre petrol engine in the Cab Chassis, which would allow it to tow up to 3500kg, instead of the current 2500kg. Collins wouldn’t confirm such a variant was locked in, but did say it was “on the radar” for the brand.

Are there cracks starting to appear in Toyota’s seemingly impervious armour?Toyota has long dominated the Australian car industry. So much so that for the last several years, nearly one in every five new cars sold has been one of the Japanese brand’s options. But an unlikely contender has emerged to potentially halt that seemingly unstoppable sales success.China’s BYD was Toyota’s closest sales rival in April and has enjoyed sales growth of more than 110 per cent in the first fourth months of 2026. Toyota has been off to an unusually slow start, dropping more than 22 per cent of its sales over the same period.Despite the two brands starting 2026 in opposite sales trajectories, BYD Australia Chief Operating Officer Stephen Collins isn’t focused on getting the better of Toyota.“ I think that's an issue for them,” he told CarsGuide. “All I focus on is what we can control. And at the end of the day, where you finish at the end of the month, the end of the year, the end of the quarter, it's just a result. It's just a fallout of what you've been able to do. Toyota might be in a situation where their orders are fine, but they can't get the stock for whatever reason, I don't know.”Not that Collins is aiming low, with a clear target of finishing within the top three selling brands for 2026, which would represent a major improvement over its seventh place on the charts in 2025. “Look, I think I said this at the start of the year and a few people looked at me like I was a bit crazy, saying that, I think we want to be in or around the top three ,” he said.“I genuinely think that's where we should be. Where we go from there, who knows? There's so many variables, who knows? But I think that starts to put us in a leadership bracket of brands. And we've just gotta keep getting better - that's it. Toyota has been so good for so long because they do so many things really well and we've got to do better.”The reality is Toyota remains comfortably ahead of all of its key rivals thanks to its enormous lead over the rest of the market. Despite its major sales drop to start the year, Toyota has still sold almost 60,000 new vehicles (59,675 to be precise) between January and April, with no other brand surpassing 28,000 sales. BYD has sold 25,243 new models so far this year, which puts it in fifth place year-to-date and less than 1000 units behind fourth-placed Ford. To underline just how steep BYD’s rise has been, in April 2025 the brand was not even amongst the top 10 selling companies, so it is on a very dramatic upward trajectory.Part of Collins’ plan is to grow sustainably but quickly, expanding its line-up to follow Toyota’s strategy of a broad array of popular models across multiple market segments.“We want to do all that, but do it quicker and better than anyone,” said Collins. “I'm not saying that arrogantly, I'm just saying that's the mindset that we need to have now. The mindset for us, for me, now is, ‘oh, we're not a challenger brand anymore.’ We're beyond that. We just need to be better.”To that end, BYD Australia negotiated with its head office for the use of one of BYD’s eight car carrier ships, the BYD Zhengzhou, to rush a delivery of 4800 new vehicles to Australia for delivery. This is one shipment of a planned 30,000 new vehicles scheduled to arrive before the end of the financial year and Collins said the “vast majority” were already sold. Beyond that, the brand has just expanded the Shark 6 ute range with a new flagship model, the Performance, and a new, fleet-friendly Cab Chassis option. In addition to that BYD has announced two new models and two facelifted models will be added before the end of 2026, as part of an on-going expansion that has also included the Atto 1 and Atto 2 electric vehicles as well as the Sealion 5 and Sealion 8 SUVs recently.

Before you get your hopes up… no, despite the name, this isn’t BYD’s answer to the Ford Ranger Raptor. But the new Shark 6 Performance might do something even better than just be quick.This is the brand’s first major update to its ute, coming after it became a sales hit despite paving the way for plug-in hybrid (PHEV) utes. However, while it has cemented itself as one of the top five most popular utes in Australia, it isn’t without its shortcomings.Specifically, the Shark 6 came under fire for its 2500kg towing capacity, when the industry standard is considered 3500kg, and some issues when the going gets slippery off-road. So, BYD has acted swiftly to try and address those criticisms and continue the Shark 6’s sales growth.That’s why the Performance, which sits above the existing Premium variant, has a new 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, replacing the 1.5-litre version. BYD has also added a more powerful front axle motor (but kept the rear axle motor the same), for a combined system output of 350kW and 700Nm. That’s a 29kW/50Nm improvement over the Shark 6 Premium.While that doesn’t mean it’s much faster, the 0-100km/h sprint now takes 5.5 seconds which is only 0.2 seconds faster than the Premium, but the added torque means the Performance can tow up to 3500kg.Then to tackle the criticisms about its off-road performance, particularly on steep inclines and slippery surfaces, BYD has introduced a new off-road setting to the car’s complex computer, ‘Crawl’ mode.This new setting was developed in Australia, as we are the lead market for the Shark 6, and it goes a long way to rectifying the problems the PHEV ute would have on high angle, slippery surfaces at low speed, where the traction control system would struggle to get you out of a jam.So Crawl mode activates between 0-12km/h and uses the petrol engine to help get over rocks, steep climbs, deep ruts and soft sand.Notably, BYD opted against adding the mechanical locking differential featured in the sister-brand Denza’s B5 and B8 SUVs, which share the same 2.0-litre PHEV powertrain. What there are though, are larger brakes, which helps if you’re towing an extra tonne, and revisions to the suspension, but otherwise changes are limited. Visually the Performance and Premium are the same externally, with the Performance getting a unique steering wheel and steering column-mounted gear selector.Driving the new Shark 6 Performance across a variety of conditions - on-road, off-road and towing - it doesn’t take long to realise why it has become so popular. BYD has had the rare fortune of meeting the market with exactly the right vehicle at exactly the right moment.With the rise of ‘lifestyle’ utes, the fuel efficiency of the Shark 6 Performance - using just 1.3L/100km and with a 80km electric range - combined with its new-found off-road improvements and ability to tow more, will only make it more appealing as diesel prices show no signs of diving anytime soon.On the road, the new engine doesn’t feel dramatically different to the existing 1.5-litre though, so if you are still thinking the badge makes it a sporty, high-performance ute, you will be disappointed. But it did manage to tow well over 2500kg during our test drive, pulling a large caravan without too much effort. Yes, you can feel the engine and motors are working harder to haul so much weight, but it doesn’t feel like it is straining.While we only did a basic towing test, BYD claimed that during local testing they pulled a 3500kg, 25ft caravan and saw a return of 18L/100km.Priced from $62,990 (plus on-road costs) the Performance is a $5000 premium on the Premium, but that will be a small price to pay for those looking for that extra 1000kg of towing capability.

BYD shook up the ute establishment with the arrival of its ground-breaking plug-in hybrid, the Shark 6. Now it’s looking to target the heartland of the ute audience with its newest addition.The Shark 6 Dynamic is a cab-chassis variant, expanding the appeal of the Chinese-made ute to a more working-class audience, and in particular the lucrative fleet segment.Or at least that’s what the company is hoping for, as the Dynamic joins an expanded Shark 6 line-up that also includes the more powerful Performance variant, which introduces 3.5-tonne towing capacity.Priced from $55,900 plus on-road costs the Dynamic Cab Chassis is the new entry point to the Shark 6 line-up, $2000 cheaper than the existing Premium and $7000 less than the new Performance.It’s powered by the same combination of 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine and dual electric motors (one on each axle) as the Premium, which is good for a combined output of 321kW/650Nm. The motors are supported by BYD’s signature Blade battery, a 29.5kWh lithium iron phosphate unit that's the same as the other Shark 6. That’s enough for a claimed driving range of 800km combining the battery and 60-litre fuel tank, with a 100km electric-only range and fuel consumption rated at 2.0L/100km.Interestingly, BYD has opted to limit the new, bigger 2.0-litre engine to the Performance, so the Cab Chassis, despite being the obvious workhorse of the range, is limited to a 2500kg braked towing capacity.Instead of targeting the towing market, BYD is clearly hoping the Dynamic Cab Chassis appeals to those looking for a flexible work solution, which is exactly what fleet buyers want. By offering a Cab Chassis, BYD will be able to target organisations that need a ute but also have specific needs for the tray, such as special toolboxes and other setups.However, if you’re looking for a solution direct from the showroom, BYD has partnered with Ironman 4x4 to develop an approved tray available as an option. It features eight integrated tie-down points and two lockable storage boxes, one of which houses the charging outlet. It measures 1679mm long, 1809mm wide and 259mm in height.BYD hadn’t confirmed the price of this Ironman tray at the time of publication.BYD has also avoided publishing a direct payload figure, only publishing the gross vehicle mass and kerb weight, which suggests a 900kg payload, albeit minus the weight of the tray (which is 150kg) or any other extras. In addition to carrying over the same powertrain as the Shark 6 Premium, the Cab Chassis also has the same suspension setup, double wishbone type front and rear, instead of utilising the more capable leaf-spring rear end suspension favoured by most of its rivals.While this does limit payload, to a degree, it also helps ensure the Shark 6 Dynamic rides with a more SUV-like composure, rather than the busier, more bumpy ride that its rivals can suffer from - especially when unladen.It’s obviously a risk in this highly competitive market, but so was launching a plug-in hybrid ute in the first place, so it makes sense that BYD is sticking to the strategy that has worked so far.It translates to a ute that is quite quiet and pleasant to drive both on-road and off-road, although testing it alongside the new Performance did highlight the extra strength of the new, larger engined model.BYD did add approximately 400kg of payload to the tray for us to sample the ride and performance with some weight in the back. Given the amount of weight, it was entirely surprising that it managed to perform without any noticeable difference. Certainly, for fleet or private buyers needing to carry a few hundred kilos or add big toolboxes or similar to the back of the Shark 6, this new Dynamic variant will be up to the task.It has the same well-finished interior as the Premium, so it doesn’t look or feel like a ‘workhorse’ inside either. It has the same level of space and versatility that has made the Shark 6 a popular choice for so many ute buyers, presumably many with families, so the SUV-like cabin makes it feel family friendly.

I once attended a car launch where they enlisted the help of one of Australia’s leading designers to tell us that ‘good design requires no explanation’.Which made it awkward when the car company executive then spent 30 minutes explaining the design of the newest model…While it was awkward and undercut the whole point of the design-led presentation, at least it made sense, because it was not a good looking vehicle. And that’s because despite all the concept sketches, clay models and focus groups, sometimes car companies just get it wrong.Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and looks are very subjective, but sometimes you just need to call a spade a spade. And, more importantly, there have been some models that have clearly been impacted by their looks.For example, Ford’s AU Falcon is a cult icon now, but at the time it was released it was widely considered a case-study in getting design wrong. In fact, you can probably trace the decline of the Falcon (and arguably the locally-made large sedans) to the looks of the AU.Another example of design having a major impact on a vehicle’s performance is the divergent fates of the 2011 Mazda BT-50 and Ford Ranger. Both utes feature the same Ford-developed underpinnings, but whereas the Blue Oval went down a design path of ‘boxy, tough, truck’, Mazda went a very different way. It tried to carry across the design ethos of its then-popular CX-7 and CX-9 SUVs, which arguably made sense given the gentrification of utes. But as history has proven, ute buyers prefer boxy, tough and truck-like design. Within a few years Ford had more than doubled Ranger sales, while Mazda had grown only marginally.So, what are some of the other most ‘visually challenging’ vehicles on the market today? Below is our list, but we’d love to know what you think, so let us know in the comments or on social media which new vehicles have a face only its designer could love…Tesla CybertruckThankfully Australia has been spared the sight of the ‘dumpster-on-wheels’ on our roads. Clearly the American electric brand wanted to stand out from the pack when it entered the ute/pickup market. Unfortunately, it stands out the same way you might stand out in a crowd if you wrap yourself head-to-toe in tinfoil.It has become a symbol of Tesla the brand: unorthodox, but not necessarily in a good way.Kia EV4When it comes to Kia the Tasman is the easy whipping boy of the brand. But that would be a cheap shot to hit it again, especially as the design was deliberately created to help the Tasman stand out in a very crowded ute market. It was a swing and a miss.The more unusual car in Kia’s otherwise very attractive line-up, is the EV4. The electric mid-size sedan is the definition of ‘form over function’, shaped by the wind tunnel for maximum aerodynamic efficiency.It works, with the long range models capable of more than 600km of driving on a single charge (according to Kia’s claim), but that doesn't change the fact it is an odd looking vehicle.Mercedes-Benz C-Class EVIt’s not just the mainstream brands that occasionally strike design trouble. The German luxury brand’s latest addition is unlikely to go down as one of the brand’s most iconic creations. Memorable? Yes, just not for the right reasons.The front grille is as subtle as a Las Vegas casino and looks like you crashed into a diamante shop. While the rear has so many three-pointed stars stuffed into the design nobody should be in any doubt that you’re trying to ram down their throats you have a Mercedes-Benz.And then there’s the interior…I know the full-width ‘Hyperscreen’ is an optional extra, but it’s 39.1-inches of technology over-riding classy, sophisticated design.Subaru OutbackSubaru has taken a big gamble on its latest-generation Outback, abandoning its wagon roots for an SUV design… sort of. Actually, what they’ve done is try to splice the two concepts together and the result is neither a good-looking wagon nor a stylish SUV.Instead it looks awkwardly proportioned, with a grille that wouldn’t look out-of-place on a US pickup truck. And the new Wilderness addition only adds more stuff to make it look even more bulky and awkward.Hyundai Santa FeLike I said earlier, design is purely subjective and there’s every chance you disagree with every car I’ve put on this list. I say that with confidence because I don’t think the Santa Fe should be on this list, because I think it’s a fantastic looking SUV.But, ever since it has launched I have had people tell me they think it’s hideous. In particular, the rear-end styling, with the lights mounted too low on the body, seems to be a sticking point.Personally, I love the boxy, almost-Land-Rover-Defender looks, but I can understand why it polarises opinion.And that’s the same story for any car, because everyone sees design strictly through their own eyes. So let us know in the comments what you think are the cars that get it wrong on the styling front.

Australia’s electric vehicle buying frenzy appears to have already subsided.That’s the view of one of Australia’s leading electric vehicle brands, BYD, which says its mix of models has already started to normalise despite the on-going fuel crisis. Sales of EVs jumped in March and April, as the price of petrol and diesel spiked amid conflict in the Middle East.In March EV sales were double what they were in March 2025, jumping to 14.6 per cent of the total market. That figure rose to 16.4 per cent of total sales in April, while searches on CarsGuide classifieds for EVs rose 230 per cent in March. Autotrader reported a 631 per cent jump in people searching for a new EV to buy in March.But the peak of this EV boom may already be behind us according to BYD Australia Chief Operating Officer Stephen Collins, which is telling because the brand only offers EVs and plug-in hybrid (PHEVs).“I'll tell you what we've seen,” explained Collins. “What we saw was that in March there was a big uplift. Our mix went from 50/50 PHEV/EV to 70 per cent EV and 30 per cent PHEV. Definitely March, absolutely. April it started to come off, that mix came off, and the huge spike was coming off, and I would say now is pretty much back to normal.”However, he added that even though the sales split had returned to its previous levels, overall demand for more fuel-efficient vehicles remains high as fuel prices appear unlikely to drop dramatically any time in the near-future. And Collins believes that this is all part of a long-running shift towards EVs and PHEVs.“I think the baseline from where we were in January, February to now is higher. So I think it's been one of those events that has actually changed the momentum. But I don't think it's true that, we're riding on the sort of a . Some people are saying, ‘Yeah, we're riding the wave of this, petrol, fuel crisis thing.’ Yes, there was a short period where it went really strong, but even prior to that, the trajectory was pretty obvious.”BYD has certainly benefitted from the current situation, finishing second on the April sales charts. Its 7702 sales that month put it only behind Toyota for the month, as buyers flocked to its line-up of ‘new energy vehicles’ including the most-affordable EV on sale today, the pint-sized Atto 1.BYD’s biggest EV success story is the Sealion 7, with the mid-size SUV not only the second best-selling EV in the country, behind only the Tesla Model Y, but is also amongst the most popular models in its class - which includes the likes of the Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX-5 and Mitsubishi Outlander.As of the end of April sale, BYD was the fifth best-selling car brand in Australia, behind only Toyota, Mazda, Kia and Ford. The brand is aiming to have 30,000 new cars delivered by the end of the financial year, starting with a shipment of 4800 new vehicles aboard the BYD Zhengzhou, a company-owned car carrier due to arrive in Australia at the start of June.

The Audi Q3 195kW quattro is the current flagship of the new range.The 150kW is priced from $81,900 for the SUV and $84,400 for the Sportback and comes with adaptive LED headlights, ambient interior lighting, keyless entry and ignition, leather-appointed upholstery, a 10-speaker sound system as well as adaptive dampers and 19-inch alloy wheels.Powered by a 2.0L turbo-petrol four-cylinder, producing 195kW/400Nm, mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission with quattro (all-wheel drive), it is the most powerful member of the current Q3 range.But the extra power brings extra fuel consumption, with the 195kW quattro rated at a relatively thirsty 8.1L/100km.Audi claims this is the safest Q3 ever, with more safety equipment than before to ensure it meets modern customer demands.There’s a 360-degree camera set-up, reversing camera, adaptive cruise control and a host of other active safety features. But perhaps more importantly than just having these systems, they are locally tested and calibrated for local conditions.The Q3 is covered by Audi Australia’s standard five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. This includes five-years of roadside assistance too.