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).

Would this change be a big mistake for Mazda?

By Stephen Ottley · 11 Jun 2023

Mazda could be about to make one of its most significant changes, one that has the potential to damage its most popular model - the CX-5. The brand has already confirmed that a replacement for the CX-5 is coming, which is good news for the local operation as the mid-size SUV is its best-selling vehicle and one of the closest challengers to the class-leading Toyota RAV4.

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Why Mazda has been slow to make EV switch

By Stephen Ottley · 10 Jun 2023

Australians will have to wait at least another 18 months before Mazda introduces another all-electric model.

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Mercedes is ready to go all-EV when you are

By Stephen Ottley · 10 Jun 2023

Mercedes-Benz is prepared to switch to an all-electric line-up as soon as Australian customers are ready for it. While Mercedes hasn’t set a firm end date for the development and sale of internal combustion vehicles - something rival brands, such as Audi, have done - the company is preparing to make a wholesale switch to electric vehicles (EVs) whenever the market demands.

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Subaru teases Impreza's shocking future

By Stephen Ottley · 09 Jun 2023

Subaru Australia will launch the new-generation Impreza before the end of 2023, but the long-term future of the Japanese small car remains unclear. Subaru Australia managing director Blair Read told CarsGuide.com.au that despite committing to this latest model, which was first revealed in November 2022, the company is continuing to monitor the small car market as sales decline across the segment.

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Why Mercedes pulled the plug...

By Stephen Ottley · 07 Jun 2023

Australian new car buyers are taking an all-or-nothing approach to electrification - at least according to Mercedes-Benz.

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Where does Mazda Australia sit globally?

By Stephen Ottley · 03 Jun 2023

Don't let the missing CX-50, CX-70 and Mazda3 Turbo fool you - Australia remains a favourite market for the Japanese giant.

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How more EVs could be sold in Australia

By Stephen Ottley · 02 Jun 2023

Integrating solar panels and batteries in new home builds will be key to the uptake of electric cars in Australia.

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Why Mazda's EV alternative didn't work

By Stephen Ottley · 28 May 2023

It was meant to be the saviour of the internal combustion engine. A new type of technology that would offer not only improved fuel economy but also produce less emissions across its well-to-wheel lifecycle. Mazda invested untold millions in Skyactiv-X, which used diesel-like compression ignition technology to cut fuel consumption by a claimed 20 per cent.

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Wilderness-ready Subaru's coming to Australia

By Stephen Ottley · 26 May 2023

Subaru Australia has all-but-confirmed the introduction of the more off-road capable Wilderness editions of the Outback, Forester and Crosstrek.

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Subaru Crosstrek 2.0L 2023 review: snapshot

By Stephen Ottley · 26 May 2023

Prices have risen significantly with the change from XV to Crosstrek, so the entry price to the range is $1800 more than where the XV ended up in December 2022, but is more than $5000 dearer than it was 12 months ago.

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