Articles by Stephen Ottley

What is a car? A car is any four-wheeled, self-propelled vehicle that is designed to carry passengers rather than cargo.

The Crosstrek 2.0R is the pinnacle of the range in terms of equipment, but not price. Starting from $41,490 (excluding on-road costs), it’s actually slightly cheaper than its hybrid equivalent.

The Crosstrek 2.0R is priced from $38,490 (plus on-road costs) and comes generously equipped with 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, dusk-sensing headlights and black roof rails.Inside you’ll find cloth-trimmed seats, dual-zone climate control, USB-C and USB-A connections, a six-speaker stereo and an 11.6-inch tablet-style multimedia touchscreen with compatible wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a wireless charging pad.It also comes with a two-mode X-Mode off-road settings, front and rear wipers with front de-icer, self-levelling LED headlights with auto off, front cornering lamps, heated door mirrors, front LED fog lights and dark grey roof rails. Inside the 2.0R gets premium cloth trim for the seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear shift, sports pedals, auto-dimming rear mirror, heated front seats and a 10-way power adjustable driver’s seat. It also adds USB-A and USB-C charging ports for the rear passengers, but notably no rear air-conditioning vents.The design of the Crosstrek follows the same formula as the XV, so it will be familiar to previous or current owners. That means a real ‘high-riding hatchback’ feel to the cabin, with good space up front and in the second row.The front seats have been redesigned for the Crosstrek and do feel comfortable and supportive, even after a whole day of driving.The space in the rear seats is good, enough to accommodate two adults in relative comfort but the boot is on the small side for this class, at just 291-litres. And the temporary spare tyre doesn’t fit with Subaru’s sales pitch of the Crosstrek being an off-road capable small SUV.Like the rest of the range, it comes with Subaru’s EyeSight suite of active safety features. Just some of the highlights of a comprehensive array of safety features includes Front Pre-Collision Braking, Adaptive Cruise Control, Emergency Lane Keep Assist, Lane Centring Function, Lane Departure Prevention, Lane Departure Warning, Autonomous Emergency Steering and Speed Sign Recognition. There’s also a driver monitoring system, which brings a distraction warning, drowsiness warning and facial recognition, and Subaru’s Vision Assist safety package.The 2.0L is powered by Subaru’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder boxer engine making 115kW/196Nm, sending its power to the all-wheel drive system through a CVT automatic. Because of the permanent all-wheel drive the fuel economy is behind some of the Crosstrek’s key rivals, rated at 7.2L/100km.

If you’re looking for a new Mercedes-Benz then the timing is just right. The German luxury brand is bracing for a busy remainder of 2023 with no less than 11 new or updated models hitting showrooms.

Subaru won’t engage in a price war with its Chinese challengers, vowing to stick to the formula that has made it one of Australia’s best-selling brands even if it means raising prices.

Changing the name of a popular car model can be a very risky move. So the arrival of the new Subaru Crosstrek is a risk for the Japanese brand. It's a fresh name applied to this new-generation replacement for the XV, which was already a subtle name change from the original nameplate for the model - the Impreza XV.

Mercedes-Benz has committed to its electric future, with plans to have eight EVs on sale in Australia by the end of 2023. And performance division AMG will play a major role in that future.

Mercedes-Benz has been building cars for longer than anyone else, but as it expands its electric portfolio it runs the risk of alienating its existing customers. But the new EQE 350 is just what the brand needs, an all-electric luxury sedan that will appeal to both traditional and contemporary buyers.

At first glance there doesn’t seem like there would be any similarities between Isuzu and Tesla. One is a very old Japanese brand with a focus on utes and off-roaders, while the other is a relatively young American upstart that revolutionised the industry with its electric cars.

Can't make it to a showroom to look for a new car? No worries, Mercedes-Benz is bringing the showroom to you. Mercedes Australia has recently launched its 'Digital Showroom', a service that allows potential customers to get a one-on-one video chat with a "product expert" to talk through any details of the car they are interested in or ask any questions they have.