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).

Hyundai Kona N could make electric comeback

By Stephen Ottley · 11 Mar 2023

In late 2022 Hyundai N chief architect, Albert Biermann, appeared to close the door on the Kona N seeing a second-generation when he confirmed a new petrol-powered version wouldn't be engineered and dismissed the idea of an electric model.

Read the article

Why Hyundai needs another SUV

By Stephen Ottley · 08 Mar 2023

Hyundai has created both a problem and an opportunity for itself. The new-generation Kona will arrive in Australian showrooms by the middle of the year, and when it does, this new, larger model will create a gap in the brand’s SUV range.

Read the article

The Hyundai Kona grows up

By Stephen Ottley · 07 Mar 2023

With doubts about the long-term future of i30 hatch, the small SUV may need to step-up and become Hyundai Australia’s new lynchpin model. CarsGuide attended the official reveal and detailing on the new model, so here’s everything you need to know about this all-important new addition to the Hyundai line-up.

Read the article

How Toyota will expand the GR Corolla appeal

By Stephen Ottley · 05 Mar 2023

Toyota has all-but-confirmed that an automatic transmission is coming to its hot hatch duo - the GR Yaris and newly-launched GR Corolla.

Read the article

The 'big challenge' facing the Toyota HiLux

By Stephen Ottley · 05 Mar 2023

Toyota is Australia’s favourite carmaker but has started 2023 off with a whimper rather than a bag. The Japanese giant is down more than 23 per cent in sales in just the first two months of the year, according to the latest sales data released today (March 3). But Toyota Australia’s management isn’t worried.

Read the article

Dear car makers: Don't kill the golden goose

By Stephen Ottley · 04 Mar 2023

As the famous fable tells us, don’t kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. But it seems that lesson is being lost on car company executives who continue to dilute their prestigious performance brands.

Read the article

Think the future is EV-only? Think again

By Stephen Ottley · 03 Mar 2023

Electric vehicles appear to have the upper-hand in the battle to replace fossil fuels, but don't dismiss hydrogen just yet.

Read the article

Would you pay $100 per litre for fuel?

By Stephen Ottley · 02 Mar 2023

Toyota wants to save the internal combustion engine and believes synthetic fuel is the answer - but not at the current price.

Read the article

What Toyota needs to change to stay on top

By Stephen Ottley · 26 Feb 2023

Akio Toyoda made the Toyota Camry fun.

Read the article

Is Ford giving the Escape a fair chance?

By Stephen Ottley · 26 Feb 2023

Not to steal Jerry Sienfeld's bit, but what's the deal with Ford's marketing? I'm a car reviewer, not an advertising critic, but the television commercial for the Ford Everest is excellent in my opinion. You know the one, with the family dressed up like mountain climbers while Edmund Hilary's heroic speech plays in the background.

Read the article