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).

Polestar in Australia: Everything you need to know

By Stephen Ottley · 08 Nov 2022

Electric cars are on the rise and are allowing new brands to enter the automotive world. Brands like Tesla, Rivian and Lucid Air have all emerged in recent years to take advantage of this seismic shift in the way cars are built and what people will buy.

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The ultimate test for the Ford Ranger Raptor

By Stephen Ottley · 06 Nov 2022

Ford’s decision to send the Ranger Raptor to the Baja 1000 off-road race in Mexico later this month is a big deal - a very big deal. But unless you’re a motor racing fanatic the significance of the announcement may have been lost on you.

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The weird and wacky cars of the SEMA Show

By Stephen Ottley · 05 Nov 2022

The SEMA Show is unlike any other motor show on the planet. For four days in Las Vegas some of the world’s biggest car brands as well as the most skilled custom car builders show off the wildest and more spectacular automotive creations they can muster.

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Got range anxiety? Get over it!

By Stephen Ottley · 30 Oct 2022

I love you, our CarsGuide readers. You are the reason I do this job, to inform and entrain you and give you the latest from the automotive world. But I was dismayed recently when I wrote a piece about the upcoming electric version of the Ford Ranger and one of the first comments on social media slammed the lack of driving range for this yet-to-be-released Ranger.

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Why electric cars won't take over by 2035

By Stephen Ottley · 29 Oct 2022

Petrol and diesel powered cars will be banned in the A.C.T. and several European countries by 2035 - but don’t expect electric vehicles to take over the world by then.

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This is the key to getting more cars in Oz

By Stephen Ottley · 23 Oct 2022

The demise of Holden can be blamed on multiple factors but high amongst them is Australia’s status as a right-hand-drive market. As General Motors itself admitted when it shuttered the brand, the “highly fragmented right-hand-drive markets” made it increasingly difficult to justify building cars with the steering wheel on the right side.

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Why Ford won't build a V8-powered Ranger

By Stephen Ottley · 22 Oct 2022

The Ford Ranger Raptor has become the hero model for the Blue Oval - proving both a critical and commercial success. But there is a limit to its appeal.

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Mercedes reveals Tesla Model Y rivalling SUV

By Stephen Ottley · 17 Oct 2022

Faced with increasing competition and more customer demand for electric SUVs, Mercedes-Benz has taken a two-pronged approach for its latest entry - the EQE SUV.

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What we know so far: Ford Ranger Electric

By Stephen Ottley · 16 Oct 2022

It appears to be a matter of when, not if, the Ford Ranger will go electric, but Ford's senior global management isn’t ready to give away any timing details yet. However, we are getting a clearer idea of what to expect when it does eventually arrive.

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Why buying a new car is easier than ever

By Stephen Ottley · 16 Oct 2022

Can you get the car you want? Will the dealer try to upsell you? And, most importantly of all, will you get a fair price?

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