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).

Audi's RS3 vs the AMG A45 S, which one wins?

By Stephen Ottley · 14 Oct 2021

The humble hot hatch is no longer humble.The modern hot hatch is a very different beast to the original Mini Cooper S or Volkswagen Golf GTI, with the latest creations from Audi Sport and Mercedes-AMG packing sports car levels of power, viscous accelerati

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Mazda CX-8 and CX-9 prove popular

By Stephen Ottley · 12 Oct 2021

When Mazda added the CX-8 to its line-up, a lot of people questioned the sense of having a second seven-seat SUV alongside the existing CX-9.

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Commodore and Falcon prices skyrocket

By Stephen Ottley · 10 Oct 2021

Joni Mitchell was right; you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone.It's been a big year for Australian-made cars selling for big dollars - a pair of HSV GTSR W1 Maloos have sold for a combined $2.2 million - but that's only the tip of the iceberg.

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Is the definition of a sports car changing?

By Stephen Ottley · 09 Oct 2021

The rise and rise of electric vehicles (EVs) will change a lot of our preconceived notions around cars. Beyond the obvious topics of emissions and charging, the wider acceptance of EVs will fundamentally change the way we perceive performance cars.

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Mazda could reclaim best-selling SUV title

By Stephen Ottley · 09 Oct 2021

It may only be receiving a mid-life facelift and is missing a hybrid powertrain, but the 2022 Mazda CX-5 could be poised to steal the spotlight in the mid-size SUV market.

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Hyundai Staria 2022 review: Highlander snapshot

By Stephen Ottley · 07 Oct 2021

The Hyundai Staria Highlander is the flagship offering of the brand’s new people-mover. It gets the same powertrains as the rest of the range but is loaded with extra equipment.

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Hyundai Staria 2022 review: Elite snapshot

By Stephen Ottley · 07 Oct 2021

The Hyundai Staria is the brand’s all-new people-mover, riding on the same basic underpinnings as the Santa Fe SUV. The Elite is the mid-grade trim level and is priced from $56,500 for the petrol-powered and $59,500 for the diesel option.

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Range Rover 2022 supply healthy

By Stephen Ottley · 04 Oct 2021

The semi-conductor shortage that is strangling vehicle supply around the world is going to get worse before it gets better, according to a new report. And that’s bad news for luxury car makers like Range Rover as high-specification models are hit more dramatically than the rest of the industry.

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Could the Kia Stinger disappear next year?

By Stephen Ottley · 02 Oct 2021

The Kia Stinger was always facing an uphill battle, trying to replace the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon in the hearts and driveways of Australian sports sedan fans.

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Nissan adds options packs to 2022 Navara

By Stephen Ottley · 01 Oct 2021

Nissan has effectively introduced two new variants into the Navara range with a pair of option packages that add either style or off-road capability.Available on the entry-level SL dual-cab 4x4 model, the Style Pack adds N-Trek alloy wheels, a soft tonnea

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