Articles by Stephen Ottley

Genesis could become the big winner of Lexus’ shock decision to axe its popular IS mid-size sedan.

Jeep has gone from hunter to hunted.

Jeep’s next 80 years will look very different to its first 80.

Volkswagen has been one of the most vocal advocates for electric vehicle (EV) incentives, but the German brand may miss out on some of the biggest offered in Australia.

Australia’s favourite hot hatches have sky-rocketed in price in the past five years, with some models now costing more than 25 per cent more than they previously did.

Tesla will lose one of its biggest customers - costing it nearly $500 million.

Dodge may seem like an unlikely candidate for electric vehicles, given its current line-up is underpinned by a 600kW supercharged V8 known as the Hellcat, but that’s not enough to stop it from making the switch.The American brand has come to rely on its Challenger coupe and Charger sedan as the backbone of its range, but with parent company Stellantis planning to sell 40 per cent of its vehicles in the USA with battery power by the end of the decade, not even Dodge can ignore electrification.That’s why the brand has teased what it has dubbed the world’s first “American eMuscle” car. The image appears to show a 1968 Charger with modern LED lights and a new triangular logo, but the car is obscured by tyre smoke from a four-wheel burnout. That suggests the new electric muscle car will boast all-wheel drive to help tame its electric performance. Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis said the decision to switch to electric has been driven by finding more performance as much as a desire to build cleaner cars, admitting the Hellcat has been stretched to its limits.“Even for a brand that’s known for pushing it a bit too far, we’ve pushed this pedal to the floor,” Kuniskis said. “Our engineers are reaching a practical limit of what we can squeeze from internal combustion innovation. We know electric motors can give us more, and if we know of a technology that can give our customers an advantage we have an obligation to embrace it to keep them in the lead. We won’t sell electric vehicles, we’ll sell more motors. Better, faster Dodges.”The Dodge eMuscle car will be based on the STLA Large platform, which will also underpin the new Ram Toyota HiLux rival and an all-new Jeep off-roader. According to Stellantis the STLA Large will have a driving range of up to 800km and utilise an 800-volt electrical system that will allow for ultra-rapid charging. The company also said the largest motor will be capable of making up to 330kW, which may be well short of the Hellcat, but not if Dodge can fit a pair of them for all-wheel drive, tyre-frying performance.For now we’ll have to wait until 2024 to see the finished product and hope Stellantis Australia decides to revive the Dodge brand down under.

Is this Jeep’s answer to the all-new GMC Hummer?

Jeep has revealed the latest addition to the new Grand Cherokee line-up, the electrified 4xe.We knew it was coming, with Jeep president Christian Meuiner confirming it in January, but it broke cover overnight as part of Jeep parent company Stellantis' EV Day for investors. It’s also the first look we’ve had at the standard wheelbase, five-seat Grand Cherokee, with previous images of the long-wheelbase seven-seater.Meuiner didn’t give away any technical details in his video presentation, but it’s likely the Grand Cherokee 4xe will utilise the same plug-in hybrid powertrain as the already-revealed Wrangler 4xe. That model uses a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine paired with two electric motors that combine to produce 280kW/637Nm. That compares favourably to the already confirmed petrol engines, with the 5.7-litre V8 making 266kW/529Nm, suggesting the plug-in Grand Cherokee should have plenty of performance.The Grand Cherokee 4xe effectively replaces the turbo diesel variants of the previous generation as the American brand continues its transition to electrification, as part of the wide switch from the Stellantis organisation. Meuiner confirmed Jeep will have fully-electric options for all of its models by 2025, including the new Wagoneer sub-brand. It’s part of its aim to have 70 per cent of total sales be electrified by the same year.Meuiner explained why 4xe is so important to the brand, telling investors: “4xe is the most significant change ever . It is the opportunity to futureproof the Jeep brand for long-term profitable growth.”Jeep Australia hasn’t confirmed if the Grand Cherokee 4xe when, or even if, it will make local showrooms, but the brand sounds confident that Australians will be ready to make the switch to electrified Jeeps in the near future.“We believe the demand and acceptance of electric vehicles will accelerate in Australia and New Zealand and we are currently looking at which products work best for each country,” a spokeswoman told CarsGuide. “We look forward to sharing our electrification plans in due course.”

Ram will begin making a transition to an electric future in 2024 with the launch of the 1500 EV.The American brand teased the upcoming new model as part of parent company Stellantis’ EV Day presentation to investors. A stylised silhouette of a Ram pickup with an electric powertrain was shown multiple times, giving us a glimpse of what we can expect.It will sit on the new STLA Frame platform, one of four EV architectures Stellantis will roll out across its entire 14 brand portfolio in the coming decade. The conglomerate has committed to investing €30 billion ($47b) in its electric transition.While Ram didn’t provide any specific details of the Ram 1500 EV, it did lay out what we can expect. The STLA Frame platform will feature an 800-volt electrical system that will provide up to 800km of range. The electric motor will make up to 330kW of power, which should be enough to provide the electric 1500 with enough performance to please the current Hemi V8-loving customers.But the 1500 won’t be the only electric pickup. The brand also briefly teased an all-new model that will sit below the 1500 that will use the STLA Large architecture instead of the body-on-frame option and could compete with the likes of the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger.The STLA Large platform will utilise the same EV powertrain as the 1500, meaning it too will be capable of producing up to 330kW and have the option of an 800-volt electrical system giving it a potential range of up to 800km.The STLA Large underpinnings can be stretched to up to 5.4m, putting in the same space as the 5.3m HiLux and 5.4m Ranger.Ram is targeting having electrified options by 2024 before transitioning to a completely EV line-up by 2030.