Articles by Stephen Ottley

As one door closes, another opens.

Jeep has set the bar high, publicly stating its goal is to return to the top 10 brands in annual sales.

Australia has had it good in the last two decades with Mark Webber and Daniel Ricciardo winning grands prix against the world’s best. Now a 19-year-old from Melbourne is on the verge of joining this exclusive club.Oscar Piastri will step up to the next rung on the ladder to F1 this year, joining the Formula 2 grid with the championship-winning team and with the backing of Renault’s sports car brand, Alpine.Piastri was introduced as a member of the new Alpine Academy this week, part of the continued rebranding of all of Renault’s motor racing activities under the Alpine brand, which will see him get support for the car maker throughout the year. Renault is making a major push to turn Alpine into a globally-recognised performance brand, to rival the likes of Mercedes-AMG and BMW M, albeit with a new range of electric vehicles including a replacement for the A110 and a hot hatch and SUV.Alpine isn’t the only important backer Piastri has either. He’s represented by Webber’s management company - JAM Sports Management - and the former driver was a notable attendee at several races last year to help him navigate the challenges of cut-throat European racing.Not that Piastri needs Webber to be by his side all the time, he’s determined to stand on his own two feet.“I made it clear to the people from JAM that I don’t need someone holding my hand and carrying my helmet all the time,” he said. If all goes to plan in the next two seasons Piastri could find himself a key cog in Alpine’s international marketing plans as the brand’s F1 ace. But first comes his move F2, which he’s stepping up to after winning the Formula 3 championship in 2020 and the Formula Renault Eurocup in 2019.Alpine’s expectations for Piastri are low for 2021, given he will be a rookie in F2 and be racing against drivers with more experience in the category; including fellow Alpine Academy members Guanyu Zhou and Christian Lundgaard. Piastri will stay with the same team he raced for in F3, Prema Racing, which is the same outfit that claimed the ‘20 F2 championship with F1-graduate Mick Schumacher; so the young Aussie knows he’ll have a competitive car underneath him. Which is why his expectations exceed even Alpine’s hopes for him. The company would be happy for him to learn the ropes and fight for race wins this season before taking a title run in 2022, but Piastri is aiming to accelerate that.“I’m trying to get to F1 so if anything my expectations of myself are going to be higher than what Alpine have for me,” Piastri said.“It’s an important year. I’ve got the momentum off the back of two championships in a row. If I can add a third that would be good.”Piastri has already got a taste of F1, testing the Renault RS.18 at Bahrain late last year as a reward for winning the F3 title. While he concedes there’s still things he needs to learn, his competitive spirit and desire to make it to the pinnacle of the sport is clear. “I feel pretty ready,” he told CarsGuide “I’ve experienced an F1 car now, the test in Bahrain last year was very positive. Obviously there were a fair few areas to improve on but the feedback I’ve had has been very positive. I don’t feel I’d be ready to jump in an F1 car tomorrow, but if asked I’d say ‘yes’. I think I’ve still got a bit of learning to do but F2 is on the ladder to F1 for a reason.”Alpine’s two-year plan for him in F2 does dovetail nicely with the two-year contract former world champion Fernando Alonso has with the team. The Spaniard will be 41 years old by the end of his contract, which is beyond the typical age of an F1 driver, so Alpine will likely be looking to promote one of its Academy drivers to F1 for the 2023 season. It’s a situation Piastri is all-too-aware of.“We all know that with F1 it’s not just skill, timing is a massive part of it as well,” he said. “So obviously there are a few dominos to fall into place but all I want to do is do as well as I can on the track and integrate myself into the Alpine F1 team off the track and presenting myself in the best light possible.”Asked specifically about his chances of replacing Alonso, a two-time champion, Piastri is hoping to make it a simple choice for Alpine.“Yes, I think that timing could line-up very well, but I also, in saying that, I have two other guys in the Alpine Academy drivers in F2 with me,” he said. “So I can’t rely on that to simply get me into F1. I’m expecting Zhou and Christian to be strong in F2 this year. I believe if you’re extremely successful on the track you can make your own timing, that’s the mentality I’m taking. If that gives Alpine and myself a headache then that’s a nice headache to have.”If Ricciardo continues his strong form at McLaren Australian F1 fans could be rewarded with a pair of F1 drivers on the grid for the 2023 season - or sooner if Piastri has his way.

Volkswagen has your next family road trip transport sorted with the release of its updated Multivan and Caravelle models.As part of its update to the Transporter commercial vehicle range, the German giant has given its people movers the same 6.1 series upgrades. Both models have enjoyed a mid-life refresh to try and continue their family appeal.There is plenty of choice for people mover buyers with the Multivan 6.1 range, with a variety of powertrain and wheelbases options.The range begins at $61,990 (plus on-road costs) for the Multivan Comfortline Premium TDI340. It’s powered by a 110kW turbo-diesel engine and paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (DSG). If you prefer, you can get the Comfortline with 4Motion all-wheel drive for $64,990.If you want more performance and equipment you can opt for the Multivan Highline TDI450, which has a 146kW turbo-diesel engine under the bonnet. It too comes standard with a seven-speed auto and the option of 4Motion. Pricing for the Highline starts at $84,990 for two-wheel drive and $87,990 for all-wheel drive.For those who want even more room, Volkswagen is offering long-wheelbase variants of the Comfortline Premium and a Comfortline Exec trim line.The former gets the same TDI340 powertrain option as the SWB variant, while the Comfortline Exec gets the TDI450 and TDI450 4Motion options.The Comfortline Premium TDI340 LWB starts at $64,990, while the Comfortline Exec TDI450 LWB sits at the pinnacle of the range with a $87,990 sticker price.Volkswagen has only revealed standard equipment for the Comfortline Premium, but it’s an extensive list.Included among it are 17-inch alloy wheels, halogen headlights, body-colour front and rear bumpers, chrome-effect grille trim and chrome-coloured ‘Multivan’ badge on the sides.Inside it will get tri-zone air-conditioning, black cloth upholstery, carpeted floors and front seats with height and lumbar adjustment. There’s also a multimedia system with an 8.0-inch touchscreen that integrates navigation, Bluetooth, two USB-C ports and six speakers.Access to the second and third row seats is via electric sliding doors on both sides. The second row seats are able to be rotated, while the third row is a bench that can recline. There’s also a power-operated tailgate as standard.To keep your family and friends safe, Volkswagen will equip all Multivan with a raft of active safety items. Driver fatigue detection, Cross Wind Assist, lane-keep assist, autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are all included. There is also a reversing camera and front and rear parking sensors.Optional equipment available for the Multivan range includes metallic/pearl effect paint ($1720 - it's a large vehicle, after all!), an electric tailgate ($820), front seat heating ($720), a multi-function table (Comfortline - $990), Nappa Leather seat trim ($4590), Digital Cockpit ($900), LED headlights ($1990), adaptive chassis control with drive modes ($1990 - Highline only), and plenty more. 2021 Volkswagen Multivan 6.1 pricing:If the Multivan isn’t big enough for you and your family or business, then Volkswagen has you covered with its nine-seat Caravelle, based on the T6.1 platform.Unlike the extensive options for the rest of both the Multivan and Transporter line-ups, there’s only a single Caravelle to choose - the long-wheelbase TDI340. It gets the 110kW engine and seven-speed DSG, and is priced from $58,990 (plus on-road costs).The key to the Caravelle is its space and seating, accessed by sliding (but not powered) doors on both sides. There are four rows of seats for the Caravelle - two individual seats up front, a two-seat bench for the second and third rows, and a three-seater bench in the last row. Both the second and third rows also boast child seat anchor points. And being that this is based on a longer-wheelbase Transporter, it's nice to see that curtain airbags are standard fitment (used to be only on Multivan).The interior also comes with LED lighting, sun blinds and tri-zone air-conditioning.Safety is the not quite the same as the Multivan, but does incorporate driver fatigue detection, Cross Wind Assist, autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a reversing camera and parking sensors all standard. Optional safety tech includes lane-keep assist ($1290) and adaptive cruise control ($690).Optional equipment for those who need a nine-seat van includes the premium paint finishes ($1720), dual electric sliding side doors ($1580), an electric tailgate ($890), heated front seats ($720), leatherette mesh seat upholstery ($520), the Discover Media sat nav screen ($1600), Digital Cockpit driver's info screen ($900), front armrests ($510), LED headlights ($1990), and park assist semi autonomous parking ($400). 2021 Volkswagen Caravelle 6.1 pricing:UPDATED: 09/02/2021

Deliveries are more important than ever in our modern, online-shopping obsessed society - so there's good news for delivery drivers with the arrival of the updated Volkswagen Transporter.Dubbed the Transporter 6.1, the company claims this is a significant m

This week saw two seismic events shake the Australian automotive landscape. Firstly, the country’s most successful touring car driver in history announced he’s quitting driving to take on a new leadership role with the powerhouse Triple Eight Race Engineering team. Secondly, the latest new-car sales figures put the final nail in Holden’s coffin, with no new Holdens sold in January 2021.

Nissan will be hoping the new Pathfinder revealed this week can make a big impact when it arrives in Australia.

Lexus is preparing to launch the next generation NX later this year, and there's a lot riding on the Japanese rival to the BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC.Since its launch in 2014, the mid-size SUV has not only become the brand's most important model, accoun

Supercars racing stands on the brink of a new era. The reigning champion is gone (to take on the challenge of Indycar racing in the USA); Holden is gone after decades as the foundation of the sport and now, in news that broke today, the most successful driver of his generation (and arguably ever), Jamie Whincup, has announced he will retire at the end of the 2021 season.

Change can be hard to accept.EVs brought freedom to car designers.