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).

Is there a market for a baby ute?

By Stephen Ottley · 31 Jan 2021

A ute crossed with an SUV - it could be the perfect marriage in the automotive landscape of 2021.

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Are hot SUVs the new trend?

By Stephen Ottley · 31 Jan 2021

Is this the end of the road for the hot hatch?At the start of last decade, the thought that SUVs would overtake passenger cars was considered outrageous. And the idea that SUVs would become popular performance vehicles even more outlandish.

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Stellantis needs to get these models right

By Stephen Ottley · 24 Jan 2021

The world got a new automotive juggernaut this week.It took more than a year but, the merger between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and Group PSA (Peugeot-Citroen) was finally completed, immediately making it the fourth largest car company in the world.

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Why the new Ford Ranger can’t fail

By Stephen Ottley · 24 Jan 2021

Ford has a problem - it's Ranger is too popular.That may sound like a good problem to have (and it probably is), but the fact remains the Blue Oval is so reliant on the Ranger, that their entire company's success or failure rides on it.

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The hot hatch as you know it is going

By Stephen Ottley · 23 Jan 2021

It's shaping up as a good year for hot hatch fans, with the updated Hyundai i30 N, all-new Hyundai i20 N, Toyota GR Yaris Rallye and Volkswagen Golf GTI all on the way.

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Hyundai Kona EV joins the police

By Stephen Ottley · 19 Jan 2021

NSW Police will be protecting the community and the environment thanks to the newest addition to its fleet - a Hyundai Kona Electric.

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Australia's recession-proof cars

By Stephen Ottley · 17 Jan 2021

It's been well-documented that 2020 was a tough year for the Australian car industry, with sales dropping by 13.7 per cent amid the Coronavirus-induced restrictions around the country.

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What Kia needs to beat Toyota

By Stephen Ottley · 17 Jan 2021

Toyota dominates new car sales in Australia, so much so that its closest rivals have given up trying to catch it.

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Will Hyundai overtake Mazda soon?

By Stephen Ottley · 17 Jan 2021

Key new SUVs, a significant expansion of its performance range and the introduction of a potentially game-changing electric SUV – 2021 is an important year for Hyundai in Australia.

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Is Hyundai heading down the right style path?

By Stephen Ottley · 10 Jan 2021

Hyundai isn't afraid to gamble. After years of steady growth, the South Korean brand is about to embark on its most ambitious run of new models yet.

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