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).

New Hyundai i30 sedan N to replace Fastback

By Stephen Ottley · 30 Oct 2020

Hyundai is aggressively expanding its N Performance range, but that doesn’t mean sacrifices won’t be made.

Read the article

ANCAP move to make AEB standard nears end

By Stephen Ottley · 24 Oct 2020

New cars sold in Australia will take one step closer to autonomy – and become safer – with autonomous emergency braking (AEB) set to become a legal requirement from 2022.

Read the article

Why the new i30 N Line warm hatch looks old

By Stephen Ottley · 24 Oct 2020

Hyundai is rapidly expanding its N Line range of vehicles, with both the new i30 sedan and facelifted Kona confirmed to get the sporty treatment. But there’s one new N Line not headed to Australia, and it’s the brand’s most popular model, the i30 hatch.

Read the article

Rust in pieces: Holden Colorado, Mercedes-Benz X-Class, Subaru Liberty and other favourite cars lost in 2020 farewelled

By Stephen Ottley · 18 Oct 2020

It's been a long year (and it's not over yet), but we've had to say goodbye to some once-popular cars that have hit a dead-end.

Read the article

The future of Bathurst’s racing grid is?

By Stephen Ottley · 18 Oct 2020

The death of Holden has led to the demise of many things - from the Commodore nameplate to the iconic Lion badge. And now as the calendar turns into October, thoughts naturally turn to the Bathurst 1000, which raises the question; what happens to The Great Race without Holden?

Read the article

The cars we wish were available in Australia

By Stephen Ottley · 17 Oct 2020

Australia is spoiled for choice when it comes to new models, with more than 40 brands all offering a variety of vehicles to choose from.

Read the article

Hot hatch competition heats up

By Stephen Ottley · 09 Oct 2020

The humble hot hatch is under threat.

Read the article

Can GR replicate N’s success?

By Stephen Ottley · 27 Sep 2020

Hyundai's N brand might just be a few short years young, but it has already managed to find a fervent and loyal following with just the i30 N under its umbrella.Toyota is no doubt looking to replicate Hyundai's success with its own Gazoo Racing (GR) brand

Read the article

BMW M3, Hyundai Tucson and Honda Civic Type R, misshapen or just misunderstood?

By Stephen Ottley · 25 Sep 2020

It's a hard truth, but not all babies are born cute. Some children need to 'grow into their features' over time, but of course we'd never say that to the parents because we don't want to hurt their feelings.

Read the article

Why the Nissan Z is so special

By Stephen Ottley · 22 Sep 2020

Nissan finally gave us a look at the next generation of Z car this week, but whether you love or hate the Z Proto, every sports car fan should be celebrating its arrival.There's been plenty of debate over exactly how 'new' this new model is, with question

Read the article