Articles by David Morley

The Vanta is GWM’s way of telling us that its facelifted Cannon ute can be just as tough as much pricier alternatives form other makers.

As the second step on the GWM Cannon ute ladder, the Ultra represents the best value of the line-up.

The Lux is the new entry-level version of the facelifted GWM Cannon ute range, a facelift that has added plenty of zing. Pricing starts at $40,490 which is a pretty sharp proposition in the dual-cab ute world.

Is there an MG 7-seater Australia-bound? It’s one of the big questions doing the rounds right now, especially after recent speculation of everything from a full-sized Indian-market off-roader to an ICE-engined crossover model landing here.

Car manufacturers are notoriously coy about divulging what might be coming to their showrooms in the future. The expression “We don’t talk about future product” is the one you’ll usually hear when journos ask about next year’s model.But GWM surprised everybody at the recent launch of the updated Cannon ute, when it went all out with news of what’s coming. And not just for the next few months; for the next year and beyond.No technical details were forthcoming, but we can tell you what to expect and how long you’ll have to wait to get your hands on GWM’s new product.According to GWM Australia’s head of marketing, Steve Maciver, the new product will be tech heavy, not just on new models, but also as upgrades to existing platforms.He admitted that the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), which encourages car-makers to sell more fuel-efficient models, was part of the impetus for improved technology and new models. GWM already has five hybrids and one EV on sale in Australia. But he said the new model rush was also part of GWM’s strategy to sell 50,000 cars this year.So what can you expect in a GWM showroom near you?The new product for the rest of this year has already kicked off with the facelifted Cannon ute, but extends to a new Haval H6 GT plug-in hybrid (PHEV) this week.The Tank 300 off-roader will be offered with a diesel driveline with a March launch date, and the Cannon’s big brother, the Cannon Alpha PHEV will hit sometime in the second quarter of the year.There’s a new Haval H6 also for the second quarter and a new mid-sized Haval H7 SUV based on the Haval Dargo sold in other markets. That makes it a monocoque vehicle rather than a body-on-frame SUV. Expect it in quarter three this year.Finally for 2025 will be a new Tank 500 PHEV, which will land sometime in quarter four.Maciver also told Carsguide that we could expect roughly the same flurry of new-car activity for 2026, four of which would be plug-in hybrids.“There’s additional EV development happening (at GWM) and we’re not leaving EVs off the radar. But adding PHEVs is the focus right now, and we’re continuing to invest in internal combustion. We’re democratising technology,” he said.

Never has the dual-cab ute market been such a noisy place. The established favourites are still doing huge business and the newcomers are arriving thick and fast, mainly from China, but all jockeying for some clear space and the chance to claim their share of willing customers.

There are plenty of reasons for buying brand-new cars. Fiscal acumen is not always one of them, as a second-hand car which has already done the bulk of its depreciating will often be a wiser financial option, but many people aspire to a new car anyway. That’s because there’s that peace of mind that comes with a car that has a factory warranty for several years, not to mention that a second-hand ca

It’s one of the reasons your car insurance premium keeps going up, and it’s also a post-Covid reality that the cost of repainting a car has never been higher. But how high are we talking?Well, it’s complicated and one of those how-long-is-a-piece-of-string deals. That’s because there are so many variables that the otherwise simple question of 'how much to repaint a car' these days takes on a very complex answer. Actually, it’s a series of answers. Not to mention a broad range of price estimates.Like how broad? Well, if you seek out a small, independent car painter that works from their backyard shed and operates with very few overheads, you could be repainted and away for as little as $1500. However, this is the very skinny end of things.Ramp it up to a show-car quality paint job and you can be looking at $40,000 or even $50,000 just for the paint, and that doesn’t include any panel beating repairs. Of course, that’s a preposterous number for most of us, but even so, a 'normal' repaint on a normal car at a normal workshop is going to rush you somewhere between $5000 and $10,000.So what are the big variables that determine how much to spray paint a car?The first would be the cost of the labour. Preparing a car for paint and then applying that paint requires skill. Good spray painters who know how to repaint a car properly, will have spent many years learning how to do so.As well as the actual work you’re having done, you’re also paying something for that experience and knowledge. That’s how trades work, and it’s the same with plumbers, bricklayers and carpenters.Some cities just seem more expensive, too, and the rule of thumb is that Melbourne is a pricey place to have a car painted. So is Sydney, but that’s just car painting costs following the Sydney trend. But because of sheer volumes, you might find the average car respray cost Brisbane way, as well as Perth and Adelaide can be lower if you shop around. That’s because these cities have the harshest climate for car paint, so a higher percentage of the car population needs repainting every year.The next variable is the existing condition of your car. If it’s not rusty and has no dents that need fixing, you’re looking good. But if there’s old paint that has to be removed back to bare metal or lots of repairs before the preparation can even begin, then that panel beating is going to be added to the price of the repaint.Want to go for an all-out show-stopper, then factor in many more thousands to get the panels gapped properly and the final paint finish cut and buffed.Then there’s the level of finish you want and the type of paint. A solid colour is the cheapest, but even a metallic paint can cost more than $200 a litre (and you’ll need several litres).Looking for a high-end pearlescent paint job? Then the paint itself could cost up to a couple of grand per litre. And it’s not just the final car paint price, there’s also the primers, undercoats and other consumables to consider.Oh, and if you want a black car, be prepared to be charged for extra bodywork and preparation as black is a very unforgiving colour to apply and needs a laser-straight car to pull it off.Even the size of the car in question has a bearing on price. The repaint car cost on a small hatchback can be up to half the cost of a large SUV. That reflects the extra materials and the sheer surface area involved.And don’t forget logistics. A shop to which you can drive your car and walk home means Googling car repaint near me is sometimes a good option if you’re not looking for a particular business’ signature work. Convenience often costs, but sometimes it’s the cheaper option.Of course, if you want a one-off finish or stripes or other details added, these all add up pretty quick. Professional car painters will be able to handle these requests, but the hours will certainly add up. Keeping it simple will definitely help keep costs under control.Speaking of workshops, there are different types of paint shops around that offer different levels of finishes. A high-volume shop that looks after mainly crash damage will be able to help you, but may not offer the detailed finish work that a specialist or high-end paint shop does.And if all you’re concerned about is how much does it cost to paint a car, versus what quality you’ll get, then the high-volume independents that often advertise online might be for you.When it comes to the question of how much does it cost to repaint a car Australia is very much a first world place with first world prices. Our labour rates are high globally and material costs post-Covid have ratcheted up too.Unlike, say, house painting where there’s a reasonably standard range of industry prices, car painting is different. Do an internet search along the lines of 'painting cost calculator Australia' and you’ll get a range of sites to help you work out a reasonably accurate cost for repainting your loungeroom. But the car painting industry? No such generalisations apply.But the variables don’t stop there. That’s because a paintjob is not a paintjob. See, you might imagine that a repaint would cover the whole car. Well, it often does, but it may not if you’re repainting a car to its original colour.That’s when you’ll probably be offered the option of what’s called a closed-door paintjob and refers to the fact that the inner door jambs and under the bonnet and bootlid won’t be touched. The closed door respray cost will be a lot less than the cost of painting those areas as well, but if you’re doing a colour change on the car, then the full respray is the only real option.At which point the question of how much does it cost to change the colour of your car is the one you need to be asking, because a closed door, colour change paintjob just doesn’t work visually.In fact, if the colour change is your only agenda here, you might be better off selling the car you have and buying one in the colour you want, if that’s a practical proposition.And what if you just want individual areas repainted? A damaged bonnet or front bumper, for instance, might be the only area that needs repainting. At that point, the bonnet respray cost, bumper respray cost or a car roof respray cost will be anywhere from a few hundred dollars to maybe a couple of thousand (again, speaking very, very broadly).Finally, how do car buyers value nice new paint? Provided the paint is still in good nick, a car with its original, virgin paintjob is likely to be worth more than a car with new paint. That’s because buyers know that new paint can hide all sorts of flaws under that shiny new skin.This only ramps up more the older a car gets, but it remains the fixed up, respray car cost or value can often be down on the original finish example of the same make and model. It’s something to think about before taking the plunge and committing to thousands of dollars’ worth of work.

If you’ve never driven through the Melbourne CBD before, the first time you do will possibly be a startling experience. It’s not the one-way system (Sydney’s is vastly more complex than Melbourne’s) nor the speed of city traffic (which, frankly, crawls). Nor is the grid system of the major streets tricky to decipher.

Hand polishing a car sounds like second best in a way, doesn’t it. After all, if the industry has developed a range of machines designed to polish a car’s paintwork, then that must be a better concept.Surely, it’s like the difference between strapping on a jet-pack versus standing on the garage roof flapping your arms. Right? Not necessarily.There are two factors at work here. The first is that – just like a jet-pack - polishing machines in the wrong or inexperienced hands can cause more damage than they fix. And secondly, when it comes to delicate surfaces like automotive paint, hand polishing – even with an expert doing it – can be a safer, gentler way of bringing paint back to life.That said, machine polishing by a professional will usually result in a better finish, and if the car’s paint is severely damaged, faded or scratched, then machine polishing is probably the only way to remedy it.But if you’re simply looking for a brighter, shinier car and maybe attend to a couple of smaller scratches or swirl marks here and there, then hand polishing in the driveway is a viable approach. At which point, the question becomes how to polish a car by hand and not mess it up.We’ll have to tackle this in a broad sense, as there are a lot of variables in terms of paint type, paint condition, as well as the actual chemical make-up of the hundreds of polishing products out there on shelves.But either way, the absolute first thing to do is make sure the car you’re about to polish is spotless. Not clean. Not even sparkling clean. Absolutely spotless. Otherwise, you’ll simply be rubbing dirt and whatever other contaminants are present into the paintwork. And that can cause even more damage than the fading and scratching that you’re trying to address in the first place. As well as a thorough wash, the experts recommend the use of a clay bar (and that’s a whole other chapter) to get rid of the very last, tiniest bits of crud from the car’s surface.The second step is to chamois the car dry and then park it somewhere in the shade. You can’t polish wet paint, and the polish products themselves don’t like hot paint. They’ll dry too quickly and will be difficult to buff off. And suddenly car polishing becomes a bigger job than it should be.Choosing the right compound for hand polishing, meanwhile, involves doing a bit of homework. You need to match the compound with the type of paint your car has (single-stage, two-pack, enamel whatever) and then make an honest assessment of how bad the paint is looking.There are stronger compounds for more damaged paint and gentler polishes for older, more delicate painted surfaces. Be sure to read the product information carefully and don’t be afraid to call the polish maker’s info hotline to get even more details.Some polishes need to be rubbed right in till they’re dry, others need less work on your part and can be buffed off immediately. But they all work on the basis of removing an ultra-thin layer of the car’s surface, taking with it any debris, scratching or dead paint cells that typically cause fading and blotchiness. With that in mind, you can see how getting it wrong can really damage a painted surface.The next thing to know is that hand polishing has its limits. If you have badly scratched paint or bulk swirl marks, the best advice is probably to use the services of a professional detailer or paint specialist who will use a machine polishing method to sort things.The industry view seems to be to restrict hand polishing to cleaning or removing light swirl marks. And don’t be tempted to use a professional cutting compound as part of the hand polishing process.These compounds are designed for machine polishing and are way too aggressive for driveway use. You could end up going backwards.The best car polisher for beginners remains the right type of buffing cloth and plenty of elbow grease. Like many other things, too, knowing how to cut and polish a car is just part of the deal.You also need the right equipment, which, in the case of professional cutting compound includes the mechanical polisher than can produce the speed and heat needed to get the right result.Which suggests the next step to all of this is to become proficient at a professional level which opens you up to the world of machine polishing and perhaps even making a part-time (or full time) living in the process.Many car detailing business offer one and two-day courses (and some longer ones) that can show you the ropes and turn you into a detailer rather than just a driveway tinkerer.Topics covered will include how to machine polish a car and how to polish a car with a buffer and will also offer information on professional car polish grades and types.If you find it’s for you, you can even learn how to apply ceramic coatings and other high-end finishes. As well as the basics on how to buff a car, you might even pick up some tips on how to polish a car windshield which, to be honest, is a whole other area that we’ll tackle in its own feature.More wisdomThere’s more to polishing a car than the above. So here are a few tips you might not have thought of.Don’t use a more aggressive polishing compound than you need. The aim is to use a product that is just abrasive enough. Experts agree that a swirl removing compound is about as aggressive as you’d want to go in your driveway. The packaging should give an idea of the intended product’s intended use.Follow the darn instruction on the product packaging. This information is included for a reason. Different products require different applicator cloths and different buffing compounds.Even the length of time you can let the product stay on the paint can vary. So can the first aid instructions if it all goes wrong. Don’t ignore this info; it’s for your own good.When trying to remove swirl marks, experts reckon the best approach is to use a backwards-forwards motion rather than a circular motion as you might for some polishing. That’s because swirl marks are, themselves, mostly circular, so a fore-aft action will see them disappear before your eyes. Hopefully.Don’t confuse car wax and polish with car cut and polish. They’re two very different compounds and while the former is a good start for a Saturday morning in the driveway, the latter can be better left to the pros.If you do intend to try a cutting compound, stick with something mild like a cream cut and polish rather than something more aggressive and abrasive. For the desired paint finish and car shine polish type and compound is crucial. So know what you want to achieve before you start.Car paint polish is a great example of getting what you pay for. More expensive generally means a better product. The best polish for cars, then, is the best one you can afford.In fact, we’ll extend that to include the advice that you should sidestep the really cheap or unknown car polishing compound, because the good brands are well known for a reason.Like anything else, how to polish a car information is all over the internet, but only some of it is worth reading.Searching for 'how to polish car by hand', is a good start, but then weed out the wheat from the chaff on the basis of who has provided the information. Advice from a well known brand is far more likely to yield useful information.Another common question is how often should you polish your car.Frankly, you can overdo it and if you look at an older car that’s been polished maybe hundreds of times, you might see where the paint on the edges and other parts of the car has worn thin, allowing the undercoat to show through.Okay, so that’s an extreme case, but it certainly supports polishing a car only when it’s needed. Don’t forget, either, that regular waxing is at least as important as the wax protects the paint and means that less polishing should be required over the life of the vehicle.