Articles by Stephen Ottley

Toyota would be stupid not to bring the new FJ Cruiser to Australia. And if there is one thing Toyota Australia isn’t, it’s stupid.

Cupra’s unorthodox approach to the Australian market is deliberate, and perhaps best exemplified by the newest addition to the Leon range - the Leon Sportstourer VZe.

Chinese car maker BYD has moved to end speculation surrounding approximately 1600 cars sitting at Jamberoo Action Park a few hours south of Sydney.News Corporation broke the story this week that BYD was storing boatloads of new inventory in the unused car parks at the summer-only amusement park, leading to speculation about why so many cars were in such an unusual spot.CarsGuide can also reveal that more BYDs have been spotted in would-be ‘holding yards’ in Melbourne’s east, next to an abandoned quarry in the suburb of Montrose.Kiama Council has since asked for a ‘please explain’ from Jamberoo and BYD, over what is an unapproved use of the car park. While initially not offering any explanation, a BYD Australia spokesperson has confirmed to CarsGuide that the cars were only there for short-time storage.“BYD takes its compliance obligations seriously,” a statement read. “Our storage and logistics partner manages several locations in the Port Kembla and surrounding region.“Jamberoo Action Park approved the temporary use of its vehicle spaces. When Kiama Council advised that a Development Application was required to continue storage at this site, steps were promptly taken to comply.“Vehicles stored locally are allocated to fulfil customer orders and reflect BYD’s commitment to timely deliveries of our products.”While not providing any details, it’s likely that the situation in Jamberoo and Melbourne stem from the changeover from EV Direct’s distribution to the brand becoming factory-operated. This likely led to the need to find new storage locations in a hurry in order for the brand to maintain a steady supply of vehicles.EV Direct was the original importer and distributor for BYD in Australia, beginning in 2022, but despite successfully growing the brand, Chinese management decided to take over complete control in Australia in July.This is around the same time the cars started appearing at Jamberoo and Montrose, leading to the connection between the changeover of distribution. BYD sales are up nearly 150 per cent year-to-date to the end of September, led primarily by the addition of the Shark 6 ute as well as the growth of the Sealion 6 plug-in hybrid SUV. In order to meet customer demands in a competitive timeframe, BYD is known to carry significant inventory requiring regular shipments from China.

Cupra is a performance brand, and the Leon VZx is its hero hot hatch.

The Cupra Leon S is the entry-level model in the Spanish brand’s small car line-up. But the brand’s more premium position puts it in the upper end of the hatchback market.

Cupra is trying to leave a unique impression on the Australian market, blending Spanish style with performance and efficiency. The updated Leon hatch has arrived and brings with it an unlikely new addition, the Sportstourer VZe. This compact wagon with a plug-in hybrid powertrain clearly isn't meant to appeal to a broad audience, but for those who crave something different, it could be ideal.

The Porsche 911 GT3 has been given a thorough update and gets more equipment. Is it still the track weapon of choice?

They were once the staple in almost every Australian driveway, but the sedan is looking increasingly in danger of disappearing altogether.Sales of family-sized sedans are down more than 60 per cent in 2025, with even the biggest names in the market including the Toyota Camry and Tesla Model 3 enduring a major sales slide.The decline of the Camry, which is down 46.4 per cent in the first nine months of 2025 is particularly telling. Once a staple not only of the sedan market, but one of the most popular cars in the country, the Camry is now struggling to find new buyers. Once popular family cars including the Holden Commodore, Ford Falcon and Mondeo, Mazda6, Volkswagen Passat, Kia Optima and more have all disappeared over the past decade and more and more buyers shift to utes and SUVs.A decade ago some local car executives openly questioned how large the SUV market could grow, doubting that the sedan could be overtaken, such as the dominance of the bodystyle at the time.That has clearly changed.Some industry insiders viewed electric cars as a potential saviour of the sedan, as the lower body allowed for better aerodynamics and less weight, and therefore greater efficiency and longer driving range off the batteries. The Model 3 and BYD Seal have performed strongly previously, but sales of both have taken a turn for the worse in 2025.This year Tesla reported sales of the Model 3 were down more than 65 per cent in the first seven months of the year, while the Seal has seen its sales halved. While this is happening, sales of SUVs and utes continue to stay strong, making it clear to car companies where they should be focusing their attention and future models. While there are some brands still committed to the sedan for now, it’s hard to see them playing a significant role for any brand in the future.Toyota will likely keep the Camry as long as possible given it has been a staple of the brand and recently received an update. But as we’ve seen with the Mazda6, which was a fixture of that brand’s line-up, no model is truly safe regardless of its heritage.The same is true for the premium end of the market too. The BMW 3-Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Audi A4 have often been amongst the best-selling sedans overall, competing on volume with the likes of the Mazda6, Sonata, Passat and others.But these luxury options are also suffering declining sales. The sales of mid-size sedans over $60,000 are down almost across the board, with the only model enjoying sales growth being the Audi A5 - which is coming off a small base and the departure of the A4.The fact that Audi has decided to retire the A4 badge and shift its sedan focus to the A5 is telling in itself. It underlines the shift from the traditional to this new era of both SUVs and electric vehicles.The recent reveal of the BMW iX3 as the first offering from the Bavarian brand’s so-called Neue Klasse is another sign that electric SUVs are the focus for many brands and sedans are an afterthought.This news will be disappointing for the sedan loyalists who simply don’t want to switch to a bigger SUV or ute. But the message is clear to those who still prefer sedans - get them while you can.

This weekend’s Bathurst 1000 may not be the ‘race that stops the nation’ but it's still a major event on every car-loving Australian’s calendar. However some of the lustre has worn off ever since the 2022 event, because that was the last with Holden.

It doesn’t take a 360-degree parking system with sensors and cameras to realise the Federal Government is backing itself into a difficult corner.