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).

Why Hyundai, Mitsubishi and Ford should be worried by MG: Incoming MG4 and MG5 could leap Chinese brand up the sales charts

By Stephen Ottley · 28 Jan 2023

At the start of 2022 we questioned whether MG could retain its place in the top 10 of the sales charts with only three models. We shouldn't have worried. Despite persevering with its original trio - the MG3, ZS and HS - the Chinese-owned brand was able to continue its meteoric rise in the Australian new car market, finishing last year with the seventh most cars sold.

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Porsche Vision 357: Why looking to the past is important for the German brand's future

By Stephen Ottley · 26 Jan 2023

Porsche has given itself a birthday present, but there’s a lot more to the Vision 357 than just a celebration of the brand’s 75th anniversary of building sports cars. The Vision 357 is the latest concept car from the Style Porsche department, taking inspiration from the brand’s original sports car - the now-iconic 356 - but underpinned by the latest 718 Cayman GT4 RS powertrain.

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Why 2022 was the real beginning for Genesis: Record sales and electric push cement new luxury car brand in Australia

By Stephen Ottley · 22 Jan 2023

Genesis sold just 1039 cars in 2022 but was one of the biggest winners in a challenging year for the luxury car market in Australia. While Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Lexus and others suffered declining sales as they struggled with a variety of issues, not least of which the on-going global supply chain crisis, Genesis continued its year-on-year growth.

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Would you buy a car without a proper steering wheel? Why car brands believe ditching a round wheel is the future, even if buyers aren't demanding change

By Stephen Ottley · 22 Jan 2023

It may seem a strange question, but thanks to a growing trend in the car industry the possibility of a world without steering wheels is becoming increasingly likely. For years the domain of concept cars, multiple car makers are now pushing ahead with vehicles that feature alternatives to conventional steering wheels. Tesla is the most famous example, introducing the so-called 'yoke' in 2021 on it

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How Kia's SUV evolution has made the once budget brand a sales hit with the Sportage, Seltos, Stonic and more

By Stephen Ottley · 21 Jan 2023

We wrote at the start of 2022 that it would be a pivotal year for the South Korean brand, testing whether all the work it had done in recent years would pay off in the sales charts. The answer was a resounding yes. Kia became Australia's third best-selling brand in 2022, capping (at least for now) the company's ascendancy from outsider to a key player in the market. As recently as 2017 Kia was on

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2022's sales winners! Why it was a great year for MG, Kia, GWM Tesla and Volvo

By Stephen Ottley · 15 Jan 2023

The numbers have been tallied and the results are in at the conclusion of the 2022 new car sales race. And the biggest winner is… Toyota - who else?

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Why 2022 was a disappointing year for Hyundai, Nissan, Lexus, BMW and Mercedes-Benz

By Stephen Ottley · 14 Jan 2023

The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, which keeps track of every new car sold in Australia, described 2022 as an “unusual year” - which is a spectacular understatement.

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This is not a dream! Peugeot Inception is a stunning Porsche Taycan-, Audi e-tron GT-rivalling electric sports sedan

By Stephen Ottley · 09 Jan 2023

It certainly looks like something out of a Christopher Nolan film set in the future, but Peugeot promises its new Inception Concept previews many technologies that will reach production within the next few years.

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Go on, get your ute dirty! Why new ute owners shouldn't be afraid of going off-road | Opinion

By Stephen Ottley · 05 Jan 2023

The recently revealed Ford Ranger Platinum is a sign of the times we live in. If the Blue Oval brand had tried to launch a premium - borderline luxury - ute just over a decade ago, it would have most likely been met with derision and very few sales.

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The most exciting models from Australia's biggest brands arriving in 2023: Toyota GR Corolla, Ford F-150, Kia EV9 and more

By Stephen Ottley · 03 Jan 2023

A new year presents new opportunities. For Australia’s best-selling car brands, it also means there are some exciting new additions headed for local showrooms.

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