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As the world tries to find the new normal after the outbreak and continued presence of a crippling pandemic, so to has the automotive industry tried to get back onto an even keel in 2022.
It hasn’t been easy, though, with small COVID outbreaks causing production shutdowns, while rising inflation has seen higher costs of logistics and raw materials pass onto customers.
It wasn’t all bad news though, as this list of top 10 stories proves, with still plenty of interest in utes, the electric car future and what the Australian manufacturing industry looks like five years on from the demise of the locally made Commodore and Camry.
10. Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon? Nah, Australian vehicle development is now all about utes like the Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior, Ford Ranger, Chevrolet Silverado and Ram 1500
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At the time of local vehicle manufacturing shutdown, we all thought that engineering and production talent would quickly leave the country for greener pastures, but it’s a pleasant surprise to see firms like Premcar and Walkinshaw not only surviving, but thriving thanks to the big ute boom.
9. Is Toyota in trouble? Why the all-new HiLux can't come soon enough! | Opinion
Toyota’s HiLux is expected to once again be crowned Australia’s best-selling model for the seventh consecutive year, but the ageing model is starting to get long in the tooth – especially compared to much newer offerings like the Ford Ranger and Isuzu D-Max. And the question is, how long can HiLux last at the top?
8. Battery breakthrough! Electric cars could be charged in as little as three minutes thanks to new solid tech
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A big theme for 2022 was the meteoric rise of electric car interest, but a big question has always hovered over the inconvenience of long recharge times. Well, soon that could be solved thanks to a new battery technology breakthrough that could mean your future EV will be as quick to top up as your petrol car at the bowser.
7. A new off-road king? Look out LandCruiser, Nissan says the Y63 Nissan Patrol will crank up the 4WD capability for Australia
If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that Australians love a big, butch and beefy off-roader to tackle the wild terrain in our backyards – just look at how much interest for the Toyota LandCruiser and Nissan Patrol has soared in the last few years. And Nissan is promising to carry on that tradition of hardy SUVs with the next Patrol.
6. Everyone needs to just chill out about Chinese cars | Opinion
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China is the new South Korea, who was the new Japan. It seems like every new country in the automotive scene has to go through a baptism by fire from the public, and we’ve seen countless comments about Chinese brands like BYD, MG, LDV and GWM Haval, but is it time we put down our pitchforks and just looked at the product being made available?
5. Kia Stinger out on bail: How the Australian Police are saving a modern icon from following the Holden Commodore SS and Ford Falcon XR8 into oblivion
Kia’s Stinger might have been billed as the spiritual successor to the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon, but how much longer can it last in an SUV-dominated industry that is quickly shifting to electric power? At least another year in Australia, apparently, and it seems like the deal for Kia to supply police vehicles across the country is to thank for its stay of execution.
4. Toyota Tundra coming soon to eat your HiLux and Ford Ranger? Toyota's game-changing i-FORCE MAX engine registered for Australia!
Toyota might have taken their sweet time confirming the Tundra will be right-hand-drive remanufactured for Australia in the next year or so, but we got the scoop way back in early 2022 when its hybrid engine was trademark registered.
3. Diesel dual-cab doomsday is coming! Why China's new electric ute is the beginning of the end for diesel-powered workhorses | Opinion
What will happen to the dual-cab ute as we march towards the electric age? Big brands like Toyota, Ford, Isuzu, Mitsubishi and Nissan will have to move quickly, that’s what, because an onslaught of tailpipe emissions-free workhorses are expected to be readily available out of China in the not-too-distant future.
2. The return of Australian car manufacturing? New reports call for old Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon factories to become new electric car hubs
Could mass-market vehicle manufacturing return to Australia? The assets, skills and resources are all here according to a report from the Carmichael Centre, which envisions the former Holden and Ford sites being turned into an EV production hub.
1. LandCruiser chaos coming to Australia soon? Toyota suspends all 300 Series orders as it admits it has "greatly exceeded production capacity"
Toyota has struggled immensely in 2022 to deliver a number of its vehicles in a timely fashion to customers, but it is the recently launched LandCruiser that seems to get the most interest from readers. To its credit, Toyota has been very open and transparent about production shutdowns and lengthy wait times, but we can only hope the situation improves in 2023.
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