Month: December 2019

Every year, a deluge of automotive news stories is released that CarsGuide covers with integrity and fervour. As with every publication, there are articles which resonant well and others that perform less than expected. Looking back in 2019, these are the top 10 most popular stories published on CarsGuide. Mazda Australia’s sales hit a snag…

We love what we do here at CarsGuide – being able to bring you reviews of the cars you’re looking for, and helping inform your new car decisions is what we live and breathe. On average, we published more than one review article per day in 2019 – that’s right, more than 520 reviews were…

Welcome to the zero-tailpipe-emissions future. Electric vehicles aren’t a fad. They’ve been around for a while, and 2020 will be one of the busiest years yet when it comes to new releases. Even though Australia doesn’t have the stringent emissions targets some other developed countries do, there’s still an influx of EVs to look forward…

The sports-car segment may have taken a step backwards in 2019, down 21.2 per cent to the end of November, but that won’t stop carmakers from releasing new models next year. Granted there aren’t many sports cars on the cards yet for 2020, those that are coming are no less important. In fact, we’d argue…

The Federal Government’s ageing Holden Caprice fleet is being killed off, with the formerly homegrown lineup to be replaced by the Toyota Camry Hybrid and the BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo. The Comcar fleet, made up of 142 vehicles across Australia, is primarily used to transport members of the Federal Government and their invited guests,…

There was a time when crossovers and 4x4s were classified separately, but in recent times they’ve been generally referred to by the same term: SUV. Love it or hate it, SUVs come in all shapes and sizes, and are here for the long haul. But some enthusiasts are quick to point out the ones with…

While sedans may be as unpopular as ever, that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few launching in Australia in 2020. In fact, for that crowd that doesn’t subscribe to the SUV phenomenon, there’s a bevy of traditional sedans on the way, of which we’ll take a look at a few here. Performance enthusiasts, in particular,…

Up until recently, hatchbacks were the most popular type of new vehicle… then the SUV came along and moved things along. Unlike sedans, though, hatchbacks are more or less holding their own against the SUV tide, so there’s plenty of new releases set for 2020. In fact, there’s some key models due for release in…

Mazda will continue its shift upmarket as it wards off increased pressure from Chinese and Korean manufacturers in the affordable vehicle space. That’s the word from Mazda’s global chief, Akira Marumoto, who told US outlet Automotive News that his brand would be considered “an alternative to established premium brands”, but suggested he wasn’t aiming to…

The Federal Government’s ageing Holden Caprice fleet is being killed off, with the formerly homegrown lineup to be replaced by the Toyota Camry Hybrid and the BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo. The Comcar fleet, made up of 142 vehicles across Australia, is primarily used to transport members of the Federal Government and their invited guests,…

Kia is fighting against the tide. While all of its main rivals have suffered a difficult year in 2019, the South Korean brand often thought of as Hyundai’s little brother has been marching forward.  There’s no disguising it’s been a difficult year for the new-vehicle market, sales are down 8.2 per cent year-to-date, according to…

Utes are big business. You needn’t look any further than the two best-selling models in Australia, the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger, for proof of that fact. As such, it goes without saying any ute launch is a big deal. And while 2020 is looking like a quiet year on that front, some key releases…

Holden will never be the same again after 2019. If you were clinging onto hope that Holden would recover to its heights as the most popular brand in the country ever again, the last 12 months will have put an end to that. It has been a difficult year for the brand, capped by the…

Love them or hate them, SUVs are here and they’re here to stay. So, it’s no surprise that an array of them are due to launch next year. Australians have gone mad for SUVs, so it only makes sense that carmakers have put the pedal to metal to produce more for the market. And as…

Will 2020 be the start of Genesis? Hyundai’s new luxury brand has had a low-key start to its Australian experience, on target to sell slightly more than 100 cars in 2019. But that’s thanks largely to its range consisting of just two models – G70 and G80. Both are luxury sedans in a market crying…

As one decade ends, another one begins, which means a fresh crop of new metal is set for Australian showrooms. And given Australia’s new-vehicle market remains in decline, there is no better time than now to get a brand-new set of wheels. Don’t worry, we’re just as excited as you, which is why we’ve prepared…

Buying your first new car is getting more expensive.  The days of carmakers duking it out to get your business with sub-$15k city cars is rapidly diminishing. Holden, Ford and Hyundai and others have all abandoned their cheapest models in recent years, putting more focus on profit than volume. Holden dumped both the Spark and…

Kia Australia has been forced to recall 3315 Sorento SUVs due to a software issue that could cause their autonomous emergency braking (AEB) systems to fail. Affecting MY20 examples sold from February 26 to December 24 this year, the defective AEB system might not automatically slow the Sorento when it approaches a stationary vehicle or…

Fresh from revealing its first all-electric vehicle, the controversially named Mustang Mach-E, Ford is reportedly preparing to electrify another one of its famous performance models, the Focus RS hot hatch. According to CAR Magazine, while the next-generation Focus RS will keep its predecessor’s 2.3-litre Ecoboost turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine, Ford is planning to give it a…