Category: Cars Guide Magazine

When the Citroen C3 launched in Australia in 2018, it came with an innovative safety technology option known as ConnectedCAM – a dash cam built into the windscreen. But that clever item – which cost customers an additional $600 – is no longer available. As with most aftermarket dash cam systems, the camera would constantly…

Bringing Mazda’s first ever production-ready full-electric vehicle to Australia may make no sense, but the fact is it’s almost certain to go on sale here anyway. Globally, Mazda has already said that the all-new MX-30, unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show last week, will only go to markets where it makes sense as a tool…

The all-new version Toyota Yaris 2020 model is to bring a range of technology and safety upgrades over its predecessor – but the brand says it will remain a budget-friendly offering in the city car market. The all-new model has been confirmed to offer new safety tech previously unseen in the Toyota range, let alone…

EV Automotive is a new Australian importer, which has tasked itself with the bold undertaking of launching a range of electric-only vehicles into the local market. The importer will bring in a range of EVs initially sourced from Chinese brand Dongfeng. Dongfeng is one of the largest manufacturers of EVs in the booming Chinese market…

There’s a lot of talk about the next-generation Toyota LandCruiser SUV – the model that will replace the ageing 200 Series has big shoes to fill, after all. But Toyota Australia vice president of sales and marketing, Sean Hanley, was offering no official word on what to expect when we spoke to him at the…

Toyota has for so long been derided as ‘whitegoods on wheels’, but Toyota is now riding high atop the Australian car industry and there seems to be no end in sight to its dominance. For decades Holden and Ford duked it out at the top of the sales charts, but as they focused on each…

The Subaru WRX is a performance icon, and like other performance icons – think Clint Eastwood – it’s getting a little long in the tooth in its current generation. And the current model is set to stick around until 2021 at least, before an all-new version of the WRX arrives in Australia. And that’s if…

Nissan wants a hardcore Navara Nismo to rattle the Ford Ranger Raptor, with the brand’s senior executives confirming a new tough truck would focus on off-road performance rather than on-road dynamics.  While Nissan’s performance brand has so far focused exclusively on road performance, a Navara Nismo will forgo tarmac dynamics in favour of off-road pace…

The 2021 Subaru Outback high-riding wagon is still about 12 months from launching in Australia, with the brand’s local arm currently working with Japan to figure out the intricate details of the all-new model. You may have seen the Subaru Outback 2020 model that has launched in the US – but that’s not the car…

Ford’s 2.0-litre EcoBlue turbo-diesel engine is at the centre of a huge stop sale order due to complications with fuel-injection components that affects just over 2000 vehicles. Dealers have been ordered to stop selling and ordering the affected models, which include the popular Ranger ute, mechanically related Everest large SUV, Transit and Transit Custom vans,…

The future of the Mercedes-Benz X-Class still appears uncertain with the brand in Australia confirming the model is under “review”. While Mercedes says the premium ute plays a key role in Australia, it also concedes it has become a niche product globally, saying “we continuously review and analyse which further role the X-Class will play”.…

Subaru has remained fairly secretive on the new-generation WRX, but a preview of the next Levorg wagon this week gives us the best indication yet of what to expect from the brand’s next all-wheel-drive sports car. With the current Levorg and WRX sharing the same platform and 2.0-litre engine, it stands to reason much of…

Mitsubishi has shocked the crowds at this year’s Tokyo motor show with the unveiling of the Mi-Tech Concept, a dune buggy-inspired small SUV motivated by a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain with a twist. The Japanese carmaker says the Mi-Tech Concept “delivers unparalleled driving pleasure and confidence over all terrain in light and wind”, mainly thanks…

Mazda’s announcement at the Tokyo Motor Show that it will apply some version of its e–Skyactiv electric-drive technology to every model it makes by 2030 was a carefully worded one, because it left the company wriggle room around the all-important BT-50 ute. Mazda’s senior managing executive offer Ichiro Hirose pointed out that there’s a careful…

Nissan is studying the global success of the Ford Ranger Raptor as the brand’s heavyweights weigh up producing a hardcore Nismo-badged rival.  Speaking at the Tokyo Motor Show, Nissan’s new light commercial vehicle chief, Francois Bailly, wouldn’t rule out a Nismo-badged Navara, instead telling media his team was following the success of the Ranger Raptor in…

The future of the Mercedes-Benz X-Class continues to darken, with Nissan today suggesting it’s not currently working with the German company on a new generation of the premium ute. A new-gen Navara – co-developed with the Mitsubishi Triton – is currently under development, with a 2021 launch date for the Triton widely expected. But Nissan’s…