CAR ADVICE

The first Tesla Cybertruck has been delivered to customers, two years late and up to $AU45,000 dearer than first announced. Customer deliveries of the Tesla Cybertruck electric pick-up have finally commenced in the US two years behind schedule with prices up to $US30,000 ($AU45,550) higher – and up to 250km less claimed driving range – than first promised. There is still no word on whether a right-hand-drive version of the Cybertruck will be produced for Australia and other markets such as the UK and Japan. However it is believed to be unlikely – based on past comments made by Tesla CEO Elon Musk. While there is a Cybertruck page on the Tesla Australia website, it has a ‘Get Updates’ button that allows interested buyers to join a marketing mailing list – rather than the ‘Order Now’ button on the Tesla US website. The showroom-ready Tesla Cybertruck unveiled at a hand-over event to the first customers in the US today looks much like the concept shown four years ago, ...

The dual-cab utes and SUVs rule the roost in Australia, but elsewhere in the world, the small cars and even electric vehicles are king. More than 67 million brand-new cars rolled out of factories in 2022, finding homes from Australia to Argentina and Armenia. The best-selling car in the world in 2022 was the evergreen Toyota Corolla, with more than 1.1 million sales. But what about the best-selling cars according to each of the seven continents? In Australia we fawn over dual-cab utes, but the humble small car reigns over an entire continent – and in others, there is no stopping the electric vehicle, one in particular. RELATED: Highest speed limits in the world RELATED: The world’s most expensive toll roads In this article, we take you on a journey around the seven continents of the world to reveal the most popular new cars – and you might be surprised. The continents, for those who’ve forgotten their primary school geography, are Africa, Antarctica (yes, we’ve covered that...

More than 250 examples of the current ‘992’ Porsche 911 have been recalled in Australia, owing to a fault with the sports car’s seat side airbag. Porsche Australia has recalled  258  examples of its  2021-2023 Porsche 911 , due to a fault which could cause the sports car’s side airbags to deploy in a crash when not needed. The recall affects Porsche’s current ‘992’-generation 911 . The recall notice , lodged with the Department of Infrastructure, says: “Due to a programming issue, the side airbags installed in the seats may unnecessarily deploy in the event of an accident. “Unnecessary deployment of the seat side airbag may increase the risk of injury to vehicle occupants.” Date of recall notice 28 November 2023 Make Porsche Model 911 Year 2021-2023 Vehicles affected 258 VIN list Click here to download the list of affected VINs Contact link Click here to contact the manufacturer A full list of vehicle identificati...

The upcoming circa-$40,000 electric car from German giant Volkswagen is in line for launch in Australia. But when? Volkswagen’s upcoming entry-level electric vehicle – the Volkswagen ID.2 city hatch, with a targeted price in Europe lower than $AU40,000 – is on the road to Australian showrooms. However it remains to be seen how long it will take to come to Australia after its European launch in 2025 – and if the wait will be as long as the three-year delay faced by the ID.4 and ID.5 SUV siblings. The ID.2 is the size of a Volkswagen Polo city hatch – but claims the interior space of a Golf – and is planned to cost less than €25,000 ($AU42,000) in Europe, using a dedicated, front-wheel-drive electric-car platform. During a media conference this week, Volkswagen Australia executives showed a new-model launch roadmap listing the ID.2 as in its plans “beyond 2024”. When asked if the vehicle has been locked in – or it remains on the company’s wish list, and confirmati...

Australian motorists with autism diagnoses reportedly face hefty fines and the possibility of needing to undergo another practical driving assessment due to a relatively unknown rule. A controversial new standard for Australian motorists – quietly introduced last year – could result in road users with Autism Spectrum Disorder having to retake their driving test, despite having no prior incidents or convictions. As reported by ABC News , in 2022 Australia’s ‘Assessing Fitness to Drive’ standards were updated to include Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as a medical condition which could impact the ability of a motorist to drive. While all motorists have been made to take a driving test to obtain their driver’s licence, the updated standards included a provision which called for road users with ASD to be “assessed individually” – a clause which ABC News reports could involve a practical driving assessment. Despite only recently being added to the Assessing Fitness to Drive ...

New standards due to be introduced next year will require government-funded electric-car charging stations to be operational 98 per cent of the time. Federal and state governments in Australia are due to introduce laws against unreliable electric-car charging stations next year. As reported by The Driven , the standard – planned to come into effect from January 2024 – will require all government-funded electric-vehicle charging stations to be functioning at least 98 per cent of the time. Out-of-order charging stations are a growing issue as more electric cars join Australian roads – and the number of electric-vehicle chargers nationally increases. It will bring Australia in line with similar charging station ‘uptime’ standards mandated overseas, including 99 per cent in the UK, and 97 per cent in the US. This reliability standard is planned to be introduced alongside several other electric-vehicle charging-related requirements, such as a common payment system, and mult...

GM-H’s first ground-up design since 1948’s FX (48-215), the HQ Holden heralded a coming of age for Australian manufacturing. Original story, by Peter McKay, published in Drive on 5 August, 2000 . Released in 1971 to the sound of trumpets blaring, GM-H stood on the palace balcony proclaiming to the masses that this, its newest car, was not only the greatest achievement since the FX, but the best thing since sliced bread. It was a fair comparison – the FX had a front grille like a toast-rack and it could handle a loaf of Tip Top no worries. An accurate prophecy (about its popularity, not the toast bit), they sold over 500,000 HQs, and with our population at then around 11 million, having one was more popular than both Alvin Purple and Leed lemonade. A modern design compared to the previous Monaro (the Humpback shape being replaced by new “creased” side panels), the HQ carried on the familiar tags of Belmont, Kingswood and Premier – names as revered in Australia as Galli...