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The four-wheel-drive that cemented Jeep’s reputation in Australia is saying goodbye, but an all-new model is on the horizon. The Jeep Cherokee is leaving Australia after almost three decades. Jeep parent company Stellantis has quietly killed off right-hand-drive manufacturing of the current-generation Cherokee, ending an unbroken 28 years of sales in Australia. “Production of the Jeep Cherokee for main markets outside of North America, including right-hand-drive models, is ending in a drive to focus marketing and sales resources into key volume models,” the company said in a statement. “The Jeep Cherokee continues to be manufactured for Canada, the US and South Korea – where a version with a similar specification to North America is sold.” While the Jeep Cherokee was sold for a handful of years here in the early 1980s, it wasn’t until the iconic XJ Cherokee (below) was introduced in 1994 when the brand really found its footing in Australia – paving the way for the Wr...

BMW says its latest edgy designs are intended to attract new buyers. The CEO of German car-maker BMW claims the company’s new controversial and edgy design language – adopted by recent-introduced models – is part of a plan to attract new customers. BMW has a history of heading in new design directions, the most recent of which include sharply-creased bodywork and over-sized grilles, such as the nose that debuted on the updated 4 Series in 2020 . In May 2021 , BMW’s head of design, Domagoj Dukec, said the new grille on the 4 Series, M3 and M4 – which some describe as a “koala nose” or resembling “buck teeth” – is “best experienced in person”.  Despite the controversial new look, the redesigned BMW 4 Series proved popular in its first full year in Australian showrooms, with the car-maker reporting 1107 examples as sold in 2021 – compared to the 478 a year prior. The 2021 BMW 4 Series In a recent interview with US publication Forbes , BMW boss Oliver Zipse said the ...

Kia Australia has stopped taking orders for its turbo Rio GT-Line city car, as it works to clear six to 12 months of backorders amid low supply of its unique engine and transmission. Orders for the flagship Kia Rio GT-Line city hatch have been paused , amid supply bottlenecks on its unique turbocharged engine and transmission – however it is expected to return at a later date once backorders are cleared. A Kia Australia representative told Drive the company is “struggling” to secure supply of the Rio GT-Line’s 1.0-litre turbo engine and dual-clutch gearbox – which has resulted in backorders understood to span about six to 12 months . As such new orders have been paused, the representative told Drive , to minimise “customer disappointment” from long wait times. Existing orders will be fulfilled. The decision is believed to be temporary, as current backorders are cleared, Drive understands Kia Australia plans to begin accepting new Rio GT-Line orders again. A date for thi...

Halloween is working its way into Australian society as a day to have a bit of fun and embrace the spookier side of life – as many current Mercedes-Benz drivers discovered this morning We love an automotive feature that dishes up some ‘surprise and delight’, or perhaps in the case of the Mercedes-Benz MBUX display today, ‘spookiness and delight’. Drivers of any Mercedes-Benz fitted with the latest MBUX infotainment operating system would have received a fun theme change to their regular login screen this morning, with an animated Happy Halloween message adorning the screen. This (and other treats) are activated by turning the GRAPHIC GOODIES setting ON in the display settings menu. Profile images changed to offer a vampire, witch, devil or zombie/monster motif, with ghostly icons, spider webs and illuminated jack-o-lantern pumpkins sealing the deal. Prior to logging in with a fingerprint or code, the home screen delivered an animated sequence of autumnal leaves f...

The electric successor to the Fiat 500-based Abarth hot hatch range has been spied ahead of its launch expected next year. A photo of the next chapter for Fiat’s Abarth performance brand – and its first electric car – has leaked from the factory floor, ahead of the new car’s official launch due next year. Shown in an image shared widely on social media , the new Abarth electric car – based on the latest Fiat 500e – will differentiate itself with a more aggressive look and sportier driving experience. Styling changes visible from the front include a new front bumper with a body-coloured, honeycomb-patterned lower air intake, ‘ABARTH’ lettering in place of the 500 badge, a subtle Abarth logo on the bonnet, and a new green paint colour. Black mirror caps can also be seen, along with single-piece front sports seats inside the car, which look similar to those in today’s petrol-powered Abarth 595 and 695 . There are no photos of the electric Abarth’s rear, however spy p...

The full episode is available to watch below! If you missed Season 3 Episode 7 of Drive on Channel Nine on Saturday afternoon, you can watch it in full on 9Now here . We’ve linked it here for you too. In the meantime, you can read about our drive from Beechworth to Tawonga. Or if you did see it and want to know more about the car, you can read Rob’s review. If you missed Season One or Two of Drive TV , you can catch up on all the episodes here . Tune in on Channel Nine , or 9Now to watch Season 3 of Drive TV every week – Saturday afternoon at 1.00pm. The post Drive TV S3 Episode 7: Mazda MX-5 Roadster appeared first on Drive .

Want to stay up to date in the world of automotive news? These are the most-read stories from the past week. Each week we’ll keep you up to speed and bring you the ‘watercooler’ information of what has happened in the world of cars and motoring with the five most-read stories we’ve covered. Here’s what you need to know… Out of control Toyota captured on dash cam A motorist lost control last week in Queensland, getting their Toyota HiLux airborne – and it was all captured on dash cam. Posted to the Youtube channel Dash Cam Owners Australia , the video shows the disaster that unfolds after the HiLux attempts to execute an overtake. Watch the video here. Ford closes orders for the current Mustang  Order books for the popular 2022 Ford Mustang have been closed for good, as the automaker reaches its order capacity. The manufacturer will now edge future buyers towards the next-generation model, due to arrive in Australia in 2023. Check out the full story here. Tesla...