Tony O'Kane

Contributor

The first book Tony ever read cover-to-cover was the maintenance manual for a Volkswagen Beetle, and he’s been reading and writing about cars ever since.

A journalist by training but a car freak by nature, Tony is fascinated by the technology behind automobiles – whether it’s archaic side valve engines or hydrogen fuel cells. His product knowledge and road-testing expertise have been helping Australian new-car consumers buy smarter for more than a decade.

News

Kia Picanto GT, X-Line hatch gets set for Oz arrival

Kia Australia will heat up its microcar offering in January with a sporty Picanto GT variant, along with jacked-up crossover-style X-Line derivative.

News

Kia plans worksite-ready ute for Australia by 2022

The availability of a proper ladder-framed utility is the only thing holding Kia back from offering a load-lugging workhorse in this country – but a timeline has now been set.

Reviews

Video: 2019 Lexus UX preview drive

We head to Sweden to sample Lexus’ intriguing new entry-level SUV, the UX.

Reviews

2018 Fiat 500X Pop Star Launch Edition review

A star by name, but not by nature. The 500X fails to deliver on its SUV promise

News

European Parliament wants even tougher emissions laws – what’s it mean for Australian motorists?

You’d think Australia would be insulated from emissions legislation in Europe, but we likely won’t be. However, in this case that’s a good thing

News

Renault Australia puts hand up for Captur plug-in hybrid

Renault has announced its intent to bring more electrified models to market by 2020, and the French automaker’s Australian office has its hand up for an electron-munching SUV

News

VFACTS – Australia’s most popular cars and SUVs in September

Which cars and SUVs are Australians buying the most right now? We give you a segment-by-segment rundown

News

Mazda reveals plans for all-electric model, rotary-powered hybrid

The Japanese carmaker says it expects 95 percent of the cars it sells in 2030 will be hybrid, with the remaining five percent being purely electric

Paris Motor Show

Next-generation BMW 3 Series revealed: Paris Motor Show 2018

BMW unveils the latest iteration of its mainstay midsize sedan, highlighting dramatic improvements both inside and out

News

2018 Nissan Juke scores cosmetic upgrades, Juke Nismo around the corner

Nissan Australia adds some visual flair to its already-extroverted compact crossover

Reviews

2018 Mini Cooper review

Base-model Cooper gets a technology update, a new gearbox and some cosmetic glitter to keep it fresh

News

Rising petrol prices spark calls for reduced retail margins and tax reductions

Rising petrol prices spark calls for reduced retail margins and tax reductions

News

2019 Peugeot 508, 3008 plug-in hybrids announced

French automaker lifts the lid on its first wave of electrified cars

News

2019 Mazda CX-5 2.5 turbo locked in for Australia

Less than half a year after its most recent update, Mazda’s popular CX-5 gets set to receive a powerful turbocharged petrol engine option

News

2019 Audi RS5 Sportback pricing and features announced

Audi Australia confirms its more practical RS5 will arrive down under with no price penalty relative to its coupe sibling

News

Mitsubishi ASX Black Edition added to range

Mitsubishi throws some light cosmetic enhancements onto its aging ASX to give it a showroom boost

News

Chrysler Portal electric people mover rumoured for 2020

Full electric people mover rumours bolster Chrysler minivan brand transformation theory

Nismo versus Nissan 370Z track battle
Comparisons

Nismo versus Nissan: 370Z track battle

So just how much faster is Nissan’s 370Z Nismo against its vanilla sibling?

Comparisons

2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Exceed vs Nissan Qashqai Ti comparison review

It’s a Japan-versus-Japan showdown as we take two top-spec crossovers from Nissan and Mitsubishi and see which one turns up trumps

Reviews

2018 Mercedes-Benz X Class Gallery Review

We visually walk you through Benz’s first proper commercial dual-cab ute

News

Lexus ready to ‘consider’ a UX F performance SUV - here’s why it should happen

Japan’s biggest luxury car maker has only just dipped its toe into the compact SUV pool, but here’s why we reckon they should jump right in with a performance variant of the UX

Reviews

2019 Lexus UX review

Lexus ventures into new ground with its bold – and surprisingly likeable – UX crossover

News

Skoda introduces three- and five-year capped price servicing schemes

Skoda Australia wants to dispel the myth that European cars cost a packet to service

News

Airbag recall - South Australia to refuse rego for Takata equipped cars

Owners of cars fitted with the deadliest type of Takata airbag will soon need to prove their car has been made safe before being able to register it in South Australia