If there’s one thing the internet is good for, it’s people arguing engaging in healthy debate.
Our commenters are passionate about cars, and love to have their say on the latest car news. Here are the stories that sparked the most conversation in 2021.
What happened to CarAdvice?
The day has finally come. CarAdvice is no more and Australia’s largest new car editorial website is dead.
It’s a decision that for motoring fans in Australia remains elusive and confusing almost a year on from when Nine announced it was shuttering CarAdvice and moving its automotive resources to Drive in October 2020.
For those of you who are new to CarExpert, you should know a lot of us came from CarAdvice. In fact, Alborz Fallah, Anthony Crawford and Paul Maric were the original founders of CarAdvice and watched it grow to become the best editorial automotive website in Australia.
VFACTS: Stock shortages, worst October in 20 years
Enduring global supply chain woes are now being reflected on the Aussie VFACTS charts, which recorded a paltry 74,650 sales in October – the lowest tally for this month since 2002.
Disastrously for the nation’s car brands and dealers, that’s despite strong demand which by most accounts is rushing back as people and business defrost after restrictions.
The October tally was down 8.1 per cent on the same month last year.
2022 Honda Civic price and specs
Honda is taking the Civic upmarket.
The new Honda Civic hatchback will be offered in one trim level at launch, the fully-loaded Civic VTi LX. Pricing is fixed at $47,200 drive-away around Australia, and there are no options except for colour.
The now-defunct entry-level 2021 Civic was priced at $31,000 drive-away, while the range-topping 2021 Civic RS was $39,600 drive-away. As recently as 2016 the Civic was available from $18,490 before on-road costs.
VFACTS: Australia’s car sales for August 2021 detailed
New car sales grew 33.1 per cent during August despite the two most populous states – New South Wales and Victoria – being stuck in lockdowns, and semiconductor-related supply shortages lingering like a bad smell.
Industry data VFACTS shows that 81,199 new cars were counted as sold in August compared to 60,986 in a disastrous August 2020.
The year-to-date (YTD) tally sits at 732,828 sales, which is actually the highest tally at this point since 2018.
Chinese brands overtake Subaru and Honda as market evolves
Improving and expanding car brands from China are capitalising on the price increases and supply constraints curtailing many competitors.
Not only are cars from GWM, Haval, LDV and MG cheaper than the established players, there has also been stock on the ground – though the country’s supply chain is under pressure now.
More importantly, each new model iteration brings improvements that seem to be winning cost-conscious or brand-agnostic buyers over, helped no doubt by long warranties.
2022 Ford Ranger: Everything you need to know
The new-generation 2022 Ford Ranger ute has been revealed with a bolder design, more interior technology, full-time four-wheel drive, a V6 diesel option, and a plug-in hybrid-ready architecture.
We don’t know final specs and market details at this stage, save that the new and again Thai-sourced Ford Ranger will hit Australian dealerships from the middle of 2022.
- Three engines will be offered at launch: single- and bi-turbo four-cylinder options, and a 3.0-litre V6. They’re all diesels
- Five trim levels will be available at launch, ranging from XL to Wildtrak. A Ranger Raptor will follow
- Top-spec cars will have a 12-inch vertical touchscreen inside, cheaper cars get a 10-inch unit
- Sales will start in the middle of 2022 for Australia
