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There will not be a Volkswagen Amarok version of the new-generation Ford Ranger Raptor, says Ford. The new Volkswagen Amarok will not adopt a version of the new-generation Ford Ranger Raptor – even though the rest of their ute ranges will be twins under the skin after a landmark model-sharing deal – after Ford drew a line in the sand and made its hero performance pick-up a no-go zone. However, Volkswagen Australia may develop its own diesel-powered ‘super ute’ with Walkinshaw Automotive Group following the success of the current Amarok W 580 Series. The global chief engineer for the new Ford Ranger, Ian Foston, told Drive at a media preview this week the twin turbo V6 petrol-powered Ford Ranger Raptor – a vehicle like no other in the segment – is not part of the model-sharing deal. “The deal (with the Volkswagen Amarok) was for a mid-size pick-up program. The new Amarok is a fully-differentiated sibling vehicle, however the arrangement is for the core models. “Raptor f...

There was a chance Australia’s largest employer of automotive engineers – more than 1500 all told – was on the brink of scaling back its operations when the Ford Ranger and  Ford F-150 were due to merge from 2027. But that’s changed, and it’s good news for local knowhow.  US car giant Ford’s engineering centre in Australia – the largest of its type in the region and which employs more than 1500 engineers – is secure for least another decade after Detroit made a U-turn on a radical plan to merge the next Ranger and F-150 pick-ups. Three years ago, Ford foreshadowed a massive upheaval in the way it develops future pick-ups such as the Ford Ranger mid-size utility sold in 180 countries and the Ford F-150 full-size utility sold primarily in North America. At the time, Ford foreshadowed that from 2027 onwards the Ford Ranger – the development of which is based in Australia, even though it is made in five countries – would be more closely aligned with the next-generation F...

A radical, turbocharged version of the Toyota Corolla hatch has more than twice the power of the regular model – and bulging bodywork – as the Japanese car giant aims to shed its conservative image. In a bid to reverse its ‘whitegoods on wheels’ image, the clean-cut Toyota Corolla hatchback has been sent to hoon school. Japanese car giant Toyota has unveiled its most wild Corolla to date – a turbocharged all-wheel-drive performance car with more than twice the power of the regular hatchback, bulging bodywork, and racing-inspired go-fast parts. Toyota – which sells more hybrid cars than any other automaker on the planet – has put aside its eco image and today released images that depict a Toyota Corolla performing tyre-smoking burnouts and hoon driving. It’s a stark contrast from Toyota’s normally conservative values. The company is trying to shed its dull image and bring some excitement to its range. This is the second performance hatchback from Toyota in three year...

The new Nissan Ariya crossover electric vehicle is much more compelling than the humdrum Leaf, but is it set to arrive too late? What we love Distinctive design Spacious and well-finished cabin Pliant suspension should work in the real world What we don’t The Basic FWD version feels slow by segment standards Laid-back dynamics Having to wait (and wait) for the Australian introduction Nissan was a pioneer of electrification, but the world has moved much more quickly than the Japanese brand. The Leaf was launched in 2010 and, for much of its life, was the world’s best-selling EV with nearly 600,000 of the first two generations having been built since then – even if only a modest number of those made it to Australia. Yet the Leaf’s gawky design and limited performance have been overtaken by newer, sexier rivals. For proof of where the heart of the market is now, look at the all-conquering Tesla Model 3, which took the Leaf’s title of cham...

The new Nissan Ariya crossover electric vehicle is much more compelling than the humdrum Leaf, but is it set to arrive too late? What we love Distinctive design Spacious and well-finished cabin Pliant suspension should work in the real world What we don’t The Basic FWD version feels slow by segment standards Laid-back dynamics Having to wait (and wait) for the Australian introduction Nissan was a pioneer of electrification, but the world has moved much more quickly than the Japanese brand. The Leaf was launched in 2010 and, for much of its life, was the world’s best-selling EV with nearly 600,000 of the first two generations having been built since then – even if only a modest number of those made it to Australia. Yet the Leaf’s gawky design and limited performance have been overtaken by newer, sexier rivals. For proof of where the heart of the market is now, look at the all-conquering Tesla Model 3, which took the Leaf’s title of cham...