Car News

Ford of Europe has introduced an updated range of 'Sport' vans, including a more powerful version of the Transit Custom Sport. The upgraded 2.0-litre 'EcoBlue' diesel engine in the Transit Custom Sport now makes 185PS (136kW) and 415Nm, a 9% increase in power output compared to the outgoing model. Interestingly, the Australian-market version due in the coming months makes the same 136kW, but 405Nm (-10Nm).

Isuzu Ute Australia says there have so far been four reported cases of faulty leaf springs showing “symptoms” of a defect that could lead to a fracture and collapse of the rear suspension. However, no actual suspension failures have been reported locally and Isuzu says it has replaced the rear leaf springs in 20 per cent of the approximately 4000 D-Max utes caught in the global recall during the first four weeks of the campaign.

On this week's episode of CarAdvice, Trent Nikolic and Paul Maric talk about the new Great Wall ute, Ford's long-range electric car inspired by the Mustang, and talk about a pair of British SUVs. For starters, there's a new Great Wall ute, and it has the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux in its sights. With a more upmarket interior and the promise of a proper off-road model, it certainly looks good on paper.

The 2020 Chevrolet Corvette has been teased ahead of its launch on July 18, this time shown hammering around a track. The video, called Let's Go, starts with the late Zora Arkus-Duntov sitting in the CERV 1 prototype. Zora is credited as the 'father of the Corvette' and a long-time supporter of the move to mid-engined power.

Daimler has confirmed Smart will leave the US and Canadian markets by the end of the 2019, but the automaker will continue to provide support for existing cars through its Mercedes-Benz dealership network. The German automaker told TechCrunch, "After much careful consideration, Smart will discontinue its battery-electric Smart EQ ForTwo model in the US and Canadian markets at the conclusion of MY2019".