Car News

Jeep has reaffirmed its commitment to right-hand drive markets around the world – including Australia – and has ambitious plans to become a top-10 brand. This comes as Jeep is embarks on a major line-up overhaul – including new models and electrified powertrains – many of which are coming to Australia. Compared to a string of successful years between 2010 and 2015, Jeep has since been navigating the treacherous waters of falling sales and plummeting consumer sentiment in Australia.

Toyota will pay a US$180 million (AU$232 million) settlement to the US government, following a five-year investigation into the company. According to news agency Reuters, the US Department of Justice publicly disclosed the outcome of the civil lawsuit last week – the first time government officials have confirmed the probe, despite Toyota announcing an investigation by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2016.

Toyota has trademarked the Celica name in the US, suggesting the brand's iconic affordable sports car could make a comeback. Toyota filed to protect the name with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on 15 January 2021, with the trademark covering "automobiles and structural parts thereof".

The 2021 Nissan Navara drive-away pricing for private buyers has been revealed online, ahead of showroom arrivals in March. The early drive-away pricing shows private buyers will pay up to $1500 more on equivalent Navara models when compared to the business (ABN) deals announced earlier this year. As revealed in our pricing and specifications story in December 2020, the entry-level Navara RX has been discontinued.

Mazda Australia has recalled 130 examples of the 2020 Mazda BT-50 TF ute (MY20) as the rear seatbelt may have been installed incorrectly. The recall notice, lodged with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), says the pretensioner mechanism in the BT-50 could malfunction in the event of an accident, increasing the risk of injury to passengers. Affected utes were sold between 23 September 2020 and 5 November 2020.