Latest news with #Carsales
AU Financial Review
17-07-2025
- Automotive
- AU Financial Review
Carsales chief bows out after 230pc growth record
The chief executive of Australia's biggest automotive classifieds business, $14 billion Car Group, is stepping down after nine years and more than 200 per cent growth in the market capitalisation of the company that owns Cameron McIntyre has been with Carsales for 18 years, first joining as chief financial officer in 2007 and helping take the company public in 2009. He will leave on August 15 and has a six month non-compete.
News.com.au
09-07-2025
- Automotive
- News.com.au
Forget the pram: New parents are splurging on this instead
'Thud-thud-thud.' The ultrasound confirmed two things: I was having a baby, and I desperately needed a car with 17 cup holders and five-star safety. Suddenly, my trusty old sedan felt like a deathtrap. No rear air vents. No boot space. And absolutely no way it was going to handle a pram, let alone a scooter, nappy bag, and the crushing weight of my new mental load. Like many expecting mums, I was hit by the overwhelming, rather irrational urge to upgrade my entire life. And that started with my ride. You've probably heard of nesting - the biological instinct that turns otherwise normal people into midnight drawer organisers, onesie washers and freezer-meal warriors. Well, for a growing number of Aussies, that instinct has now extended to the driveway. Because in 2025, baby prep goes beyond painting the nursery. It's about finding the safest, roomiest and most reliable car to bring your new human home in. And the numbers back it up. More Aussies than ever are upgrading their vehicles as their families grow, with 16 per cent listing it as their main reason for buying a new car - up from 11 per cent in 2021 according to Carsales. The data also reveals new families with kids under six care less about engine size or power… probably because hauling little ones, groceries, and a small army's worth of gear doesn't require drag-race speeds. So, what are they buying? SUVs - or as I like to call them, people movers with perks. Turns out we're a nation obsessed. In fact, these roomy rides make up around 60 per cent of all new vehicles sold, and it's easy to see why. They offer height, safety, and enough boot space to haul half the house. And they come with features such as 'baby modes ', built in rear sunshades, rear-seat reminders and seats that fold all the way down for a spontaneous roadside nap. In Australia, brands like Kia, Hyundai and Volvo are leading the way with clever features designed for parents, from quiet cabin tech to pram-friendly boots, integrated child seat anchors and hands-free tailgate that open with a swipe of your foot. Here are some of the most popular, all boasting a 5-star ANCAP safety rating. Toyota is leading the charge with the award-winning RAV4 - crowned Australia's most popular SUV. A spacious cabin with clever storage and a massive safety focus. Featuring smart pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection technology, Active Cruise Control and Road Sign Assist. Toyota also takes second and third place with the iconic LandCruiser and Prado. While the Ford Everest is also a popular pick. Electric vehicles are also cruising into the baby bubble. Tesla's Model Y and the BYD Sealion 7 were the top two selling EVs in the first six months of this year - both mid-size SUVs targeted at families. The big question is - if you're expecting, do you really need a new car? It's easy to get swept up in the baby vortex, where suddenly your old car feels wildly unfit for the job ahead. Plenty of parents make it work with hatchbacks and clever boot Tetris. But for those of us deep in the nesting phase, a trip to the dealership feels just as essential as the trip to the hospital. I didn't need 59 muslin wraps, 15 booties or an electric bottle warmer. And technically, I probably didn't need a brand-new SUV either. But when you're facing sleepless nights, an avalanche of baby gear, and endless unknowns, sometimes it feels like a safer, bigger car is one of the few things you can control. For me, in an ironic twist, the new car ended up delayed for months due to a parts shortage. Well past my baby's due date. But hey, if parenthood has taught me anything, it's this: sometimes you just have to buckle up, grab a double shot coffee, and embrace the chaos… preferably from the comfy seat of a family-sized SUV.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Kia Confirms A Tasman SUV Is Coming
Kia Confirms A Tasman SUV Is Coming originally appeared on Autoblog. The Kia Tasman is a midsize pickup with styling that not everyone will gel with, and which is off-limits to American buyers for the time being. However, its eccentricity in the styling department may not negatively impact its future prospects for diversification, according to a report from Australia's Carsales. When asked by the publication whether a Kia Tasman-based SUV could be openly discussed, Kia Australia Chief Engineer for Ride and Handling Graeme Gombold answered the question directly: "Three years down the track." That means a new Toyota 4Runner rival could reach dealer floors by 2029. View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article Gambold's job is to fine-tune Kia suspensions for the specific demands of the Australasian region and its roadways, so it follows that the engineer would know what's coming down the pipeline. However, this new SUV, and other potential incarnations of the Tasman, first depend on the base vehicle achieving success, as the brand's marketing boss, Dean Norbiato, was quick to point out. "If Tasman is a success, then it will open many doors, so let's get Tasman right first," said the executive. "Once we get that right, then we can go from there. Let us take a breath; the media was asking for a ute [pickup truck] for 10 years." So it'll be some way off if it happens, but clearly, Kia knows it's worth exploring, and suggesting that "many doors" can be opened indicates there may be other applications for the truck. Kia's American arm offers the Sportage and Sorento, but neither of those is constructed atop a body-on-frame architecture, which means there is still a gap in the U.S. market that Kia could potentially fill, offering something to compete with the Ford Bronco and Toyota 4Runner. However, as noted at the outset, the Tasman's chances of arrival in America seem slim, and if that's not arriving, would it be worth tweaking the eventual SUV? Perhaps not, but the good news is that Kia is bringing a pickup of some sort to our shores, and there's no reason to believe that truck can't someday spawn an SUV that fits right into a gap in the U.S. market. Kia Confirms A Tasman SUV Is Coming first appeared on Autoblog on Jun 9, 2025 This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Ferrari Might Build Its First New Manual Transmission in Over a Decade
Ferrari could be about to make a lot of enthusiasts very happy. The Italian marque is considering bringing back the gated manual transmission following a decade-plus absence, according to Carsales. There's a catch, though. The coveted mechanical feature would only be available on special models. More from Robb Report Bill Gates's Former Waterfront Mansion in Florida Can Be Yours for $23.5 Million Inside a Stunning, Fire-Resistant Family Retreat on a Sunny Hilltop in NorCal's Wine Country Bermuda: Preserving the Past, Inspiring the Future In an interview with the magazine, Ferrari's chief product development officer, Gianmaria Fulgenzi, revealed that the company is 'reaching the limit of performance' with its road cars. That's not because the company can't wring more power out of its engines, but because its customers wouldn't be able to handle it—unless they were to put in the kind of training required of professional race car drivers. 'I don't think all our customers want to have to train every morning just to drive our cars,' he told the magazine. Ferrari hasn't sold a car with a third pedal since the California was discontinued back in 2012. The stick shift was sacrificed in the name of performance, so, at a time when the company has pushed things just about as they can go in that area, it makes sense that it's thinking about bringing the gearbox back. Fulgenzi said this would involve 'limiting performance' to manage the heavy clutch. If Ferrari does bring back the manual, don't expect it to be available line-wide. Fulgenzi made clear that the option would not be available on the company's standard production models. Instead, it would only be available on its more exclusive releases, like the Icona series. 'Probably an Icona car, because it's a car that represents our heritage, a car to be admired and to be driven in a certain way,' he said. Fulgazi also revealed that the marque hasn't reached this softened stance on its own. Unsurprisingly, the executive says that 'customers are already asking' for the company to bring back the manual. It's not hard to imagine a gated manual making the next Icona model even more desirable. Not that the seven-figure cars need much help on that front. At the very least, this all sounds like good news for Ferrari Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton, who, earlier this season, expressed interest in helping the marque build an F40 tribute—with a manual. Best of Robb Report The 2024 Chevy C8 Corvette: Everything We Know About the Powerful Mid-Engine Beast The World's Best Superyacht Shipyards The ABCs of Chartering a Yacht Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Toyota is sticking with ICE and manuals indefinitely
Toyota already offers several choices when it comes to rowing your own gears. The GR86, Supra, the outside-the-US-only GR Yaris, and the GR Corolla hatchback all offer a six-speed manual transmission and fully rely on petrol power. The good news is that the brand will continue to favor fans of the manual transmission, at least for the foreseeable future.'There is still room to satisfy dyed in the wool performance car lovers,' said Sean Hanley in an interview with Australian outlet Carsales. Hanley is VP of Sales and Marketing for Toyota in the land Down Under, and he's sure there's still a thriving market for enthusiast-focused vehicles that rely on internal combustion and good ol' self-shifting fun. 'Combustion engines and manual transmissions will be around for a long, long time,' he says. Hanley was specific in mentioning that it would be the brand's GR sub-brand that handles most of the heavy lifting here, which makes sense given the existing product line. We're not sure there's much clamoring for a manual Highlander, after all. He also highlighted a special Yaris M Concept that touted a mid-engine configuration, which has led some to deduce that the legendary MR2's return is as sure a thing as it has ever been. While he was clearly aligning himself with traditional enthusiasts passionate about 'that snap, crackle and pop we all love so much," Hanley says the brand is far from discounting electrification entirely. He claims that engaging and performance focused EVs will 'no doubt' appear in the future, though no specifics were given past that. Hanley also stated that GR is considering expanding their performance parts catalog as another area to grow the even gave a nod to hydrogen as the potential fuel of the enthusiast's future. He made a remark alluding to the fact that internal combustion engines could include hydrogen-fueled ones. Toyota and BMW are the two brands most frequently associated with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (HFCV), but automakers like Hyundai and Honda have skin in the game, too. His hydrogen sidebar is even more intriguing when you consider that Toyota has already paired a manual gearbox with a hydrogen burning mill. The fascinating GR Corolla H2 Concept is a competition race car sporting a converted liquid hydrogen fueling system. Liquid hydrogen is easier and quicker to pump than its gas form, but poses some unique challenges. Most of them revolve around storing and pumping something that only exists in conditions under -253 degrees Celsius (-423 Fahrenheit). Rumors abound about the future of Toyota performance vehicles. From the ever-persistent allegations of a returning Celica to a joint project with Mazda and mythical MR2 successor, there's no shortage of speculation. The product roadmap is really anyone's guess, because Toyota certainly isn't saying anything specific. But as long as there's a manual transmission in it, we're happy to patiently – and eagerly – wait. Love reading Autoblog? Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get exclusive articles, insider insights, and the latest updates delivered right to your inbox. Click here to sign up now!
