Part of being a motoring writer is predicting trends, having a think about what paths the car market might take in the near-term.

Some trends such as electrification are as clear as day, while others are based on looser hypothesising.

Here we jot down one expectation for 2023 from various team members. Add your two cents in the comments!

Mike Costello

China will become Australia’s third-largest source of cars

Sales of cars made in China spiked 55 per cent to the end of November this year, making the country our fourth-biggest source of vehicles behind Japan, Thailand and Korea. 

More than 10 per cent of new vehicles sold this year at the time of writing were made in China – either by rapidly growing Chinese brands MG, LDV, GWM, Haval and BYD, or brands that source cars from there such as Tesla, Volvo and Polestar. 

All (or most) of those

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Getting colour updates for next year is the 2023 Honda RS-X kapchai. The new colour choices for the RS-X are Lemon Ice Yellow and Candy Caribbean Blue Sea, priced at RM9,698, while the revised Trico Edition, in Honda’s racing colours of red, white and blue with gold coloured wheels, is priced at RM9,748, compared against the 2021 Honda RS-X price of RM8,688 for the base model.

Pricing does not include road tax, insurance or registration and every RS-X comes with a two-year or 20,000 km warranty against manufacturing defects. Stock of the 2023 Honda RS-X is expected to arrive in authorised Boon Siew Honda dealer showroom beginning January 4, 2023.

No other changes for the RS-X for next season, with the same single-cylinder mill displacing 149.16 cc and fed by Honda’s PGM-Fi mated to a six-speed transmission and chain final drive. Power for the RS-X is claimed to be

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Automation can help plug the skills gap, free up space in factories and ensure new technology is sustainable and futureproof. By Alex Forrest

The automotive industry is far from immune from the workforce shortage, with the UK publication This is Money reporting that the country will see a 160,000 shortfall of staff by 2031. While the sector has traditionally led the way with automation on the production line, it fed those processes manually from a logistics point of view.

We’re aware of the extent to which the labour shortages are affecting industries, especially automotive. I have been having conversations with various carmakers who are facing a 50-100 person shortfall in their workforce. On top of that, the cost-of-living crisis is reducing the demand for new cars. Carmakers are therefore facing tough decisions to reduce or redeploy their workforce to stay competitive. This is where automation can support. While parts of

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Automotive


There is nothing more alarming than one of your vehicle’s tires blowing out when you are on the road. It is dangerous to you, the people in your vehicle, and everyone around you. A blown tire can easily cause an accident, which could be much worse if the blown tire is on a truck. 

What Causes a Tire Blow Out?

Most truck accident attorneys will tell you that there are seven common causes of tire blowouts.

1. Over-inflation and Under-inflation

Over-inflated tires are often uneven. When a tire is over-inflated, it may wear down faster than it would if it had the appropriate amount of air. When tires wear down, it can cause a blowout to happen.

Under-inflated tires can become overheated easily, which can cause a blowout. The tire pressure monitoring system in the vehicle should tell the driver if their tires are properly inflated.

2. Worn Out

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