The ACM network has hit the start button on a new partnership with Australia's leading independent automotive publisher, CarExpert.com.au, to steer the latest motoring news and expert car reviews to its audiences in Canberra and key regional centres around the country.
ACM, the publisher of this masthead, has launched a dedicated CarExpert section on the homepages of more than 100 of its local news websites and will feature regular car reviews in its newspapers such as The Canberra Times, Newcastle Herald, Bendigo Advertiser and The Examiner.
CarExpert chief executive Damon Rielly said CarExpert was delighted to partner with Australia's largest independently owned media business.
"As independents ourselves, it is a union that is aligned on common values and one which we are both confident will enhance reach, consumption and importantly, trust, for both parties", Mr Rielly said.
"We believe the partnership further cements CarExpert as the destination for everything Australians need to know about new cars, adding to our record-breaking YouTube channel, our existing alliance with Seven West Media and the millions who visit CarExpert.com.au monthly."
The ACM network will share CarExpert's daily feed of news and reviews to more than 4.9 million regional Australians.
"Not only does this increase CarExpert's value offering for consumers, it enables our content to help more people make confident decisions when buying their next new car," Mr Rielly said.
The launch of CarExpert on ACM comes ahead of the March 3 announcement of CarExpert's 2023 Ute of the Year.
Thirteen utes have been put to the test across four key categories to find one overall winner. All of the major manufacturers and some unlikely contenders have been put through their paces to compare power and performance in off-roading and towing, as well as fuel economy and price.
The utes that performed the best in the off-road testing at the Australian Automotive Research Centre near Angelsea in regional Victoria were the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon (best overall off-road), Ford Ranger Raptor (best value) and Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior (best four-cylinder).
CarExpert was founded in April 2020 by Alborz Fallah, Paul Maric and Anthony Crawford.
The trio previously established CarAdvice, which was acquired in 2018 by Nine Entertainment Co and eventually absorbed into Drive, the motoring brand of the former Fairfax Media.
CarExpert content and branding has now replaced Drive across the ACM network.
ACM managing director Tony Kendall said the tie-up with CarExpert would enable both companies to leverage their strengths and engage with audiences in new and innovative ways.
"We are excited to partner with CarExpert and combine our regional news expertise with their digital and automotive knowledge," Mr Kendall said.
"Together, we will publish compelling content to inform, engage and inspire millions of readers each month."
