Drive

Automotive Marketplace and Mediadrive.com.au

Drive.com.au is an Australian automotive content platform and nationwide car marketplace owned by Nine Entertainment Co., serving Australian car buyers and sellers with 82,000+ vehicle listings, expert reviews, the annual Drive Car of the Year awards, and AI-powered search.

Company typePrivate
Founded1996
HeadquartersMelbourne, Australia
Headcount51–100
GTM typeB2C
OfferingDigital Commerce or Content

What Drive does

Drive.com.au is an Australian automotive content platform and online car marketplace owned and operated by Nine Entertainment Co., a major Australian diversified media group. The platform serves Australian car buyers and sellers across all eight states and territories by combining editorial journalism with a vehicle marketplace listing more than 82,000 new, demo, and used cars searchable by make, model, body type, price, and location. Drive's core products include Drive News, expert and owner Reviews, CarAdvice, the New Car Showroom, the Cars for Sale marketplace, Compare Specs, Car Guides, Drive TV, and the Drive Car of the Year awards program — Australia's longest-running new-car awards, operating for over 20 years and evaluating more than 700 vehicles annually across 18 price-banded categories.

The underlying platform is a web-based marketplace and content publication system with AI-powered natural language search functionality and integration into Nine Entertainment Co.'s broader media portfolio alongside mastheads such as the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Brisbane Times, and WA Today. The platform supports both consumer-facing research (specs, comparisons, advice, reviews) and dealer-facing marketplace listings, with a nationwide dealer network and dedicated state-level marketplace experiences. Drive does not operate a mobile app, public API, or developer-facing integrations, and its technology stack is primarily a content management and marketplace publishing platform.

Drive's business model is two-pronged. Revenue is generated through advertising and sponsorship from automotive manufacturers and related brands (including named partners Toyota, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, MG, Genesis, and Giti Tire) via display, sponsored content, and partner content placements, and through marketplace services monetized via dealer listings, featured placements, and referral arrangements with the nationwide dealer network. Consumers access the platform free of charge. Distribution extends across nine owned channels — Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, TikTok, Spotify podcast, editorial blog, and the annual Car of the Year event — and the business is headquartered in Sydney as an integrated property of Nine Entertainment Co., with no independent funding rounds, M&A activity, or standalone financial disclosure.

Drive firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Drive
Legal name: Drive.com.au
Website: https://drive.com.au
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1996
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 51–100 employees
Short description: Drive.com.au is an Australian automotive content platform and nationwide car marketplace owned by Nine Entertainment Co., serving Australian car buyers and sellers with 82,000+ vehicle listings, expert reviews, the annual Drive Car of the Year awards, and AI-powered search.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Where Drive is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Melbourne
HQ country: Australia
HQ region: Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

Drive business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Digital Commerce or Content
Cost components: Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

Advertising and Sponsorship: Drive generates revenue through advertising from automotive brands, manufacturers, and related companies. The platform features partner content sections and branded content from car companies like Hyundai, Genesis, and Giti Tire.
Marketplace Services: The platform connects car buyers with dealers through its marketplace listings, likely generating revenue through dealer listings, featured placements, or referral arrangements with the nationwide dealer network.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Drive product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Drive operates an Australian online automotive marketplace and editorial content platform connecting car buyers with dealers and private sellers through 82,000+ vehicle listings. It supplements the marketplace with expert reviews, automotive news, the annual Drive Car of the Year awards program, car comparison tools, and educational buying guides.

Product overview

Drive is Australia's leading automotive content platform and marketplace operated by Nine Entertainment Co. The platform functions as a unified digital ecosystem offering car news, expert and owner reviews, buying/selling advice, new car research (showroom), and a marketplace with over 82,000 vehicles. The core products include News (automotive journalism), Reviews (expert/owner ratings), CarAdvice (consumer guidance), the New Car Showroom (research and specifications), Cars for Sale (marketplace), Compare Specs (comparison tool), Drive Car of the Year Awards (annual awards program), Car Guides (educational content), and Drive TV (video content). Drive's Car of the Year awards program has operated for over 20 years, testing over 700 new cars annually across 18 price-banded categories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

Drive Car of the Year: Annual automotive awards program testing over 700 new cars annually across 18 price-banded categories
CarAdvice
Drive TV

Products and services

Drive News Latest Australian automotive news covering new models, technology, industry sales results, recalls, and motor shows.
Drive Reviews Expert and owner car reviews with ratings covering new launches and used vehicles across all segments including family, sports, prestige, adventure, and electric vehicles.
CarAdvice Expert advice on buying, selling, and driving cars, covering topics including opinion, culture, features, and guidance on EV purchases and used car concerns.
New Car Showroom Comprehensive new car research platform allowing users to browse by make, model, body type, and category (family, city, work, prestige, adventure, sports, first car, electric/hybrid) with pricing and specifications.
Cars for Sale Marketplace Online marketplace listing over 82,000 new, demo, and used cars for sale, searchable by make, model, location, body type, and price, with dealer network access.
Compare Specs Car comparison tool allowing users to compare specifications, features, and pricing between different vehicle models.
Drive Car of the Year Awards Australia's most comprehensive new-car awards program operating for over 20 years, testing over 700 cars annually across 18 price-banded categories to identify the best vehicles.
Car Guides Educational content including Family Cars Guide, Electric Cars Guide, Work Cars Guide, Finance Guide, The Lap, Safer Driving Guide, and car finder tools for specific needs.
Drive TV Video content platform featuring car reviews, comparisons, and automotive entertainment content.

Quantifiable outcome

Over 82,000 cars available for sale on the platform
+1 more outcomes

Companies that use Drive

Customer profile

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Drive technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Drive partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered parent, core and minor.

Nine Entertainment Co.parentOthersDrive.com.au is owned and operated by Nine Entertainment Co., Australia's major media company that also owns Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Brisbane Times, and other publications. Drive operates as part of Nine's digital media portfolio.
Automotive Manufacturers (Toyota, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, MG, etc.)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerDrive partners with all major automotive brands operating in Australia. Manufacturers use Drive's platform for advertising, sponsored content, and reaching car buyers through the marketplace and editorial content.
Car Dealerships NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDrive's marketplace connects car buyers with thousands of dealerships across Australia. Dealers list vehicles on the platform and buyers can search cars by location and connect with dealers.
Giti TireminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGiti Tire featured in Drive's partner content section with articles about their tire products being selected by BMW and Tesla.
Hyundai AustraliaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHyundai featured in Drive's partner content with branded articles about their SUVs winning at Drive Car of the Year 2026.
Genesis AustraliaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGenesis featured in Drive's partner content section with branded content about the GV70 luxury SUV.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Drive competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Carsales.com.au: Australia's leading online automotive marketplace connecting buyers with dealers and private sellers. Directly comparable to Drive as the dominant incumbent in the same geography and category, with deeper listing inventory and dealer relationships.
carsguide.com.au: Australian automotive marketplace and editorial platform owned by REA Group (News Corp affiliate). Combines reviews, news, and listings similar to Drive and competes head-to-head for Australian car buyer intent.
CarExpert.com.au: Australian automotive review and comparison site formed from the merger of CarAdvice. Competes directly with Drive's editorial franchise and reviews coverage of the Australian new-car market.
CarGurus: US-headquartered global automotive marketplace with comparable dealer listings, comparison tools, and editorial reviews. Operates a similar hybrid marketplace + content model though at much larger scale.
AutoTrader (UK): UK's largest automotive marketplace with reviews, news, and dealer listings. Closely analogous to Drive in business model combining editorial content with a transactional marketplace for car buyers.
Edmunds: US automotive editorial and marketplace platform offering expert reviews, pricing, and dealer inventory. Directly comparable as a content-led automotive platform with adjacent marketplace functionality.
TrueCar: US online automotive marketplace with dealer network and pricing transparency tools. Comparable marketplace + transparency positioning, though focused on the US market.

Broad incumbents

Kelley Blue Book (KBB): Established US automotive research and valuation brand owned by Cox Automotive. Comparable editorial authority and pricing/valuation tools, though operating as part of a much larger automotive data and dealer services portfolio.

Regional players

Cars.co.za: South Africa's leading automotive marketplace with editorial reviews, news, and dealer listings. Operates a similar marketplace + content hybrid model but in a different geography from Drive.

Others

Drive.com.au / WhichCar (Nine portfolio): Sister automotive brand within Nine Entertainment's portfolio covering motoring lifestyle content. Adjacent rather than directly competitive, sharing parent backing and overlapping audiences.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Drive financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Drive leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Drive funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Drive M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Drive

What does Drive do?

Is Drive a public or private company?

Drive is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.

When was Drive founded?

Drive was founded in 1996. It employs 51 to 100 people.

Where is Drive based?

Drive is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, in the Oceania region.

How does Drive make money?

Two revenue lines are on record. Advertising and Sponsorship is the primary driver. The others are marketplace Services.

Who are Drive's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Carsales.com.au, carsguide.com.au, CarExpert.com.au, CarGurus, AutoTrader (UK), Edmunds and TrueCar. Kelley Blue Book (KBB) is listed as a broad incumbent. Cars.co.za is listed as a regional player. Drive.com.au / WhichCar (Nine portfolio) is listed as an others.

Does Drive have an API?

No public API is recorded for Drive.