2017 Drive Car Of The Year
Australia's most relevant new car awards program has entered its second decade as the 2017 Drive Car of the Year testing process comes to a close.
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As Australia's most relevant motoring awards, Drive's Car of the Year process takes into account the priorities of Australian consumers.
We examine hundreds of cars through the year, using road tests and group comparisons to hone in on the best cars in each class.
The year's finest new models are invited to our annual Drive Car of the Year process, to be tested against previous category winners in 15 key segments that serve as benchmarks for the latest models.
Three key changes to the test process in 2017 reflect the Australian car market today.
The booming popularity of go-anywhere dual cab utes and conventional four-wheel-drives prompted us to add an extra element to the test schedule, tackling off-road tracks to test multi-purpose cars in their element.
In contrast, people movers have fallen from favour as families switch to seven-seat SUVs to haul the clan around. With no new people movers arriving in 2017 – and few on the horizon - we pressed pause on a category with slipping appeal for Australian drivers.
You could not say the same for luxury SUVs, a booming segment experiencing remarkable growth. Recognising the significance of plush crossovers, we split the Best Luxury SUV award into two categories examining the best models priced above and below $80,000, the same divide we use for regular luxury cars.
In the end, we hand-picked 51 of the best cars on the market in 2017 for six days of testing at Wakefield Park, near Goulburn in rural NSW, that includes real-world evaluation on a combination of country and urban roads as well as freeways, and a series of simulated emergency situations in a controlled environment on the track to test dynamic and safety attributes.
Each of the finalists is driven by six expert judges from the Drive Network, which then decides the winners in each category. All new-for-2017 class winners are then eligible to be considered as one of five finalists for the Overall Car of the Year award. In the end, the best of the best rises to the top as the vehicle that sets new benchmarks for its class.
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- 24 Nov 2017
2017 Drive Car of the Year: Best City Car
A strong field of newcomers pushed the reigning champion hard.- 24 Nov 2017
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- 24 Nov 2017
2017 Drive Car of the Year: Best Luxury SUV Over $80,000
Which prestige offering will take out our new high-end SUV title?- 24 Nov 2017
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- 24 Nov 2017
2017 Drive Car of the Year: Best Small Car
Popular models from Ford, Hyundai, Subaru and Volkswagen fight for class honours.- 24 Nov 2017
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- 24 Nov 2017
2017 Drive Car of the Year: Best Ute
Ford's Ranger takes on the power-packed Volkswagen Amarok- 24 Nov 2017
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- 24 Nov 2017
2017 Drive Car of the Year: Best Four-Wheel Drive
Family friendly SUV takes on the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Land Rover Discovery.- 24 Nov 2017
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- 24 Nov 2017
2017 Drive Car of the Year: Best Convertible
Sun-soaking with a trio of very different convertibles from Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, and Land Rover- 24 Nov 2017
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- 24 Nov 2017
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- 24 Nov 2017
2017 Drive Car of the Year: Best Luxury Car Over $80,000
Style, efficiency and performance do battle to find the best premium car.- 24 Nov 2017
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- 24 Nov 2017
2017 Drive Car of the Year: Best Small SUV
Three popular soft roaders face-off against each other- 24 Nov 2017
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- 24 Nov 2017
2017 Drive Car of the Year: Best Family SUV
Three seven-seaters compete in a battle of practicality.- 24 Nov 2017
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- 24 Nov 2017
2017 Drive Car of the Year: Best Luxury Car Under $80,000
When it comes to luxury motoring, these three contenders each claim to be the very best - but there can only be one winn- 24 Nov 2017
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- 24 Nov 2017
2017 Drive Car of the Year: Best Performance Car Under $60,000
Honda's Civic Type R stands out in more ways than one.- 24 Nov 2017
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- 24 Nov 2017
2017 Drive Car of the Year: Best Performance Car over $60,000
Can Alfa Romeo's Giulia QV out gun a quartet of Germany's fastest sports cars?- 24 Nov 2017
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- 24 Nov 2017
2017 Drive Car of the Year: Best Concept Car
Volkswagen's I.D. Buzz blends retro looks with modern tech.- 18 Nov 2017
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- 18 Nov 2017
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- 15 Nov 2017
2017 Drive Car of the Year: Safety Innovation
Driverless technologies will contribute to reducing the road toll- 11 Nov 2017
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- 11 Nov 2017
2017 Best Family Car: Skoda Superb Wagon 162TSI
Picking the best of the best for Aussie families- 07 Nov 2017
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- 07 Nov 2017