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Top 5 articles of 2017

2017 is officially over. It's time for sunshine and rose-tinted reflection on the year gone by. But here at CarAdvice, we aren't taking our foot off the pedal – instead, we're taking the chance to look back at some of the most interesting, exciting and downright strange stories published this year.


Across all of CarAdvice.com, the five stories below - news and reviews alike - came through as our most visited pieces for last year. What do you think of the result?



The Toyota Prado is consistently Australia's top-selling large SUV, duking it out with its Kluger stablemate for overall supremacy.

In June, the face-lifted version of the Japanese off-roader surfaced on social media, giving us a look ahead of its official reveal at the Frankfurt motor show in September.

Headlining changes included a new face and the addition of the company's latest driver assistance systems like autonomous emergency braking and adaptive cruise control.

You can read the original article here.



Kia Australia's CEO made a bold claim back in January, arguing the V6-engined Stinger has what it takes to appeal to Commodore SS buyers – especially given the Aussie-built performance hero would be no more by the end of the year.

We've already verified the Stinger has comparable, if not superior performance to the Holden, though it hasn't quite made the sales impact we thought it would yet.

As of the end of November, Kia has shifted 374 units year-to-date since it arrived at the tail-end of September, though we'll get a better picture in the coming months when supply opens up.

Read the full story here.



With dual-cab utes becoming the vehicle of choice for Australians in the past 24 months, we compared the flagship versions of the top-selling trucks Down Under - the Ford Ranger Wildtrak and the Toyota HiLux TRD.

Both are priced a smidgen over $60,000 - we're told the top-spec models account for a healthy slice of sales - and not much separates them overall.

Get our verdict and the full comparison here.



Our beloved founder Alborz Fallah spent some time with the Queensland Police to get a better understanding of the recently-implemented Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology.

The system helps authorities check number plates against a 'hotlist' of 1.8 million plates, including registration numbers that have been cancelled, unregistered, reported as stolen, or whose owners have been connected with crime. Additionally, there are alerts for vehicles whose registered owner has a history of drink- or drug-driving offences.

Have a read of the full article here.



Despite being something of a niche product, the Range Rover Velar was what got the public most excited this year - at CarAdvice, at least.

Combining an almost outlandish design with new-age interior technology, the Velar points to a new direction for the British brand, and certainly stands out from the SUV crowd.

Australian pricing starts from $70,300 plus on-roads and tops out at $135,400, though myriad options and customisation choices can see that figure climb further.

We're also waiting on an all-out Velar SVR with a supercharged V8 under the bonnet - no doubt that won't be cheap either.

Read the original article here, and a more detailed run-down of the Velar range here.

Stay tuned for the next countdown!


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Listen to the CarAdvice team discuss the Top 5 lists of 2017, and catch more like this at caradvice.com/podcast.

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