Mazda MX-5 takes out World Car of the Year

MAZDA has taken top honours at this year’s World Car of the Year Awards with its critically lauded MX-5 sportscar beating out German rivals Mercedes-Benz and Audi for the gong.

The fourth-generation roadster beat out Benz’s fast-selling GLC mid-size SUV and Audi’s well-received fifth-generation A4 sedan for overall World Car of the Year, but it also took out the World Car Design of the Year.

The awards were announced overnight at the New York motor show, where Mazda ripped the covers off the latest variant in the MX-5 family, the RF that features a retractable roof.

It is the second time Mazda has taken out World Car of the Year, with the Mazda2/Demio coming out on top in 2008.

Mazda North American Operations president and CEO and Mazda Motor Corporation managing executive officer Masahiro Moro said he was thrilled with the win and thanked Mazda employees and MX-5 fans around the world.

“What a wonderful honour to have the Mazda MX-5 named both World Car of the Year and World Car Design of the Year,” he said.

“As our iconic MX-5 roadster approaches one-million units of production, this award is proof that it is as young, vibrant, fun and relevant as ever, and proof that every Mazda looks as incredible as it drives, and drives as incredibly as it looks.

“While I accept this award on behalf of the company, I do so representing every Mazda employee, retail partner and customer around the world who has ever felt the joy of driving a pure roadster.”

In the overall WCOTY category, the MX-5 scored 764 points, with strong results in the performance, emotional appeal and value sub-categories, ahead of the second placed GLC on 758 and the A4 with 750.

The MX-5 was a convincing winner in the design category, clocking up 268 points to beat out the Jaguar XE mid-sizer on 232 and the MX-5’s CX-3 crossover stablemate that came third with 199 points.

World Luxury Car was taken out by BMW’s sixth-generation 7 Series sedan, topping each of the seven sub-categories except one for a total of 815 points.

It beat out the Volvo XC90 (804) and Audi’s Q7 (785).

Audi did have a win in the World Performance Car category with its R8 supercar grabbing 205 points, edging out the Mercedes-AMG C63 Coupe (195) and the Honda Civic Type R (151).

The award for World Green Car was taken out by Toyota’s hydrogen fuel-cell-powered Mirai sedan, capturing 260 points and beating its new-generation Prius stablemate on 233 points and the Chevrolet Volt on 191 points.

The awards are decided on by a jury of more than 70 international journalists from 23 different countries, including three from Australia.