All-New Mazda Roadster Wins Car of the Year Japan
December 07 2015 - 6:43AM
JCN Newswire (English)
Mazda Motor Corporation's all-new Mazda Roadster (known as MX-5
outside Japan) has been named the 2015-2016 Car of the Year
Japan.
The all-new Roadster is the sixth model in Mazda's new-generation
lineup of vehicles that feature the full range of SKYACTIV
TECHNOLOGY(1) and KODO-Soul of Motion design. This lightweight
open-top two-seater front-engine rear-wheel drive sports car is
designed for pure Jinba-ittai driving fun.
In redesigning the model, Mazda aimed to further deepen the
experience of driving fun and managed to both perfect the driving
position and reduce the weight of the car by over 100 kilograms.(2)
While ensuring that the model would remain a true driver's car,
Mazda engineers were determined to make the vehicle practical
enough for daily use, adopting a weatherproof,
easy-to-open-and-close top and ensuring enough space in the luggage
compartment for two carry-on-sized bags.
All passenger vehicles with an expected annual sales volume of over
500 units, announced or launched in Japan between October 1, 2014
and October 31, 2015 are eligible for this year's Car of the Year
Japan award. The Roadster follows the Mazda Demio (Mazda2) last
year to become the sixth Mazda vehicle to take the Car of the Year
award Japan.
"This result is thanks to everyone's enthusiastic support, and we
are both grateful and proud that our Roadster has received such a
prestigious award," said Masamichi Kogai, President and CEO of
Mazda. "Inspired by this win, we will continue building cars that
offer driving pleasure, aiming to become a 'one-and-only' for our
customers that they will choose again and again."
(1) SKYACTIV is the umbrella term for Mazda's range of
next-generation technologies-including gasoline and diesel engines,
transmissions, body and chassis - developed under Mazda's
Sustainable Zoom-Zoom vision to provide both driving pleasure and
outstanding environmental and safety performance.
(2) Compared to the previous model. Weight difference varies by
specification and model grade.
About Mazda
Mazda Motor Corporation (TSE:7261) started manufacturing tools in
1929 and soon branched out into production of trucks for commercial
use. In the early 1960s, Mazda launched its first passenger car
models and began developing rotary engines. Still headquartered in
Hiroshima in western Japan, Mazda today ranks as one of Japan's
leading automakers, and exports cars to the United States and
Europe for over 30 years. For more information, please visit
www.mazda.com
Source: Mazda
Contact:
Corporate Communications Division
Mazda Motor Corporation, Japan
+81-3-3508-5056 [Tokyo]
+81-82-282-5253 [Hiroshima]
mailto: media@mazda.co.jp
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