Mazda MX-5 scoops Japan car of the year award

The all-new Mazda MX-5 has been named 2015-2016 Car of the Year by the Japan Automotive Hall of Fame (JAHFA). An award ceremony was held at Mazda’s Tokyo office. The MX-5 Roadster is the third Mazda to win the award following the Mazda RX-8 which took the honour in 2003.

JAHFA’s judges praised the all-new MX-5 for its sophisticated open-top sports car design and advanced SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY. They also noted the outstanding driving performance and fuel efficiency the model exhibits thanks to its lightweight yet highly rigid body.

The all-new Roadster is the sixth model in Mazda’s new-generation line-up of vehicles featuring the full range of SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY and KODO-Soul of Motion design. This lightweight open-top two-seater front-engine rear-wheel drive sports car is designed to provide pure Jinba-ittai driving fun. In redesigning the model Mazda concentrated on stimulating the senses and sensations through which people enjoy cars at a deeper level than ever before.

“The Mazda MX-5 perfectly embodies Mazda’s car-making philosophy, so we are delighted to have that recognized,” comments Mr David Hughes, Managing Director of Mazda Southern Africa.

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.