Mazda MX-5
Born in 1989 and redesigned for the 2016 model year, the Mazda MX-5 roadster was named World Car of the Year Thursday – and also snared the award for best design at the New York International Auto Show.
An international panel of 73 journalists voted on the awards, which also included categories for performance, luxury and green cars.
The other two finalists for World Car were the Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz GLC.
CATEGORY WINNERS (finalists in parentheses):
- Luxury: BMW 7 Series (Audi Q7, Volvo XC 90)
- Performance: Audi R8 coupe (Honda Civic Type R1, Mercedes-AMG C63 Coupe)
- Design: Mazda MX-5 (Jaguar XE, Mazda CX-3)
- Green Car: Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell (Chevrolet Volt, Toyota Prius)
With extended use of aluminum on the latest generation, the MX-5, the Miata, as it is more nostalgically known, weighs and costs (adjusting for inflation) about the same as the original 1990 model.
In Canada, the fourth-generation two-seater starts at $31,900, a fraction of the price commanded by roadsters being shown by premium auto makers in New York this week.
"If you look at the superheroes in film, first the hero is not affluent or overly arrogant," chief designer Masashi Nakayama said in an interview, prior to the announcement, when asked to compare the MX-5 to Mercedes, Audi and BMW models. "They have a sense of balance in their personality. And they are extremely honest. That's all I am going to say about [comparisons]. We wanted to make that sort of car. It can be loved by many people."
The redesign feature a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine adapted from the Mazda3, enabling zero-to-100 km/h acceleration of about six seconds. That's quick enough but the real pleasure is in driving the car with the top down on a twisty, undulating road.
"We were hoping when people first saw this car, it would rekindle that sports-car lover's spirit," Nobuhiro Yamamoto, program manager for the Mazda Motor Corporation, said through an interpreter. "We hold that very dear because it is the feeling you get when you see something that is just right."
For many consumers, the original Miata evoked memories of the MGB, Triumph, and Alfa Romeo. With the fourth generation, Mazda went back to those roots, moving the driver closer to the road and engineered the cockpit to provide the sporty experience.
"When we developed the fourth generation, a lot of the research from the United States and Canada said the younger generation wasn't interested in cars any more," Yamamoto said. "Based on that research, I went to the United States and … talked with the young people. They said, it's just that the car manufacturers aren't producing cars that we would have an interest in. That left me a strong impression that we have to make cars to get the younger generation excited."
Still, the MX-5 attracted the older buyer. In New York this week, Mazda introduced a version for 2017 with a retractable hardtop roof that the company believes will connect with the millennial generation.
Meanwhile, the Mazda CX-3 was named 2016 Canadian Green Utility Vehicle of the Year at the Vancouver International Auto Show on Wednesday.
Members of the Automobile Journalist Association of Canada voted on that award. The Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell EV and the Honda HR-V were finalists.