All-new Mazda2/Demio wins Japan Car of the Year

Mazda Motor Corporation’s all-new Mazda Demio (Mazda2 outside Japan) was named the 2014-2015 Car of the Year Japan by the Japan Car of the Year Committee.

Following the Mazda CX-5, Mazda Atenza (Mazda6) and Mazda Axela (Mazda3), the all-new Demio is the fourth in Mazda’s line-up of new-generation models that adopt the full range of Mazda’s proprietary Skactiv fuel-efficiency technology and Kodo-Soul of Motion design language. These include an ideal driving position and pedal layout, a Human Machine Interface that prioritizes safety, sophisticated and high-quality interior and exterior styling, and a newly-developed Skyactiv-D 1.5-liter clean diesel engine which offers maximum torque equivalent to a 2.5-liter gasoline engine and outstanding fuel efficiency.

All passenger vehicles with an expected annual sales volume of over 500 units, announced or launched in Japan between November 1, 2013 and September 30, 2014 are eligible for this year’s Car of the Year Japan award. The last Mazda to be named the Car of the Year Japan was the Mazda CX-5 in 2012. The Demio is the fifth Mazda to win this award.

In a nail-biting finish between the Mazda2 and the Mercedes Benz C-Class, the Hiroshima compact car polled 423 votes to come from behind and win the Car of the Year Japan by just 19 votes. The C-Class finished with 404 votes. This result means that Mazda’s highly rated Skyactiv technology and unique styling combination has picked up Japan’s top award twice in three years, after the CX-5 snagged the COTY trophy in 2012.

In a tightly fought contest, the Demio polled the maximum 10 votes from 22 of the 59 jurors while the C-Class picked up ten votes from 18 jurors. Each juror is allocated 25 votes, must give 10 votes to their best car and spread their remaining 15 votes among their next best 4 cars.

The BMW i3 came third with 340 votes, Subaru’s Levorg finished 4th with 124 votes and the Suzuki Hustler ended up in 5th with 65 votes.