New Mazda3’s a global winner
Family car takes Women’s World Car of the Year title
THE new Mazda3 has been named supreme winner of the Women’s World Car of the Year.
The announcement was made at the prestigious Dubai Motor Show and comes only weeks after it was named Scottish Car of the Year at a glittering ceremony in Edinburgh.
WWCOTY boss Sandy Myhre said: “This car is super… stylish, comfortable, with plenty of storage space, good legroom, great boot space – so versatile, it is crossing the divide between a family and an urban car.”
The Mazda3 (also Family Car class winner) beat off all comers to clinch the award, including the Kia XCeed (Urban), Kia Soul EV (Green), BMW 8 Series (Luxury), Porsche 911 (Performance) and Range Rover Evoque (SUV).
The decision was reached after votes were counted from 41 women motoring journalists who cover 34 different countries across the world from the Far East to America, mainland Europe, Finland and Scotland.
The main award was accepted by Dr Axel Dreyer, boss of Galadari Automobiles, Mazda’s distributors in the United Arab Emirates.
But from Japan, Mazda corporate communications boss Mr Ayumu Doi said he was “delighted” with the award.
He added: “This model is resonating with a broader range of people than ever before and Mazda aims to make a special bond with customers by offering products, technologies and services that appeal to more people.”
Land Rover chief creative officer Gerry McGovern acknowledged the award for the Evoque, saying: “It’s an honour for the Evoque to be recognised by the WWCOTY jury.
“With its compact proportions, this characterful vehicle combines refinement and fun to create that all-important emotional connection that customers love.”
Two more awards were made in Dubai. The all-electric Porsche Taycan took the Holly Reich Dream Car title – named in memory of a New York judge who passed away in 2016.
Briton Linda Jackson, Citroen’s chief, was named Woman of Worth by jury members.
From France where she now lives, she said: “I believe this rewards the success of Citroen’s renewal, which I have undertaken for the past five years with my teams – passionate women and men whom I would like to thank warmly. This prize is also theirs!
“This award also has a very special dimension for me in this year of Citroen’s centenary.
“It’s an exceptional year, including in terms of sales, since we are the fastest-growing mainstream brand in Europe in the top 10 brands.
“So, I’m very proud to receive this award this year and you can be sure Citroen will continue to astonish you in 2020.”
The first WWCOTY winner – the Jaguar XF – was announced in 2010. The jury of women judges must have driven the car to vote for it.