Tokyo, Mar 25 (IANS): Mazda Motor Corp.’s MX-5 sports car, known as the Roadster in Japan, won the 2016 World Car of the Year award at the New York International Auto Show, the World Car Steering Committee said.
The two-seat, fourth-generation convertible was crowned for being a fun-to-drive car that is almost as light as the original rolled out in 1989, defeating the Audi A4 and the Mercedes-Benz GLC. It also took the World Car Design award for 2016 on Thursday, The Japan Times reported.
In other categories, Toyota Motor Corp.’s Mirai fuel cell car won the World Green Car award.
The Mazda MX-5 is the first Japanese car to be selected as the World Car of the Year since 2011, when Nissan Motor Co.’s Leaf electric vehicle won the award.
For Mazda, the MX-5 is its second car to receive the honour following the Mazda2 compact, known as the Demio in Japan, in 2008.