The Mazda MX-5 was announced victorious over other, finalists the Audi A4 Sedan/Avant and the Mercedes-Benz GLC, at the recent New York International Auto Show out of an initial field of 23 eligible cars. The other finalists for World Car Design of the Year were the Jaguar XE and the Mazda CX-3.

The new Mazda MX-5 has won over 30 awards so far, including 2015-2016 Car of the Year Japan and 2016 UK Car of the Year (UKCOTY). It is the second Mazda to win the World Car of the Year award, following the Mazda2 in 2008, and the first model to win both titles in the history of the awards.

Other winners in the world car awards include the BMW 7 Series as the World Luxury Car, the Audi R8 as the World Performance Car and the new Toyota Mirai as the World Green Car.

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