Masaharu Kondo, president, Mazda Canada, accepts three AJAC awards from Mark Richardson, AJAC president (left) and Stephanie Wallcraft, AJAC vice-president (right) Photo: CNW Group/Mazda Canada Inc.
Mazda Canada has received three ‘Best’ Category Awards for 2018 from the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC)—Best Small Car (Mazda3); Best Small Utility Vehicle (Mazda CX-5); and Best Large Utility Vehicle (Mazda CX-9).
These awards make the Mazda3 eligible to win the overall 2018 Canadian Car of the Year award, and the CX-5 and CX-9 are on the shortlist to win the Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year for 2018.
“The Canadian Car of the Year awards, presented by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada, are the most prestigious automotive awards in the countryand they’re extremely hard to win,” said AJAC president, Mark Richardson. “A vehicle really does have to be the very best in its category, and the competition grows tougher every year. It’s a tremendous achievement for a manufacturer to win one AJAC award in any given year, but it’s a remarkable achievement for Mazda Canada to win three in 2018.”
While this is indeed quite a feat, Mazda is no stranger to the AJAC podium.
The Mazda3 has topped its category eight times prior to this win, which underscores why it is Mazda’s best-selling model in Canada. The current generation was introduced for the 2014 model year, showing the lasting appeal of its Kodo design, as well as the effectiveness of Skyactiv Technology, which includes two efficient gasoline engines, manual and automatic transmissions, sedan and hatchback bodies and chassis of the Mazda3 lineup.
With a recent redesign, the CX-5 introduces an updated 2.5L Skyactiv-G engine with cylinder deactivation, the first of its kind in North America. This new engine has the ability to imperceptibly shut down two cylinders at cruising speeds and is designed to assist in maximizing real-world fuel efficiency.
The CX-9 is Mazda’s largest vehicle, with room for seven passengers, and is the flagship model in Mazda’s crossover lineup. Featuring authentic materials within its cabin, such as Nappa leather and genuine rosewood and aluminum accents.
The CX-9 is also the first Mazda model to employ the Skyactiv-G 2.5T turbocharged engine, which produces 310 lb-ft of torque at a low 2,000 RPM.
The AJAC Canadian Car and Utility Vehicle of the Year awards program represents the collective voice of Canada’s top automotive experts. Vehicles are judged on a large variety of objective and subjective qualities, meaning there is no single factor that determines a win. Instead, the vehicle must represent an overall package of quality, value, comfort, fuel economy, and many other factors that are critical to the Canadian consumer.