All-New Mazda 3 Secures World Car Design Of The Year Award

“Before accepting this prize, Mazda Motor Corporation would like to express our sympathy for all of those affected by the novel coronavirus,” said Akira Marumoto, Representative Director, President and CEO, Mazda Motor Corporation. “We are truly honored to be able to receive the World Car Design of the Year award in this special year marking the 100th anniversary of Mazda’s foundation. We will continue providing our customers with unique products, designs, technologies and experiences.”

A design panel consisting of seven highly respected world design experts was asked to first review each candidate, and then establish a short-list of recommendations for the jurors. The design experts are in alphabetical order:

• Anne Asensio (France – Vice-President, Design – Dassault Systemes)
• Gernot Bracht (Germany – Pforzheim Design School)
• Ian Callum (United Kingdom – Director of Design, CALLUM)
• Patrick le Quément (France – Designer and President of the Strategy Committee – The Sustainable Design School)
• Tom Matano (USA – School of Industrial Design at Academy of Art University in San Francisco)
• Gordon Murray (U.K. – Gordon Murray Design)
• Shiro Nakamura (Japan – CEO, Shiro Nakamura Design Associates Inc.)

This award comes at a time when the Japanese automaker is also celebrating its 100th anniversary. With the evolved Kodo design’s “less is more” approach, Mazda’s designers stripped away superfluous elements from the all-new Mazda 3’s exterior. The result is a unique design that’s devoid of creases and character lines. Additionally, the hatchback and sedan body styles have distinct personalities, with only the hood being the shared body panel between the two vehicles.