The Jaguar F-Pace wins Car Of The Year and Design Car Of The Year awards 2017.

• F-PACE wins two titles at 2017 World Car Awards
• Jaguar’s first performance SUV takes 2017 World Car of the Year title
• Also wins World Car Design of the Year prize
• The F-PACE is Jaguar’s fastest selling global model
• F-PACE is designed, developed and built in the UK

The Jaguar F-PACE is officially the best and most beautiful car in the world after double success at the 2017 World Car Awards, scooping the prestigious World Car of the Year and World Car Design of the Year titles.

The performance SUV is the fastest selling model Jaguar has produced and is only the second vehicle to claim the historic double in the 13-year history of the World Car Awards. To win the pair of trophies, the F-PACE saw off the competition in a vote of 75 influential motoring journalists from 24 countries.

These are the latest in a line of major honours for the F-PACE since its April 2016 introduction. The fastest-selling Jaguar ever has collected more than 40 awards, including being named Women’s World Car of the Year, Auto Express ‘Car of the Year’ and ‘Best Premium SUV’ by Telegraph Cars.

Dr Ralf Speth, Jaguar Land Rover CEO, said: "The F-PACE was designed and engineered as a performance SUV with exceptional dynamics, everyday usability and bold design. Winning this award endorses the talent and great work of our teams that have delivered the world’s most practical sports car and Jaguar's fastest-selling vehicle”.

The awards brace is the first overall success for Jaguar at the World Car Awards. The XE sports saloon was a finalist for the 2016 World Car Design of the Year title. The F-PACE triumphed over finalists the Audi Q5 and Volkswagen Tiguan to claim the 2017 World Car of the Year prize.

Ian Callum, Director of Design, Jaguar said: “The F-PACE is our first ever SUV but it is clearly recognisable as a Jaguar and for it to win the 2017 World Car of the Year trophy vindicates our decision to bring our unique design principles and dynamic qualities to a new sector of the market.”

The World Car Awards jury comprises influential motoring journalists and to win the 2017 World Car Design of the Year prize the F-PACE saw off the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet and Toyota C-HR in the final three.

Mike Rutherford, Juror, Director and Vice-Chairman of the World Car Awards/World Car of the Year said: "Jaguar has done the unthinkable by first securing the World Car Design of the Year award, then lifting the big one - the overall World Car of the Year trophy. With F-PACE, the British company and its proud and talented workers have taken on and beaten far bigger, wealthier European, Asian and North American rivals."

The new World Car of the Year has contributed to record sales growth by attracting new customers to the brand. It is a performance SUV designed and engineered to offer the agility, responsiveness and refinement that Jaguar is renowned for, together with unrivalled dynamics and everyday usability.

It is already the most searched Jaguar ever in the UK with 4.4 million unique page views of F-PACE content since launch and more than 680,000 people taking the time to configure their dream F-PACE online.

Jaguar’s first performance SUV is designed and developed in the UK and built at Solihull. The business invested £120m in its Solihull facility to build the F-PACE, part of a total £2bn investment in the plant and awarded £5bn of UK supplier contracts to support its production.

Engine options for the F-PACE range from the efficient and innovative four-cylinder 2.0-litre Ingenium diesel, with CO₂ emissions as low as 126g/km* to the high-performance 380PS, supercharged V6 petrol model that can accelerate from 0-62mph (0-100km/h) in just 5.5 seconds.

USA - Mazda’s Award-Winning CUV Now Includes 18-Inch Wheels in Touring Trim, Lower-Cost i-ACTIVSENSE Safety Package

Mazda’s Award-Winning CUV Now Includes 18-Inch Wheels in Touring Trim, Lower-Cost i-ACTIVSENSE Safety Package

Mazda CX-3 captivated onlookers with its show-car-like KODO—Soul of Motion design that stood out among its staid competitors when it hit the road last year. Seventy-three of the world’s most esteemed auto media jurors from around the world nominated it as a finalist for 2016 World Car Design of the Year.

But looks weren’t all it over-delivered with, coddling drivers and passengers with amenities like available leather and Lux Suede two-tone seats, Mazda Radar Cruise Control and its Active Driving Display head-up unit—“Mazda Premium” features that are all but exclusive to CX-3 among its competitive set, save for much pricier competition. CX-3 held media in awe for its driving dynamics that were more engaging and fun than they had any right to be for any vehicle, let alone a small crossover.

And CX-3 stunned them when it took on some of the most-capable vehicles in its segment and beat them at the Northwest Automotive Press Association’s annual Mudfest off-road event, thanks to its predictive i-ACTIV all-wheel drive that can detect road conditions and shift power output before a driver and or passengers will ever notice.

For 2017, CX-3 enters its second model year holding its $19,960 starting MSRP¹. Changes in content are subtle but include standard 18-inch alloy wheels for CX-3 Touring models—an item brought down from Grand Touring—and a lower cost of entry for Mazda’s i-ACTIVSENSE Package of safety technologies in CX-3 Grand Touring–$1,170 versus last year’s $1,920.

All CX-3 models come standard with a punchy, 146-horsepower SKYACTIV-G 2.0-liter engine paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, featuring Sport mode. Power is routed to either the front wheels or through all four with i-ACTIV all-wheel drive.

CX-3 Sport models come equipped with 16-inch alloy wheels, power mirrors, cloth seats, a seven-inch MAZDA CONNECT^TM touchscreen infotainment system with voice commands, Bluetooth phone connectivity for phone and audio streaming, a USB input, keyless entry, push-button start, power door locks, a six-speaker audio system and air conditioning, among a long list of other features.

CX-3 Touring upgrades with the aforementioned 18-inch alloy wheels, heated exterior door mirrors with integrated turn signal lamps, leatherette and cloth seating surfaces, heated front seats, leather-wrapped shift knob and steering wheel, fold-down center armrest with built-in phone holder, Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (RCTA).

The Touring Premium Package further upgrades CX-3 with a BOSE^® seven-speaker audio system, power moonroof, satellite radio, HD radio and a cargo cover.

The top-level CX-3 Grand Touring includes all of those features and adds leather and Lux Suede seats, LED headlights with Adaptive Front-lighting System (AFS), LED fog lights, navigation, automatic climate control, paddle shifters and Active Driving Display head-up unit that helps keep a driver’s eyes focused on the road.

The i-ACTIVSENSE package includes Mazda Radar Cruise Control (MRCC), automatic Smart City Brake Support (SCBS) and Smart Brake Support (SBS), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), High Beam Control (HBC), automatic on/off headlights and rain-sensing wipers.

MSRP¹ for all models is as follows (add $1,250 for i-ACTIV all-wheel drive):

CX-3 Sport	$19,960
CX-3 Touring	$21,960
• Touring Premium Package	$1,410
CX-3 Grand Touring	$24,990
• i-ACTIVSENSE Package	$1,170

Premium exterior paint colors include:

Crystal White Pearl	$200
Soul Red Metallic	$300

The 2017 Mazda CX-3 arrives at dealerships nationwide in early July.

And Then There Was One... The Fast One - The World Performance Car Of The Year goes too........

The AUDI R8 COUPE has been declared the 2016 World Performance Car during today’s press conference hosted by the New York International Auto Show, Bridgestone Corporation and Autoneum.

Audi AG is no stranger to the World Car Awards program – now in its 12th year.  Audi cars have previously won seven times as follows: 

2014 World Car of the Year - Audi A3

2010 World Performance Car - Audi R8 V10

2008 World Performance Car - Audi R8

2008 World Car Design of the Year - Audi R8

2007 World Performance Car - Audi RS4

2007 World Car Design of the Year - Audi TT

2005 World Car of the Year - Audi A6

The AUDI R8 COUPE was chosen from an initial entry list of nine cars from all over the world, then a short list of ten, then three finalists:  today’s winner as well as the Honda Civic Type R and the Mercedes-Benz AMG C63 Coupé.

“We are delighted that the Audi R8 has been voted as the 2016 World Performance Car,” said Dietmar Voggenreiter, Board Member for Sales and Marketing at AUDI AG.  “With its distinctive design, its driving dynamics and its closeness to racing, the R8 is one of the strongest calling cards for the four rings and is the flagship car from Audi Sport. The first generation of the R8 paved our way toward becoming a premium brand and raised the aura of Audi to a new level.  The new R8 will continue this success story and further accelerate the growth strategy of Audi Sport.”

The World Car Awards jurors observed:  “Arguably, Audi's Le Mans-inspired R8 has been the most desirable, head-turning supercar of the decade. And now the latest Coupe version has won the World Performance Car 2016 title, successfully claiming the crown after seeing off stiff competition from America, Asia and Europe. Yet despite its racing car heritage and cutting edge technology it's a surprisingly easy and manageable car to drive - fast or slow.”    

Candidates for the World Performance Car award must demonstrate a specific and overt sports/performance orientation while satisfying the same availability criteria as for the overall World Car of the Year award.  Candidates may be chosen from the World Car of the Year list of eligible vehicles, or they may be newly introduced variants that satisfy the same criteria, but are derived from existing rather than brand-new models. In all cases, they must have a minimum annual production rate of five-hundred (500) vehicles.

Vehicles are selected and voted on by an international jury panel comprised of 73 top-level automotive journalists from 23 countries around the world.  Each juror was appointed by the World Car Steering Committee on the basis of his or her expertise, experience, credibility, and influence.  Each juror typically drives and evaluates new vehicles on a regular basis as part of their professional work.   Through their respective outlets they collectively reach an audience of many millions world-wide.   The international accounting firm KPMG tabulates the jurors’ ballots.

Previous World Performance Car winners were the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT (2015), then three Porsche wins in a row:  the 911 GTE in 2014, the Boxster/Cayman in 2013, and the 911 in 2012.    Ferrari won the 2011 World Performance title for the 458 Italia while the Audi R8 V10 won in 2010, the Nissan GT-R in 2009, the Audi R8 in 2008, the Audi RS4 in 2007 and the Porsche Cayman S in 2006.

The Road to World Car began in Frankfurt on September 15, was followed by a four and a half day stop in Los Angeles for test-drives of the North American, Japanese and Swedish contenders in November, continued in Geneva with the Top Three in the World announcement, and finally ended today with the declaration of the winners in five categories at the New York International Auto Show.

2016 marks the 10th anniversary of the partnership between World Car and the New York show, and the third consecutive year that the World Car Awards have retained their ranking as the number one automotive awards program in the world in terms of media reach.

The Global Trends Report, co-presented by Prime Research and Autoneum, was presented just before the winners’ press conference.   Autoneum CEO Martin Hirzel said, “The findings of the Global Trends Report show clearly that sound inside the driver cabin has major influence on the overall evaluation of a car. Since decades, we from Autoneum are experts in the field of noise reduction for vehicles. Our lightweight and multifunctional products support the car manufacturers to reduce emission, noise and heat and thereby lead to an enhanced driving comfort for the end-customer. The global need for our products confirms us in further focusing on driving innovation in acoustic and thermal management solutions.”

The World Car Awards media breakfast and winners’ press conference at the New York International Auto Show is presented by Bridgestone Corporation, the world’s largest tire and rubber company.  This is the 8th year Bridgestone has sponsored World Car of the Year. “The future of the auto industry will be built on innovation, performance and sustainability – from automakers and also their suppliers,” said Mike Martini, president, original equipment tire sales, U.S. and Canada, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. “Bridgestone invests heavily in research and product development to ensure that we continue to deliver world-class products in collaboration and partnership with automakers around the world.”

As the global nature of the industry continues to strengthen, and the pace of innovation continues to accelerate, World Car is proud to be a part of this amazing journey along with the New York International Auto Show, Prime Research, Bridgestone, Autoneum, KPMG and Newspress.

And Then There Was One... The Big One - The world car of the year goes too........

The Road to World Car journey ended today with the declaration of the MAZDA MX-5 as the 2016 World Car of the Year.  The winner was announced during a press conference hosted by the New York International Auto Show, Bridgestone Corporation and Autoneum.

2016 marks the 10th anniversary of the partnership between World Car and the New York show, and the third consecutive year that the World Car Awards have retained their ranking as the number one automotive awards program in the world in terms of media reach.

Mazda Motor Corporation is no stranger to the World Car Awards program – now in its 12th year. The Mazda2/Mazda Demio was the 2008 World Car of the Year.  While the Mazda3 (2014), Mazda6 (2013) and Mazda MX-5 have all earned “Top Three in the World” status as voted by our 70 plus international automotive journalists that make up the jury.

The MAZDA MX-5 was chosen from an initial entry list of 23 vehicles from all over the world, then a short list of ten, then three finalists:  the Audi A4 Sedan/Audi A4 Avant, the Mazda MX-5, and the Mercedes-Benz GLC.

“What a wonderful honor, to have the Mazda MX-5 named World Car of the Year,” said Masahiro Moro, president and CEO, Mazda North American Operations, and Managing Executive Officer, Mazda Motor Corporation.  “As our iconic MX-5 roadster approaches one-million units of production, this award is proof that it is as young, vibrant, fun and relevant as ever.  While I accept this award on behalf of the company, I do so representing every Mazda employee, retail partner and customer around the world who has ever felt the joy of driving a pure roadster.  We say ‘Driving Matters’ in our advertising, and we prove it in our cars.”

The World Car Awards jurors observed that, “With the launch of its all-new MX-5, Mazda has thrown out the blueprint and gone back to basics – back to 1989 basics. Shorter, lower, wider and – most importantly – lighter, the new MX-5 comes with a choice of either 1.5 or 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engines and the promise of unparalleled ‘Jinba ittai’ – a term meaning oneness between car and driver. And yes, it’s still one of the best driver’s cars around.”

To be eligible for the overall World Car award, the candidates must become available for sale on at least two continents during the period beginning January 1, 2015 and ending May 31, 2016.

This year, vehicles were selected and voted on by an international jury panel comprised of 73 top-level automotive journalists from 23 countries around the world.  Each juror was appointed by the World Car Steering Committee on the basis of his or her expertise, experience, credibility, and influence.  Each juror typically drives and evaluates new vehicles on a regular basis as part of their professional work.  Through their respective outlets they collectively reach an audience of many millions world-wide.  The international accounting firm KPMG tabulates the jurors’ ballots.

Previous World Car of the Year winners were the Mercedes-Benz C-Class (2015), the Audi A3 (2014), the Volkswagen Golf (2013), the Volkswagen Up! (2012), the Nissan Leaf (2011), the Volkswagen Polo (2010, the Volkswagen Golf (2009), the Mazda2 / Mazda Demio (2008), the Lexus LS460 (2007), the BMW 3-Series (2006), and the Audi A6 (2005).

The Road to World Car began in Frankfurt on September 15, was followed by a four and a half day stop in Los Angeles for test-drives of the North American, Japanese and Swedish contenders in November, continued in Geneva with the Top Three in the World announcement, and finally ended today with the declaration of the winners in five categories at the New York International Auto Show.

The Global Trends Report, co-presented by Prime Research and Autoneum, was presented just before the winners’ press conference.   Autoneum CEO Martin Hirzel said, “The findings of the Global Trends Report show clearly that sound inside the driver cabin has major influence on the overall evaluation of a car. Since decades, we from Autoneum are experts in the field of noise reduction for vehicles. Our lightweight and multifunctional products support the car manufacturers to reduce emission, noise and heat and thereby lead to an enhanced driving comfort for the end-customer. The global need for our products confirms us in further focusing on driving innovation in acoustic and thermal management solutions.”

The World Car Awards media breakfast and winners’ press conference at the New York International Auto Show is presented by Bridgestone Corporation, the world’s largest tire and rubber company.  This is the 8th year Bridgestone has sponsored World Car of the Year. “The future of the auto industry will be built on innovation, performance and sustainability – from automakers and also their suppliers,” said Mike Martini, president, original equipment tire sales, U.S. and Canada, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. “Bridgestone invests heavily in research and product development to ensure that we continue to deliver world-class products in collaboration and partnership with automakers around the world.”

As the global nature of the industry continues to strengthen, and the pace of innovation continues to accelerate, World Car is proud to be a part of this amazing journey along with the New York International Auto Show, Prime Research, Bridgestone, Autoneum, KPMG and Newspress.

And Then There Was One... The world car design of the year goes too........

The MAZDA MX-5 was declared the 2016 World Car Design of the Year at a press conference hosted by the New York International Auto Show, Bridgestone Corporation, and Autoneum.

Mazda Motor Corporation is no stranger to the World Car Awards program – now in its 12th year.  The Mazda2/Mazda Demio was the 2008 World Car of the Year.  While the Mazda3 (2014), Mazda6 (2013) and Mazda2/Mazda Demio (2008) have all earned “Top Three in the World” status in the World Car Design of the Year category as voted by our 70 plus international automotive journalists that made up the jury in those years.

“What a wonderful honor, to have the Mazda MX-5 named World Car Design of the Year,” said Masahiro Moro, president and CEO, Mazda North American Operations, and Managing Executive Officer, Mazda Motor Corporation.  “As our iconic MX-5 roadster approaches one-million units of production, this award is proof that it is as young, vibrant, fun and relevant as ever.  Our design team has pushed the boundaries of what people thought possible with our KODO – Soul of Motion language.  While I accept this award on behalf of the company, I do so representing every Mazda employee, retail partner and customer around the world who has ever felt the joy of driving a pure roadster.  We say ‘Driving Matters’ in our advertising, and we prove it in our cars.”

The World Car Design of the Year category, and the corresponding award, are meant to highlight new vehicles with innovation and style that push established boundaries. 

Candidates for the design award may be on the overall World Car of the Year list OR may be included as a stand-alone entry provided the vehicle is available in quantities of at least 10 in one major market during the period beginning January 1, 2015 and ending May 31, 2016.  Candidates may be pre-production or all-new production.

A design panel consisting of six 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 were:   

Masatsugu Arimoto (Japan – Freelance design journalist)

Anne Asensio (Vice-President, Design - Dassault Systemes)

Gernot Bracht (Germany – Pforzheim Design School)

Patrick le Quément (Designer and President of the Strategy Committee, Sustainable Design School)

Sam Livingstone (U.K.  - Car Design Research and Royal College of Art)

Tom Matano (USA - School of Industrial Design at Academy of Art University in San Francisco) 

The experts commented that, “The new MX5 design is exciting, distinct and fresh. It’s a design that wholly fits with being the unique small sports-car this Mazda is.  It captures the spirit of the first generation MX5 design but introduces a very leading twenty-teens aesthetic whilst remarkably also connecting visually to its sibling designs. An exceptional design in all ways. “

Mazda opted for modern, progressive direction to redefine the 4th generation MX-5. It visually communicates agility, light weight and maintained the MX-5 heritage.  It still looks MX-5 100 meters away, only this one instantly recognizable as 4th generation at that distance.”

The 73 World Car Awards jurors then voted on the expert’s recommendations in February and their ballots were tabulated by the international accounting firm KPMG.

A short-list of three finalists was then announced earlier this month at the Geneva International Motor Show earlier this month: the Jaguar XE, the Mazda CX-3 and the Mazda MX-5.

Previous winners of the World Car Design of the Year award were the Citroen C4 Cactus (2015), the BMW i3 (2014), the Jaguar F-Type (2013), the Range Rover Evoque (2012), the Aston Martin Rapide (2011), the Chevrolet Camaro (2010), the Fiat 500 (2009), the Audi R8 (2008), the Audi TT (2007) and the Citroen C4 (2006). 

The Road to World Car began in Frankfurt on September 15, was followed by a four and a half day stop in Los Angeles for test-drives of the North American, Japanese and Swedish contenders in November, continued in Geneva with the Top Three in the World announcement, and finally ended today with the declaration of the winners in five categories at the New York International Auto Show.

2016 marks the 10th anniversary of the partnership between World Car and the New York show, and the third consecutive year that the World Car Awards have retained their ranking as the number one automotive awards program in the world in terms of media reach.

The Global Trends Report, co-presented by Prime Research and Autoneum, was presented just before the winners’ press conference.   Autoneum CEO Martin Hirzel said, “The findings of the Global Trends Report show clearly that sound inside the driver cabin has major influence on the overall evaluation of a car. Since decades, we from Autoneum are experts in the field of noise reduction for vehicles. Our lightweight and multifunctional products support the car manufacturers to reduce emission, noise and heat and thereby lead to an enhanced driving comfort for the end-customer. The global need for our products confirms us in further focusing on driving innovation in acoustic and thermal management solutions.”

The World Car Awards media breakfast and winners’ press conference at the New York International Auto Show is presented by Bridgestone Corporation, the world’s largest tire and rubber company.  This is the 8th year Bridgestone has sponsored World Car of the Year. “The future of the auto industry will be built on innovation, performance and sustainability – from automakers and also their suppliers,” said Mike Martini, president, original equipment tire sales, U.S. and Canada, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. “Bridgestone invests heavily in research and product development to ensure that we continue to deliver world-class products in collaboration and partnership with automakers around the world.”

As the global nature of the industry continues to strengthen, and the pace of innovation continues to accelerate, World Car is proud to be a part of this amazing journey along with the New York International Auto Show, Prime Research, Bridgestone, Autoneum, KPMG and Newspress.

Jaguar F-Type bursts out of the walls at Castle Bromwich

A Jaguar F-TYPE Coupe can be seen bursting out of the walls of Jaguar Land Rover’s Castle Bromwich manufacturing plant, celebrating the recent reveal of the new car in Los Angeles & Tokyo.

It took a team of 25 people 9 days in total to mount the new vehicle to its eye-catching position opposite the Spitfire roundabout.

The Jaguar F-TYPE Coupe is the most dynamically capable, performance-focused production Jaguar ever. Its model line-up includes the F-TYPE R Coupe, the F-TYPE S Coupe and the F-TYPE Coupe.

The F-TYPE Coupe range complements the existing 2013 ‘World Car Design of the Year’ award-winning F-TYPE Convertible model line-up of F-TYPE, F-TYPE S and F-TYPE V8 S.

The F-TYPE Coupe will be manufactured at the 112 acre Castle Bromwich plant, joining the other five Jaguar models: the all-new F-TYPE; the XK grand tourer; and XJ, XF and XF Sportbrake.

Over 3,000 people are employed at Castle Bromwich, which became a dedicated Jaguar factory in 1980. The site is home to some of the world’s most advanced aluminium body construction facilities and almost 340 body construction robots. On site are body shops, paint and final assembly lines for all models, as well as a press shop which operates 24 hours a day.