Mazda3 is what women want

The Mazda3 has beaten a host of well-established rivals to be named the 2019 Women’s World Car of the Year.

The compact model, pictured, was voted supreme winner by a panel of female jurors from 30 different countries, who weighed in different factors such as aesthetic appearance, practicality, safety, environmental footprint and value for money.

It was also chosen as the family car of the year in the awards that were announced at the recent 2019 Dubai International Motor Show.

David Hodge, Mazda New Zealand managing director, says winning the supreme title highlights the work the Mazda3 design and technical teams did in creating a vehicle that looks good and delivers on performance and safety.

“We know from sales in the New Zealand that the Mazda3 is proving popular among women buyers,” he says. “This award highlights the fact the Mazda3 ticks all the right boxes and delivers a premium driving experience that is class leading.”

The Kia XCeed won the women’s urban car of the year category, and the carmaker also landed the green car of the year title with the Soul EV.

Three other prizes at the event went to the BMW 8-Series in the luxury car class, the Porsche 911 for performance car of the year and the Range Rover Evoque triumphed in the SUV/crossover section.

Other finalists vying for the top honour at the awards, which have been running since 2010, included the Audi E-Tron, Tesla Model 3 and BMW 3-Series.