Wheels Magazine's Car of the Year for 2017 Has Zoom-Zoom.
Mazda’s CX-9 has won the 2017 Wheels Car of the Year, the second year in a row for the Japanese car company. The MX-5 was awarded the gong in 2016. Mazda is also the first Japanese company to win the award back-to-back, the fourth maker in the history of the award and is just the second company to do so since COTY was born in the 1960s. The CX-9 also created its own piece of history by being the first SUV to win COTY since 2004.
Wheels magazine’s acting editor, Alex Inwood said: “The Mazda CX-9 stood out throughout the entire Wheels Car of the Year judging week.”
The CX-9 was released in Australia in mid 2016, and immediately struck a chord with the Australian buying public. People were attracted to its stylish design, user friendly interior, the punchy and efficient 2.5 litre turbocharged four cylinder petrol engine, and the combination of quietness and safety. Inwood also said: “In many ways you could regards this as a win for democratic motoring because this is a car that proves you don’t need to spend a lot of money to get great levels of luxury, refinement, and ride quality.”
Mazda Australia’s Managing Director, Martin Benders, chimed in: “From initial planning to its arrival on the showroom floor we were confident that the brand new CX-9 would appeal to family sized SUV buyers and be a success. The win takes Mazda’s tally to eight, the highest number for brands considered to be an imported brand, with the 323 in 1980, the 626 in 1983 and 1992, the MX-5 in 1989/2005/2016 and the rotary engined RX-8 in 2003.
The CX-9 tops a three model range, with the CX-3 and CX-5 available, plus a new CX-5 is due for the Australian market in March, 2017. There’s four trim levels available, plus either front wheel or all wheel drive, with a six speed auto the sole transmission choice. The car has also qualified in the top ten vehicles for the 2017 World Car of the Year.
For more info on the 2017 Car of the Year from Mazda, go here: 2017 Mazda CX-9
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