The much lauded Next-Gen Mazda3 has been named Best Small Car in the hotly contested 2020 Drive Car of the Year Awards.

Australia’s most comprehensive new car awards, Drive Car of the Year, sees more than 100 vehicles tested by a trusted group of automotive experts to determine which are the best buys across 20 categories.

 

Equipped with unprecedented levels of technology and packaged in stunning design, Next-Gen Mazda3 won high praise from judges who assessed everything from look and feel to output and ownership costs.

“Despite more competition than ever before, the new Mazda3 remains the best all-round option in the small car class. Its strong showing in Drive Car of the Year is down to a combination of design execution, build quality and value for money. It’s also an excellent platform in terms of driving engagement,” said Trent Nikolic, Managing Editor of Drive and CarAdvice.

Managing Director, Vinesh Bhindi, said the win is testament to the strength of Mazda’s vehicle design philosophy and pursuit of quality.

“Mazda3 has been a mainstay in our line-up for more than 40 years; its quality and promise of driving fun resonating with so many Australians. The Next-Gen Mazda3 carries this same promise, but offers an even better experience that’s more in tune with modern life,” he said. 

The first of Mazda’s new generation vehicles, Next-Gen Mazda3 arrived in Australia in April 2019, debuting a mature expression of the company’s Kodo design language in two striking body styles, hatchback and sedan.

 

 

The new model was completely redesigned from the ground up according to Mazda’s human-centric philosophy, bringing the next-generation of Skyactiv-Vehicle Architecture to dramatically improve ride, handling, comfort and NVH in line with human sensibilities.

Next-Gen Mazda3 also debuted an impressive list of standard safety technology, along with the option of newly developed Vision Technologies, including Driver Monitoring, Front Cross Traffic Alert (FCTA) Cruising & Traffic Support (CTS).

Next-Gen Mazda3 is on sale now and comes with Mazda’s five-year warranty and five-year Mazda Premium Roadside Assistance as standard.