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Essen / Leverkusen, Germany (June 30, 2015) – Mazda accepted the “Red Dot: Best of the Best” prize for the all-new Mazda MX-5  on 29 June at a gala ceremony in front of some 1,200 guests at the Aalto Theatre in Essen, Germany. The “Best of the Best” prize goes to exceptionally ground-breaking designs across many industries; only 1.6% of all submissions received the distinction during this year’s Red Dot Award: Product Design competition.

“The MX-5 has always been about creating smiles, and design is a key part of its success,” says Kevin Rice, Mazda Europe’s design director, who accepted the Red Dot trophy together with Vice President Communications Wojciech Halarewicz. “Balancing tradition and progress, the new model was an exercise in knowing what to change and what not to. And I believe every inch of this car radiates life, movement and the promise of fun behind the wheel.”

With its aggressive face, sweeping lines, wide stance and short overhangs, the latest MX-5 is perhaps the most unique adaptation yet of the critically acclaimed KODO – Soul of Motion design theme on which all new-generation Mazdas are based. The company also won two other Red Dot product design prizes this year: a “Red Dot” for outstanding design quality for its all-new small SUV, the Mazda CX-3, and an “Honourable Mention” for the Mazda2. Five new-generation Mazdas have now captured Red Dot awards.

The Red Dot product design jury of 38 international experts evaluated the entries based on criteria ranging from the degree of design innovation to functionality, ergonomics and ecological compatibility. The jury appraised 4,928 submissions from 56 countries this year, selecting the best entries in 31 categories, including vehicles. They have earned the right to bear the Red Dot symbol, an international seal of design excellence. Initiated in 1955 by the Essen, Germany-based Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen, the annual product competition is considered the world’s largest.

Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States and Mexico through nearly 700 dealers.  Operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City.  For more information on Mazda vehicles, including photography and B-roll, please visit the online Mazda media center at www.mazdausamedia.com.