News Releases

IRVINE, Calif. (April 18, 2019) – Kelley Blue Book, a leading vehicle valuation and information source, has recognized Mazda for the second consecutive year as the Top Performance Brand in its 2019 Brand Image Awards.

Representing the combined wisdom of the American car-buying public, the 11th annual Kelley Blue Book Brand Image Awards recognize automakers’ outstanding achievements in creating and maintaining brand attributes that capture the attention and create enthusiasm from the new-car buying public.

“We work hard to focus on what the driver wants – cars that are engaging to drive with our unique Kodo styling and our inventive engineering. This commitment to our customers is what pushes us to continually make improvements. We are honored to have this dedication recognized by being awarded Kelley Blue Book’s Top Performance Brand award for 2019,” said Dino Bernacchi, chief marketing officer for Mazda North American Operations. “Mazda is a company made up of skilled craftsmen, and we will continue to infuse each vehicle with the soul and passion of our talented people.”

Determining the winner of the Brand Image Awards is not just based on a moment in time or a quick online poll. The 2019 Brand Image Awards are determined by consumer automotive perception data from Kelley Blue Book Strategic Insights’ Brand Watch, which is an online brand and model perception tracking study. It annually taps into more than 12,000 in-market new-vehicle shoppers who research purchasing decisions through Kelley Blue Book’s official website, KBB.com. The comprehensive study provides insights on what factors new car buyers take into consideration when making their purchase decisions. The study also captures brand and model familiarity and brand loyalty among new-car shoppers.

“Mazda vehicles are engineered to be intuitive and exciting to both the driver and passenger, which is something that resonates with consumers,” said Hwei-Lin Oetken, director of strategic insights for Kelley Blue Book. “This is Mazda’s second consecutive award for Top Performance Brand, which is validation of the Mazda team’s steadfast commitment to building familiarity and loyalty among consumers.”

Mazda will be presented with the Top Performance Brand award at the New York International Auto Show on Wednesday, April 17 by Steve Lind, vice president and general manager, OEM and Industry Solutions for Cox Automotive.

For more information about Kelley Blue Book’s 2019 Brand Image Awards, please visit: https://www.kbb.com/new-cars/brand-image-awards/.

Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, California, 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 InsideMazda.MazdaUSA.com/Newsroom.

Follow MNAO’s social media channels through Twitter and Instagram at @MazdaUSA and Facebook at Facebook.com/MazdaUSA.

# # #

Contact:
Tamara Mlynarczyk, Mazda North American Operations, 202-431-6325
Emily Taylor, Mazda North American Operations, 949-727-6182