Mazda Miata Named World Car of the Year

Mazda Motor Corp.’s all-new MX-5 Miata roadster was named the 2016 World Car of the Year by a group of international automotive journalists.

The Miata, which also was deemed the World Design Car of the Year, was praised by the judges for its back-to-basics styling, lightweight architecture and spirited driving performance. The two-seater beat the two other finalists, the Audi A4 small car and Mercedes-Benz GLC SUV, out of an initial group of 23 contenders for the top award.

The BMW 7 Series fullsize sedan was voted World Luxury Car of the Year, and Toyota’s fuel cell-powered Mirai sedan took home the title of World Green Car.

The winners were announced Thursday in conjunction with the New York auto show. To be eligible, vehicles had to be on sale in at least two continents sometime during 2015 or the first part of 2016. The 73 judges hail from 23 countries.