Design and ClassMazda is one of the brands that has successfully reinvented itself and gained a whole new type of following. From just being another Japanese brand, it transformed into offering more upscale models with even more premium designs and feel. The brand's patented Kodo design language has given the world some of the most striking and Japanese cars we've ever seen. Kodo has won Mazda multiple design awards over the years, and it has done it again. Mazda EZ-6/6eThe Mazda EZ-6/6e has just been awarded the 2026 World Car Design of the Year Award. What makes this monumental is that this model was built as a joint partnership between Mazda and Chinese Automaker Changan, as an EV for both the Chinese market and select European countries. China carries the EZ-6 model name, while Europe's designation is the 6e. However, the EZ-6 has been around in China since 2024, and the 6e is yet to debut sometime this year in Europe, the UK, and Australia.The EZ-6/6E design was considered a challenge for Mazda, which was keen to use the already iconic Kodo but also add a touch of modernity, as a nod to the car's electrified nature. The design is regarded as "Authentic Modern," which, according to Mazda, "combines vibrant, life-inspired forms with a sense of advanced modernity befitting an electrified vehicle, while achieving a beautifully proportioned coupe silhouette." It's also important to note that, according to Mazda Australia's boss, the 6E isn't a Mazda6 and can't be considered the true replacement.Mazda claims that these electrified models, apart from their award-winning design, still adhere to the brand's Jinba-ittai mindset, in which car and owner become one while driving. While the EZ-6 and 6E are the same model, the latter has been refined with additional features to meet driving standards in the future markets it'll be launched in. Hat TrickThis latest win by Mazda marks the third time the brand has won this award. It started in 2016 with the MX-5, and then followed up in 2020 with the Mazda 3. The World Car Design of the Year Award was officially launched in 2004 and uses the opinions of motoring journalists from around the world to determine the winner.2026 saw ninety-eight motoring journalists choose from ninety-eight eligible car candidates, with the eventual winner announced on April 1, 2026, in New York, USA.
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