Nissan Navara, Mazda 2 are the year’s best

The Nissan Navara NP300. /Brian J. Ochoa

Nissan and Mazda came out the big winners in the Awards Night of the Car Awards Group Inc.’s (CAGI) search for the 2015 Car of the Year-Philippines  and Truck of the Year-Philippines last Nov. 13  at the Fontana Hot Spring Leisure Parks and Casino at the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga.

 
After four days of testing more than 70 entries from different automakers, CAGI finally released the list of winners for this year and at the top of that prestigious list are the Mazda 2 Skyactiv and the Nissan NP300 Navara 4X2.

 
The Mazda 2 was named the 2015 Car of the Year – Philippines while the NP300 Navara was awarded the 2015 Truck of the Year – Philippines title.

 
Both the NP300 Navara and the Mazda 2 were brought to our shores this year.

 
The all-new Mazda 2 SkyActiv was launched in the Philippines in August. It is the fourth generation of the nameplate but just the second generation introduced in the Philippines. It is also the fourth model to embrace the Kodo-Soul of Motion design philosophy in Mazda’s local lineup.

The all-new Mazda 2

The Mazda 2 now comes with the full-range of SkyActiv chassis, suspension and drivetrain technologies designed to improve fuel economy and overall driving performance.

 
The third-generation NP300 Navara, meanwhile, was unveiled last February and has since been a tough player in the competitive pickup truck segment.

 
The results of the awards night were audited by R. G. Manabat & Co. / KPMG.

 
CATEGORY WINNERS

 
The winners in the different categories were:  Ford Everest Trend 2.2L 4×2 A/T (4×2 SUV), Ford Everest Titanium 3.2L 4×4 A/T  (4×4 SUV),  Suzuki Celerio GL 1.0 M/T (basic subcompact), Kia Forte Koup 2-door (compact car), Honda HR-V 1.8 EL CVT (compact crossover SUV ), Honda Mobilio 1.5V CVT (compact MPV),  Mazda CX-5 AWD Sport (crossover SUV),  Lexus NX 200t F-Sport (luxury crossover SUV), Honda Odyssey 2.4L EX-V Navi (luxury MPV), Jaguar XE 2.0 (luxury sedan), Lexus RC-F (high-performance sports car), Mazda 6 Sports Wagon (mid-sized car), Volvo S60 D4 Polestar (premium sedan), Ford Mustang 5.0L V8 GT Premium (premium sports car), Mazda MX-5 M/T (sports car), Volkswagen Golf GTI (sports hatchback), Subaru WRX 2.0 M/T (sports sedan), Mazda 2 Skyactiv R 4DR (subcompact car),  Nissan Juke (subcompact crossover SUV), Rolls-Royce Wraith (ultra-luxury car), Ferrari California T (ultra-luxury sports car), Nissan NP300 Navara 2.5L 4×2 EL 7AT (4×2 pickup) and the Ford Ranger Wildtrak 3.2 4×4 A/T (4×4 pickup)

 
The 2015 Car of the Year – Philippines was co-presented by Carmudi Philippines, and was made possible by event partners Fontana Hot Spring Leisure Parks & Casino, and R. G. Manabat & Co. / KPMG, and sponsors Bose, Air Asia, HitchPro, the Manila International Auto Show, Worldbex Services International, Manila North Tollways Corporation, North Luzon Expressway, Sonax, Ultra Modular Concepts, Inc. (UMCI), Romac Group of Companies, Columbia Sportswear, SpeedLab, and LG Electronics. Media partners include BusinessMirror, Malaya Business Insight, Manila Bulletin, The Philippine Star, and the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

 
The CAGI is represented by the following media entities: Business Mirror, Cebu Daily News, Daily Tribune, Malaya Business Insight, Manila Bulletin, Manila Times, Mindanao Daily News, Philippine Daily Inquirer, AQ Magazine, Brand Magazine, C! Magazine, Gadgets Magazine, Motorcycle Magazine, Power Wheels Magazine, Speed Magazine, Stuff Magazine, Top Gear Philippines, Autodeal.com.ph, Autoindustriya.com, CarGuide.ph, Carmudi.com.ph, Interaksyon.com, Kotse.com, ManilaSpeak.com, MotionCars.com, SprocketPH.com, TessDrive.com, TimeAttackManila.com, Yugatech.com, Auto Focus, Auto Review, Motoring Today, Stoplight TV, Motoring sa DZME, DZMM, The Motoring Page on Mellow 94.7 FM, and Inside Motoring on DZRJ 810 AM.