A jury of automotive journalists from across the globe has named the best car in the world -- and you can’t buy it. The Detroit News explains, “The Mazda2/Demio was chosen from an initial entry list of 39 entries.” The award winner is an economy-class hatchback sold in Europe (as the Mazda 2) and in Asia (as the Mazda Demio).
A modified version of the car may be sold in the U.S. soon. The AP reports, “Ford Motor Co., which owns a third of Mazda Motor Corp., is basing its new Fiesta subcompact on the Mazda2 platform.” The Fiesta, which has also received praise from the automotive press in car show appearances, is projected to hit U.S. showrooms in 2010.
The Wall Street Journal notes, “The award comes from a group of automotive journalists from around the world, though only a few are from the U.S.” This may partially explain “why a vehicle not sold in the U.S. won the award this year.” Forbes adds, “Forty-seven jurors from 24 countries determine the winner based on styling, quality, safety and other factors.”
MSNBC sees the win as a sign that “The U.S. auto market is becoming ever more international and the barriers between regional markets are eroding.” MSNBC notes that “Chevrolet, a quintessentially American brand, is now the fastest-growing brand in Europe using cars sourced from Korea and built to global standards, while new models from Italy’s Fiat and Alfa Romeo are gathering interest from Americans because of the expectation they will soon be sold on these shores.” While the U.S. market for compacts has been fairly small for years, the small cars now make up the fastest-growing share of the U.S. market. In fact, sales of small cars rose 33% in February, while every other market segment saw a sales drop. So, MSNBC believes, “the days when small cars that are popular elsewhere in the world are not available in the United States are numbered."
Research the best cars on the American market with U.S. News' car rankings and reviews.
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