Mazda 2 wins 2008 World Car of the Year title

New York, Mar 21 : The Mazda 2, a small and spunky fuel saver, has been named the World Car of the Year at the 2008 New York Auto Show.

The car that zips around corners, looks sleek and sporty was given the title on March 20.

The Mazda2 defeated Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Ford Mondeo to grab the ultimate crown at the New York International Auto Show at the Javits Center.

The Audi R8 scooped up awards for Best Design and Best Performance, and the BMW 118d was named the greenest car on the planet.

But it was the little Mazda2 that stole the show - proving small can be mighty.

"The Mazda2 is exceeding our highest expectations and demonstrating that it can compete against the best cars in the world, in any market in the world," New York Daily News quoted Keiichi Wakabayashi, Mazda's deputy general manager of corporate communications planning, as saying.

"It's proof that our 'zoom, zoom' way of doing things is the right way," Wakabayashi added.

47 journalists from 24 countries were the judges of the show.

They rated each vehicle on everything from style and comfort to performance and fuel economy.

ANI