Mazda wins Scots’ acclaim overall in its annual SCoTY awards

For the second time in the Scottish Car of The Year awards’ history, reports Iain Robertson, Mazda has been presented with a SCoTY, an accolade it last secured with the Mazda6 in 2002, at a prestigious event held near Edinburgh.

Debuting the company’s highly efficient and innovative Skyactiv-X petrol powertrain, the new Mazda3 was a clear winner in its Family car class and then triumphed over the other category champions to also take the top title. Judged by the Association of Scottish Motoring Writers (ASMW), which comprises print, broadcast and online journalists covering the length and breadth of Scotland and beyond, the Mazda’s advanced Spark Controlled Compression Ignition (SCCI) petrol engine was a key factor in the model’s appeal to the judging panel.



ASMW President John Murdoch stated: “Mazda’s range has appealed consistently to buyers north of the border; the cars are great looking, well-built and deliver a driving experience that’s perfectly suited to Scottish roads. The new Mazda3 ups the game again. From its unmistakable sense of style to the sizeable leap forward in interior quality fit and finish and unrivalled real-world efficiency, it’s a car that appeals to both heart and head.”




Mazda UK Managing Director, Jeremy Thomson, in accepting the award, stated: “The all-new Mazda3 is already winning over customers with its quality, style and driver engagement, so recognition of its appeal from the Association of Scottish Motoring Writers is fantastic. In a year that has seen the launch of lots of great cars across many sectors, it’s a real testament to the all-new Mazda3 that it’s taken the coveted overall Car of the Year title.”




There are only 12 Scottish Mazda dealers, which underscores the fantastic job they carry out. However, the 2019 Scottish Car of the Year awards also delivered impressive results for Nissan, BMW, SEAT and Kia, with representatives from each of the brands leaving Scotland’s capital city with two trophies. Nissan’s Micra and LEAF e+ were runaway winners in the Small and Alternative Fuel categories, securing a victory over premium contenders such as the Audi A1 and Range Rover PHEV respectively.



For BMW, it was the luxury and technology of its latest X5 and 7-Series models that wowed the jury to secure Premium Crossover and Luxury car awards for the Bavarian brand. Seat, meanwhile, showed strength in the Crossover segment with its Tarraco. The new arrival’s quality and 7-seat cabin space found favour with the judges, while the thrilling performance-themed Cupra Ateca raised a few eyebrows by edging ahead of the establishment to secure the Sports car title.



Kia achieved a strong SCOTY performance. The new ProCeed was named best Estate car while the Sportage scooped the Used prize for the second year running. Volvo’s S60 was voted top of the class, while the practicality and value of Peugeot’s Rifter put the no-nonsense family holdall at the top of the MPV table.

SCOTY category winners at a glance:
 Small: Nissan Micra; Family: Mazda3; Estate: Kia ProCeed; Crossover: SEAT Tarraco; Premium Crossover: BMW X5; Executive: Volvo S60; Luxury: BMW 7-Series; Hot Hatch: Ford Focus ST; Sports: Cupra Ateca; MPV: Peugeot Rifter; Alternative Fuel: Nissan LEAF e+; Pick Up: Mitsubishi L200; Used: Kia Sportage: Design & Innovation: Audi e-tron virtual mirror.

MSG Summary

For our friends and customers north of the Border, it is interesting that this year’s SCoTYs mirror many of our views.

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