Mazda Motor Corp.'s Demio compact car has won the car of the year Japan award for 2014 to 2015, the CTYJ executive committee, comprising representatives from automotive and other magazines, announced Monday.
The latest version went through a comprehensive updates in September and is the key to Mazda's small-car line-up.
The committee highly rated the car for having a diesel model priced below ¥2 million and expanded options for consumers.
The Demio "realized a design, quality and technology that shattered the existing perception of domestically made compact cars at affordable prices," the committee said in a statement.
Mazda last won the award in 2012 for the CX-5 sport-utility vehicle.
Mercedez-Benz won the import car of the year for its C-class sedan, while the innovation award went to the i3, an electric car made by BMW.
Honda Motor Co.'s N-WGN received the "small mobility" award in the "kei" class of cars, which have engines 660cc or smaller, while Toyota Motor Corp. won a special award for its efforts to develop fuel cell vehicles.