Mazda Motor Corporation announced recently that the company received three awards in the Automotive Brand Contest. The company’s global design team, Mazda CX-3 and Bike by KODO concept were honored at an award ceremony at the Städel Museum in Frankfurt on September 15.

The prestigious Automotive Brand Contest honors outstanding product and communication design. Sponsored by the German Design Council, the annual contest has 15 regular and four special award categories. Winners in each category are selected by a jury of journalists and experts in design and communications.

Mazda’s global design team received the Team of the Year award, which is presented for “innovative and consistent brand design.” With design studios in Japan, the U.S. and Germany, the team has created energetic and dynamic forms based on the KODO design theme that have found expression throughout the entire Mazda line-up in recent years.

A member of the German Design Council said, “Unlike other companies’ design strategy [KODO design] is not supposed to define a form language, and so Maeda always encourages his designers to propose something that would exceed his expectations. That is why each of current generation Mazda cars can have its own character while consistently expressing lively motion.”

The Mazda CX-3, a compact crossover SUV that went on sale this year, was named Best of the Best in the Exterior Volume Brand category, while the Bike by KODO Concept track racer displayed during Milan Design Week in April was recognized in the Parts & Accessories category.

“We are very excited about the awards presented to the CX-3, the Bike by KODO Concept and especially our Global Design Team,” said Ikuo Maeda, Executive Officer and Design Chief of Mazda’s Design Division. “The entire team will continue to work to create dynamic and energetic designs that will excite our customers.”

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Driving Matters – New Campaign Communicates How the Joy of Driving Can Enhance Your Life

The Oxford Dictionary defines “driving” as, “operating and controlling the direction and speed of a motor vehicle.” Mazda believes that driving is more than a definition. Driving is an experience that can enhance your life. To better illustrate how every Mazda vehicle embodies why “Driving Matters,” today Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) is rolling out a new advertising campaign.

Driving Matters is an evolution of the Game Changers campaign. With Game Changers, Mazda succeeded in increasing consumer awareness of the functional attributes of our vehicles. Driving Matters will extend the message by creating an emotional connection to the brand.

“Through the Driving Matters campaign, consumers will get a glimpse at why driving matters so much to Mazda and why we obsess over every detail in designing our cars,” said Russell Wager, vice president of marketing, MNAO. “Whether it’s for safety purposes or for maintaining our ‘fun to drive’ nature, it all comes down to the fact that driving matters to our customers and it matters to us.”

Mazda’s all-new Driving Matters campaign will showcase various aspects of what makes the driving experience so important. Through Mazda’s advanced technologies and design, the campaign will dive into the importance of vehicle safety, good-looks, fuel efficiency and the fun-to- drive personality of Mazda cars. The engineering and design that goes behind each car in Mazda’s lineup epitomizes the enhancement driving has on a person’s life.

The campaign will launch with “A Driver’s Life,” which chronicles the major moments and life stages in a driver’s life, like getting a license and buying your first car, through raising a family and obtaining your “reward” car. The spot will feature multiple 2016 models but the aim is to celebrate driving and the core values of Mazda customers.  The campaign will launch on Friday May 22nd in cinema and television with a mixture of a :60 and :30 second ads.  It will be supported digitally and on our social channels.

“Mazda makes cars for people who take pleasure in driving, and “Driving Matters” perfectly aligns with that philosophy. Through our creative process, it became evident that Mazda’s inspiration for pure driving enjoyment is something that relates to the typical car buyer,” said Harvey Marco, creative director, Garage Team Mazda.

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Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today announced a three-year partnership with WyoTech, one of the country’s premier technical training institutes, which will allow students to graduate as certified Mazda technicians. WyoTech is part of Zenith Education Group (Zenith), a system of nonprofit career colleges. Mazda will also use WyoTech’s state-of-the-art training facilities in Blairsville, Pa. and Laramie, Wyo. to train its top dealership personnel on advanced courses throughout the year. The classes, which are offered at no charge, began last month.

“Well-trained technicians are a key component to our customer’s satisfaction, so it is an honor to partner with WyoTech,” said Jim O’Sullivan, president and CEO, MNAO. “Mazda is focused on improving the dealership experience and fixing customers’ cars right, the first time. We look forward to this WyoTech program supporting these initiatives and helping make top-tier technicians available to Mazda customers.”

The Mazda certification course offers a curriculum of web-based modules supplemented by instructor-led classes. To support the program, Mazda has donated more than 20 vehicles, specialized tooling and equipment, in addition to several current model year vehicles rotated out annually for current year technology.

“It is a privilege to partner with Mazda in offering our students a valuable opportunity to earn in-demand skills and graduate as certified Mazda technicians,” said Karen Turner, senior vice president of student success for Zenith. “Our top priority is ensuring that our students have a clear path to in-demand careers with definitive labor market value and the opportunity for advancement. We recognize that our graduates’ career prospects are considerably enhanced by working directly with the employers who hire them. By working with Mazda and its dealerships, we are able to accurately assess local workforce needs and help match our certified graduates with those job opportunities.”

WyoTech’s Blairsville and Laramie student populations come from all across the country and, through this new program, they will have access to Mazda’s U.S. network of more than 640 dealerships as they seek employment. Mazda has estimated that its dealers will hire about 100 certified graduates from each campus location annually as entry-level technicians. For each pre-certified graduate a Mazda dealership hires, it saves roughly $6,000 that it would otherwise spend sending a new employee through required courses and training.
Beyond graduation, WyoTech alumni employed by Mazda dealerships will have the opportunity to continue their career development and pursue Master Technician certification through the dealership and existing Mazda Training Centers. Mazda trainers will work at the Laramie and Blairsville campuses approximately 12 times per year to conduct advanced training courses using WyoTech’s first-rate facilities. These courses are open to existing dealership personnel first, with any remaining spots made available to qualified WyoTech students in the Mazda program.

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Japanese car maker aims to further raise benchmark in competitive SUV segment

In a world premiere at the 66th 2015 Frankfurt International Motor Show (IAA), Mazda will reveal the Mazda Koeru, a new crossover SUV concept that makes a bold statement in an increasingly popular and competitive segment.

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To this end, we are undertaking initiative in three areas; vehicles, roads and infrastructure, and people. Mazda’s i-ACTIVSENSE is an umbrella term covering a series of advanced safety technologies which make use of detection devices such as milliwave radars and cameras. They includes active safety technologies that support safe driving by helping the driver to recognize potential hazards, and pre-crash safety technologies which help to avert collisions or reduce their severity in situations where they cannot be avoided.

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We understand that a car is no small investment, so it only makes sense you leave it in the hands of the Beach Mazda Service experts to keep it running at its peak for years after purchase.

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What is SKYACTIV™ TECHNOLOGY?

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South Carolina’s Tax Free Weekend is scheduled August 7-9, 2015. It’s that time again to start thinking about what you will need for school. Each year we look forward to the weekend where we have relief from taxes…but be careful, it is not on everything. South Carolina is offering one tax free weekend event and it applies to clothing, shoes, and school supplies and is intended to coincide with parents’ annual back-to-school shopping efforts.

The tax-free savings applies to the following items:

Clothing

Accessories

Footwear

School supplies

Computers

Computer equipment

blankets

bath towels

shower curtains

and more items you may not think so research it first and it does not include items such as jewelry, furniture, cosmetics, eye-wear, wallets and watches.

Before you go out on tax free weekend, it is best to do your homework. Be careful not to overspend just because the tax free weekend is going on in your area. Some stores may hike their prices to make it look like a great deal.

Keep in mind that the regular sales tax rate in South Carolina is 6%, so that’s how much money you’d be saving – along with your local sales tax, if applicable. (In Myrtle Beach, it can be as high as 11%). Know the prices of the items you want to buy especially the big ticket items and make sure that even with the tax savings, you are getting a good deal. Also, compare prices at other stores and bring your coupons. By shopping around, and also using coupons, you might find that the items you’re looking for are less expensive either before the tax free weekend or after it takes place. So be smart and do your “homework” before spending any hard-earned money.

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2016 Mazda CX-5 Features & Options

When searching for a new crossover SUV there are a lot of different things that are more important to some drivers than others. While certain consumers want to get behind the wheel of a new vehicle that can deliver excellent four-wheel drive capability or one that can offer excellent fuel efficiency and a great list of high-tech features and options, the choice must be made. Well, it’s a good thing that the new Mazda CX-5 has offers it all. While the Mazda CX-5 is known for it’s incredible performance and outstanding fuel economy rating, the 2016 Mazda CX-5 features and options list is also very impressive.

The 2016 Mazda CX-5 is available in three different trim levels so you can choose the one that has all of the features and options you want in your new crossover SUV without having to pay for the ones you don’t. Choose either the base Sport model, mid-level Touring, or the luxury-packed Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring.

2016 Mazda CX-5 Trim Levels

The 2016 Mazda CX-5 Sport comes standard with all of the feature you need. It’s features include full power accessories, USB/iPod interface, Bluetooth connectivity, air-conditioning, cruise control, stereo with CD player and many others. Optional packages adds a 7-inch touchscreen interface, rearview camera,  HD radio, automatic crash notification and more.

Moving up to the mid-level Mazda CX-5 Touring trim includes all of the Sport trim level features and adds keyless ignition/entry, a more powerful engine, blind spot and rear cross-traffic warning system and six-speaker stereo. Options include a moonroof and nine-speaker Bose audio system.

The top trim level in the lineup is the 2016 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring. It receives all of the above features and adds even more high-tech features and luxury options that include a dual-zone automatic climate control, automatic headlights, 19-inch wheels, satellite radio, automatic windshield wipers, heated front seats and leather upholstery. Options for the Grand Touring model include a navigation system, Mazda’s Smart City Brake Support, LED lights, lane departure warning, automatic high beam headlights and adaptive cruise control.

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