The brand-new 2014 Mazda6 was awarded with the Gene Ritvo Award for Design and Elegance from the New England Motor Press Association (NEMPA) this week in conjunction with Boston's Museum of Fine Arts and the Larz Anderson Auto Museum.
The Ritvo Award honors the "best in design in the automotive world," regardless if it's a concept car, production vehicle, or a marketing campaign according to a Mazda press release.
"The 2014 Mazda6 is a stunning example of the real-world application of the 'Soul of Motion' design language," said NEMPA President Keith Griffin. "It was beautiful on the TAKERI concept and now is a stunning sedan that is turning heads around the world. Gene Ritvo would be proud to have his name associated with the Mazda6."
Mazda6 features the brand's KODO "Soul of Motion" design language, which was inspired by the movement of different animals in the wild and their "ability to showcase power in its purest form combined with agile finesse," according to Mazda.
The new vehicle, which features a redesigned Skyactiv build for 2014, "sets the standard for practicality and fuel-efficiency" according to the press release.
The redesigned Mazda6 sells for a base price of $20,880 and comes equipped with the company's new suite of SKYACTIV technologies where the engine, body, transmission and chassis all work together to improve the vehicles driving performance and fuel efficient according to the press release.
Standard safety features found in base models include whiplash-reducing front headrests, six airbags, power-assisted ventilated front and solid disc brakes and a traction control system. All models also come with ant-lock brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution, and a tire pressure monitoring system.
The 2014 model has also earned a "Top Safety Pick+" by the Insurance Institute for Highway safety this month according to a company press release. The vehicle earned this honor after receiving a "Good" rating for its performance in the new, "more demanding" frontal moderate overlap, side, roof, and head restraint tests.
"The subtle but distinctive styling of the Mazda6 caught my eye when reviewing entries for the Ritvo Award," said Meghan Melvinof the Museum of Fine Arts. "After reading the accompanying description, I was struck by the fact that the KODO design language was clearly reflected in this particular model."
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