New York Auto Show: Mazda2 named 2008 World Car of the year, BMW 118d named 'greenest car on the planet'

The Mazda2 has been voted as the 2008 World Car of the year  at the at the World Car of the Year (WCOTY) awards ceremony held in Jacob Javits Convention Centre, during the New York International Auto Show.

The Mazda2 beat Ford Mondeo and Mercedez-Benz C-Class to grab top honours

German  made Audi R8 received the award for best design and best performance, and the BMW 118d was named the greenest car on the planet.

The jury, which consisted of a panel of 47 international automotive journalists from over 20 countries in the world, selected the overall winner through a secret ballot. The top three contenders for 2008 World Car of the Year title  the Ford Mondeo, the Mazda2 and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class were selected from an initial list of 39 cars.

The WCOTY awards were officially launched in January 2004 and are initiated,organised by, and conducted by automotive journalists from  Asia, Europe, North America, South America, as well as other parts of the world.

The Mazda2, also called Mazda Demio, is a small and fuel efficient car, which is popular due to its its convenient size and superb storage and functionality.

Its stylish aerodynamic design, impressive range of standard equipment, eco-friendly attributes and comprehensive safety features makes it an obvious favourite for the young generation drivers

View: Auto videos | Auto picture galleries