On September 13, 2025, the annual results of the China Top 10 Car Body awards were announced, with the Mazda EZ-60 named among the winners and also receiving the Best Material Award. Geely Galaxy M9, Zeekr 7X, Li i8 and Wulin Bingo S were also listed in the top 10. Organized by the China Automotive Technology and Research Centre (CATARC) together with industry experts, the awards are regarded as one of the most authoritative recognitions in China’s vehicle body engineering field.
According to Mazda, the EZ-60 was recognised for its structural safety, material innovation, and manufacturing quality. The company highlighted a recent test series carried out on September 12, known as the “Warrior’s Road” challenge. The vehicle underwent a sequence of trials, including a 110 km/h offset frontal collision between two cars, a rollover from a 35-meter vertical drop, and a 30-minute immersion test following impact. Mazda reported that the passenger compartment maintained integrity, restraint and airbag systems responded, and the battery pack remained stable without short circuit or fire.
The EZ-60 is built with a high proportion of advanced steel materials developed in cooperation with Baosteel. The body structure uses 86.5 per cent high-strength steel, including 27.45 per cent hot-formed steel with strength up to 2,000 MPa. The design incorporates multiple reinforcements such as four front impact beams, five-layer A-pillar protection, and 2,000 MPa side door beams. The model comes equipped with nine airbags, including long side curtain airbags and a central airbag to reduce secondary impact risk in side collisions.
Durability measures include the use of GA zinc-iron alloy steel for corrosion resistance, brake lines tested under 3,000-hour salt spray conditions, and a battery protection rating tested for long-term anti-corrosion. Mazda said the suspension and braking systems have undergone extended endurance testing equivalent to more than 10 years of use.
Noise reduction is another focus, with 17.6 square meters of sound-absorbing materials, layered acoustic glass, and over 100 sealing measures applied throughout the body.
Production of the EZ-60 takes place at Mazda’s Nanjing plant, which the company describes as a flexible facility capable of building eight different models, including both electric and combustion vehicles. The plant employs more than 800 welding robots and advanced torque monitoring systems, with traceability applied to every major component.
This is the second time Mazda has won a “China Top 10 Car Body” award, following recognition of the Mazda3. The EZ-60 is scheduled to launch officially on September 26, with vehicles already arriving at dealerships nationwide.
Stay tuned for next week’s Sunday China Drive at Car News China, where we will review the Mazda EZ-60 ahead of its official launch.
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