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Mazda CX-9 Named Finalist for the 2008 North American Truck of the Year

DETROIT, Dec. 12, 2007 -- The Mazda CX-9 was named one of three finalists for North American Truck of the Year (NATOY) at the Detroit Economic Club luncheon this afternoon. The NATOY jury, made up of 48 automotive journalists from across North America, narrowed the field from 13 contenders following a thorough evaluation of each vehicle. The winner of the NATOY award will be announced on the first press day of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Sunday, January 13, 2008.

Established in 1994, the NATOY award honors vehicles that become new benchmarks in their class or set new standards. The vehicles are judged by various categories including design, safety, fuel economy, handling, performance, comfort, driver satisfaction and affordability.

"We are extremely honored the Mazda CX-9 was named a finalist for such a prestigious award and pleased that our efforts have been recognized by such esteemed journalists in the industry," said Jim O'Sullivan, President and CEO, Mazda North American Operations. "We designed and engineered CX-9 to be the very best in class, to stand out and rise above the competition. Being named a finalist for the North American Truck of the Year further proves that people are taking note of this and discovering what a joy CX-9 really is."

The Mazda CX-9, most recently awarded Motor Trend's 2008 Sport/Utility of the Year(TM) and named to Automobile Magazine's list of All-Stars for 2008, deftly blends sporty driving spirit with seven-passenger sport-utility vehicle (SUV) practicality. CX-9 is powered by a 273-horsepower 3.7-liter V6 engine and features a new Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) system, which helps see and prevent the unexpected. Priced from $29,400, the CX-9 is available in three trim levels -- Sport, Touring and Grand Touring -- and offers cutting-edge safety technology.

Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., Mazda North American Operations oversees the sales, marketing, parts, accessories and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States, Canada and Mexico through nearly 900 dealers. Operations in Canada are managed by Mazda Canada Inc., located in Ontario, Canada, and in Mexico by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City.