The All-New Third Generation Mazda 3 is here. What was a continuation of the original compact car, the Mazda 323, now has the latest iteration of their unique KODO design and the latest in their Skyactiv-Vehicle technologies which brings the driver and vehicle together. The 3 will be fully imported (CBU) for now and will come in the 1.5L Liftback (Hatchback) and Sedan, the 2.0L High (sedan only) and the 2.0L High Plus in both Liftback and Sedan. With prices starting at RM139K onwards, it offers a lot of improvements which belies its slightly higher than usual asking price.
The folks at Bermaz, the authorised distributors of Mazda here have stated that the Mazda 3 is a unique proposition. While the asking price may seem it is steep for some, it is firstly fully imported and secondly, it could be the most unique and best designed Japanese C-Segment car out there on sale today. The amount of detail and care put into this car is more than what can be seen on the surface and you've got to have an open mind to what the all-new Mazda 3 is all about.
Furthermore, we also have to note that C segment car sales have now been taken over by B and C segment SUVs these days, and even Mazda actually sells more of their CX-3 and CX-5 SUVs here. It makes more business sense for a company that sells about 15,000 vehicles per year here to assemble what is actually profitable. Do note that the they also assemble these SUVs for export with about 20,000 units being exported throughout the ASEAN region. Mazda actually is Malaysia's largest exporter of cars. Who would've thought of that? So for economics of scale, the Mazda 3 is now fully imported. But we can wish can we?
Anyway, it's in the overall execution. Mazda believes in the total package of driver and vehicle, so the new 3 is about that. This time, they've put a lot more into styling and also driver aids as well as making the 3 have full connectivity too. In terms of styling, the new 3 comes in two distinct models - the 5 door hatchback, called the Liftback and the 4 door sedan. The sedan sports a more traditional 'sleek and elegant' look to it, while the Liftback is 'condensed and emotional' according to Mazda.
It is the Liftback that is more unique in its execution. While the 3 Sedan is quite traditional in terms of its design, the 3 Liftback is different. The Sedan has all the usual sporty compact sedan styling cues. It is handsome and contemporary in styling, but in terms of being totally individualistic in styling, the Liftback oozes with more personality or character. This is because of that uniquely styled C pillar. It makes the 3 Liftback seem more solid. It makes the car look hunched and solid looking with your eyes being focused on the rear more if you view it from the side.
From the front, they look the same, but view it from the front three quarter angle and then rearwards, there is quite a difference between the two 3s. Personally, I would go for the more uniquely styled hatchback with its quite crazy metalwork at the rear. There is quite a unique outcome in terms of how the light reflects off the rear of the Liftback because of its overall design. It is a conversation piece, with some liking it a lot and some not liking it so much. I personally think it is a brave design and one that is a breath of fresh air. Of course, there was such a discussion between a few of us at the launch about this little fact.
In fact, Mazda has actually gone to greater lengths than others to differentiate both variants. The rear lights for both variants differ. The Liftback rear light clusters have the shape of four round rear lights which convey a more solid look whereas the 3 sedan have their light clusters placed closer to one another. There is a difference in terms of what it seems to convey.
Inside, the materials used are of a very high quality. The plastics used seem to be of a higher grade than what we normally see in Japanese cars of this segment. The textures used are nice to the touch and the switchgear has that nice tactile feel to it with their weighting feeling just nice to the touch. It seems Mazda actually put some effort into the switchgear too and made sure they are nice to the touch. The interior layout seems good with everything placed where it is easy to reach.
Notable interior appointments include an infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. These connectivity suites can be accessed via the all-new 8.8inch MAZDA CONNECT Infotainment System. It also features a special to the Mazda 3 designed standard 8 speaker sound system. It is specially designed to fit the car with each speaker engineered to be in specific location to make it sound the best. Even the audio system's woofers were moved to the front cowl and not in the door like most cars on sale today. What this does is cut away unwanted vibration like items in the door pockets and not sacrifice any bass or low frequency output. The sound produced by the other speakers were also tuned to transmit the sound to the occupant's ears rather than reflect the sound from the car's windows or body panels. There is a lot of work done on the 3 and it shows if you try out the sound system.
Aside from the improved sound system and glass with better acoustic characteristics fitted, the new 3 also has improvements on refinement with targeted sound-absorbing materials strategically placed at the headliner, carpeting and even the floor mats! This attention to detail is quite unheard of for a C-Segment car today.
The 1.5liter engine makes quite a heady 118hp and a healthy 153Nm torque. This figure is actually higher than most 1.5liter cars on the market today. Mazda's Sky-Activ technology is at work here and even though the engine's size may be small, it is actually closer to a 1.6liter car. Put this down to clever engine design and its direct injection nature (which allows it to run at a higher compression ratio).
The 2.0liter Sky-Activ 4 cylinder engine is rated at 162hp and an impressive (for a normally aspirated engine) 213Nm. Both of these engines are coupled to a Mazda designed 6 speed automatic transmission which is said to offer spirited gearshifts when it is asked to work hard. When discussing the new 3 with someone from Bermaz who had driven it, he said that it will actually hold the gear all the way to the car's redline before changing gears. Better still, if you change gears yourself, the automatic gear shifter's more is like a sequential gearshift in that the upshifts are by pulling the gearknob downwards and downshifts are by pushing it upwards or away from you. It actually follows the car's natural movement when accelerating and decelerating. Very motorsport actually.
All power goes through the front wheels and Mazda's engineers have made the new 3's driving attributes to feel natural. Even though it is fitted with innovative tech like Mazda's Sky-Active Vehicle Dynamics with its latest 'G-vectoring Control Plus' system. This allows better handling which helps in cases where fast or even emergency maneuvers are made while still offering a high degree of control on high speed corners, lane changes or on slippery road surfaces.
Aside from the torque vectoring system mentioned above, the new 3 features 7 SRS Airbags (front driver & passenger, driver knee, all sides and curtain), anti lock brakes (ABS), dynamic stability control (DSC), Traction control system (TCS), Emergency Stop Signal (ESS) and Hill Launch Assist for all variants.
The 2.0L High Plus variants add Mazda's i-ACTIVESENSE active safety features which include Driver Attention Alert (DAA), Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFS), High Beam Control, Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM - which is good to have especially in the Liftback with its large C-Pillar), Front and Rear Smart Brake Support and Mazda Radar Cruise Control (MRCC). One other non-safety feature in the High Plus variants is the sunroof.
Right now, the new Mazda 3 will be offered in the following colours - Soul Red Crystal, Machine Gray, Jet Black, Deep Crystal Blue, Sonic Silver, Snowflake White Pearl and Polymetal Gray Metallic (Liftback only special colour). This Polymetal Gray colour is specially developed to look metallic yet glossy and smooth. A unique colour for a unique hatchback.
The new 3 will come with a 5 year manufacturer's warranty and 5 years free maintenance according to manufacturer's standards inclusive of labour, parts and lubricants. Both are 5 years or 100,000km actually.
Prices
Mazda 3 1.5L
Liftback & Sedan
RM139,620.00
Mazda 3 2.0L High
Sedan Only offered RM150,059.00
Mazda 3 2.0L
Liftback & Sedan
RM160,059.00
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