Mazda 3 2014 review

Japanese cars have a reputation for being boring. European cars typically take the kudos for styling flair.

That means small-car buyers are usually faced with a choice between a dull and dependable car -- or a four-wheeled fashion statement that might conk out in the middle of an intersection.

Mazda, made and designed in the land of the Rising Sun, has been trying to bridge that gap with the past two generations of its Mazda3 small car. With the new, third generation model, however, it may have cemented the great divide.

The new Mazda3 looks like an Alfa Romeo from the outside, a BMW from the inside and has Audi-like instruments. It is possibly the most the most Eurasian car to date -- not just in the way it looks but the way it feels and drives.

That’s because it is new from the ground up. Rarely is a car deserving of the description “all-new”. Customarily at least some of the parts or engines and transmissions are carried over, sometimes for decades. But every major component in the new Mazda3 is new. It means engineers got a rare chance to start with a clean sheet of paper.

It’s the main reason the new version of the Mazda3 finally has the technology and fuel economy it has sorely lacked (which, incidentally, hasn’t affected its appeal among buyers who voted it Australia’s top-selling car for the past two years in a row).

Nevertheless, the new model can’t arrive soon enough. The Mazda3 has been overtaken in the new-car sales race by the Toyota Corolla in the past two months. The new model has the makings of another top-seller, but will it have the price?

Value

“This car needs to be a winner for us and we believe it will be,” says Mazda Australia boss Martin Benders. “We are yet to confirm pricing, we are still on our hands and knees negotiating with Japan.” Mazda has foreshadowed a possible price rise from the current RRP of $20,500 plus on-road costs (however you can buy a runout model today for $19,990 drive-away).

“Price is not a key issue for this [new] car,” said Benders. “Plenty of people want it. You won’t see a $19,990 price on the new model. It is a step up and it will get the price it deserves. We think this car is going to reset the benchmark in the small car segment.”

Mazda will announce price and equipment details closer the car’s on-sale date in late January. Our guess? Expect touch screen navigation, a rear view camera and social media connectivity to appear on all but the most affordable models.

Technology

The new version of Australia’s favourite car will be able to read out email messages, Facebook and Twitter updates and tune into 40,000 internet radio stations via a new smartphone app called Aha.

To combat the potential for driver distraction the new Mazda3 will also be available with a radar system that automatically slams the brakes in slow-moving traffic if the driver does not brake in time. Such technology has typically been exclusive to luxury cars but its availability on a mass-market vehicle will likely reignite debate driver distraction technology.

However Mazda’s chief product planner says the new levels of connectivity will not distract drivers. “More and more people would like to enjoy [social media] while driving, but in the worse case they are looking at their smartphone,” said Ryuichi Umeshita. “In order to minimise that distraction we are showing that information in the car.”

The email and social media functions are displayed on a screen in the centre of the dashboard. Mazda says it deliberately chose not to display “non-driving” information in the heads-up display that is reflected in the driver’s line of sight. “We believe it would be more dangerous to show that information all the time,” said Umeshita.

Mazda says it has taken other safety measures, too. Most of the social media functions can only be controlled by voice when the car is on the move -- or via a touch screen on the dash when the car is stopped.

The new super-efficient 2.0-litre and 2.5-litre engines slash fuel consumption by up to 30 per cent (from 8.2L/100km to 5.7L/100km for the 2.0-litre). But, as we would discover, the 2.0-litre is the more impressive and perkier engine.

The heads-up display is rather rudimentary. Luxury cars reflect the speed into the windscreen but the Mazda3 reflects the image into a small plastic panel, similar to that used by Peugeot. It’s still effective, and a welcome feature on Australia’s strictly enforced roads.

Other gadgets such as radar cruise control, blind zone warning, cross traffic alert and headlights that illuminate corners bring the Mazda3 up to par with some European rivals.

Design

The new Mazda3 might have a European flavour but it was designed in Japan and then showcased to the world for approval. In non-technical terms, it got two thumbs up. The sleek shape is slightly lower and shorter than before -- and boot space in the sedan and hatch is slightly smaller -- but the interior roominess is unchanged.

The aerodynamic lines help it slip through the air (0.255cD for the sedan and 0.275cD for the hatch, for the technically minded) at freeway speeds. The interior is particularly impressive, with good quality materials and a precise feel to the Audi-like dials.

But it’s not perfect. The centre screen on the base model looks like a cheap remote control from the 1980s (according to the pictures, none were present at the media preview). And the door pockets only have enough room for one bottle of water each.

Safety

Six airbags, stability control and a foreshadowed five-star safety rating. Mazda will build different strength bodies for different markets but the company says Australia will get Grade A versions. However, the variation in body strength does highlight the potential for anomalies when viewing overseas results for ANCAP crash test ratings.

Driving

The new Mazda3 is predictably a big improvement on the current model, particularly in terms of refinement and presentation. But on first impressions it doesn’t challenge a Volkswagen Golf for overall feel, comfort, quietness and driving dynamics.

The Mazda’s 2.0-litre petrol engine is surprisingly more impressive than the so-called sportier 2.5-litre petrol engine available in dearer models. The smaller engine feels perkier than the 2.5 from low revs. On first impressions I wouldn’t stump up the extra cash for the dearer and bigger-engined version.

Unusually, the 16-inch Yokohama tyre package on the base model was more fidgety at low speeds on what appeared to be smooth roads. When we mentioned this Mazda was quick to point out that Australia will get different tyres to the ones we drove on.

The sporty 18-inch Dunlop tyres on the 2.5-litre model tested felt more cushioned and compliant (typically low profile tyres are too firm). But we may not get these tyres either, so probably best to not put too much weight in handling impressions until we drive it locally.

Verdict

The engines might be a little underdone in order to achieve super-low fuel economy numbers, but the new Mazda3 will be a surefire sales hit regardless. It has the style, quality, technology and enough driving flair to distance itself from other Japanese and South Korean cars. Just not quite enough to topple Europe’s best.