Mazda 3 2007 News

You could start with the Mazda3, Australia's most popular fully imported car.Indeed, the sedan or hatch that have thrust Mazda to Number four on the sales ladder have at times been our most successful privately-owned cars, period. If that sounds a bit tall for a (not so very) smallish car, consider that the brand doesn't sell a single unit to commercial fleets or rental companies, the sort of knockdown dealing that keeps Holden and Ford above Mazda but destroys resale values.Toyota can claim its perennial Corolla, the most recent generation of which was released earlier this year, does more business than the Mazda, but many base-model strippers wind up with 'for rent' signs on their windshields.Even in a market where used-car values have never been less reliable, the Mazda3's desirability, exclusivity and driveability seem to be keeping it slightly above the skids.For the past few months, though, the Mazda's mantle hasn't seemed so secure. The reasons are two reinvented cars; the new-generation Subaru Impreza and Mitsubishi Lancer.Both offer exceptional value and top-rate safety packages even in their base models, though the $21,000 entry-level Lancer is subject to a slight and quite fair option hike to get the class-leading package of seven airbags.You need to get into the top Mazda3 iterations, the more expensive Maxx Sport and topline SP23, to get comparable packages and even then DSC remains a $1000 option.Ford has had to cut the guts out of its lower-spec Focus price, reducing it to $19,990. The Mazda3 is in some essential respects the same car, but Mazdas have traditionally held their own over comparable Blue Ovals.A new SP23 is priced from almost $30,000, up towards the class-leading Volkswagen Golf FSI dollars. A used SP23, which comes with the full kit and some warranty extant, is an attractive package, not least because it, too, is starting to feel the pre-loved car price wobbles.This weekend, several Sydney dealers will offer MY05 SP23s with 12 months' manufacturer warranty remaining and upwards of 35,000km on the clock from $25,50.That's still steep, but don't be put off, especially as Subaru and Mitsubishi will sell you a highly competitive all-new car for much the same money. Feel free to mention this.While lesser 3s use the 2.0-litre petrol four, the range leader shares the bigger Mazda6's 2.3-litre four-potter, though detuned slightly to 115kW. It is still the drivers' choice in this segment, an aspect enhanced last year when it received an extra ratio each for the previously five-speed manual and four-speed auto.The manual would be our transmission choice, though at least the auto's tip shift mode, unlike most, holds a gear until you decide differently. The pre-facelift models make do with the old transmission and noticeably more raucous level of NVH.There's nothing else to complain of though with 17-inch alloys, six-speaker stereo with six-stacker, ABS with EBD, fully adjustable steering wheel, six airbags, body kit and leather trim.If the Mazda3 is facing fresh challenges, it is as markedly superior to its longer-term rivals used as it was new. You have to go up to the $36,000 XR5 to find a Focus that moves quicker than the 2.0-litre norm. Even then, side airbags aren't to be had.Honda offers a petrol-electric hybrid version of its Thai-built Civic sedan, though at a considerable premium over the underdone and drab conventional four-pot models. The Corolla is new, but it has also gained weight over the last model, while persisting with the old engine.Economy suffers and Toyota's neglect in not offering stability control even as an option makes it look further off the pace. Sure, the Corolla will probably remain Australia's best-selling car in this class but overall, the Mazda3 looks the best bet. It's just that now used-car buyers are holding some cards. 

The Mazda3 MPS Extreme was only intended as a Motor Show tease but the reaction by visitors at the 2007Australian International Motor Show prompted a re-think.There are people with cash and commitment who can see a future for an MPS, which has been tweaked to 210kW and 425Nm with matching upgrades to the body and suspension.“If we get a flood of people with cheques asking us to build it we'd have to consider it,” says Mazda Australia marketing chief Alastair Doak.“We've had a lot of interest in it. But there is absolutely no plan to build the car; at the moment. Still, it is food for thought for people looking to buy a car or already have a Mazda3 MPS.”The man behind the Extreme machine is Allan Horsley, who led Mazda to a string of 12-hour race wins; with specially tweaked RX-7s and has also done Extreme upgrades on a Mazda2 and the RX-8 sports car.He also produced limited-edition RX-7 and MX-5 SP (special performance) cars for Mazda Australia, which were a sell-out showroom success. They also prove there could be a future for the MPS Extreme.“We just like doing it. We have a bunch of guys here who just love doing this stuff,” Doak says. “We get a big thrill out of doing it.”The details of the Mazda3 Extreme are relatively simple, but the key is the tweaking of the car's Powertrain Control Module to lift the output from its 2.3-litre turbo engine.There is also a larger-diameter exhaust system with a sports muffler.The car rolls on upgraded 19-inch BBS Motorsport wheels with suspension, lowered by 25mm, redesigned by motorsport tuner Murray Coote. On the visual front, the Extreme car has picked up black racing stripes, a rear spoiler and extended black wheel arches, with red-stitched, black-leather trim in the cabin and a Momo steering wheel.“It just shows how great a Mazda3 MPS can look, with some paint and stripes and stuff. It has other mechanical things going on underneath,” Doak says.While the Mazda3 Extreme is a work in progress, the earlier RX-8 Extreme is still a one-off. It proved too difficult to make in production, even though Mazda is still looking for a workable way to turbocharge the rotary in the RX-8, and too outrageous for racing.“That proved a very challenging installation with the amount of room around the engine,” Doak says. “Yes, we could have raced the car. But to do the durability and things to the corporate level, to hand the keys to a customer for 10 years, is a much bigger and more complex process.” 

It may just be a concept, for now, but the Mazda3 MPS hints at the potential of the turbocharged four-cylinder hot hatch.

There's a good chance we could see a hot MPS version of the new Mazda 2, but only if its champions at the Japanese carmaker can convince senior management.

Despite sharing the bigger Mazda 6's disadvantage of no automatic transmission option, it's the same six-speed manual or nothing, Mazda expects to sell 130 diesel 3s per month.

The traditional six-cylinder family sedan is clawing its way back into the minds of car buyers.In doing so, family car buyers are helping the market continue its record run, according to the latest Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries sales figures.Last month, large-car sales rose 1945 vehicles, or 18.6 per cent, medium-car sales increased 1323, or 21.7 per cent, and compact crossover-wagon sales were up 1468, or 23.7 per cent.The Holden Commodore continues to be the most popular six, and 5134 sold last month. Ford sold 3186 Falcons, Toyota's Aurion managed 1925 and Mitsubishi sold 949 of its 380.Vfacts industry figures for July show that a record 86,291 cars, trucks and buses were sold, up 8729 vehicles, or 11.3 per cent, on the same month last year.Though most segments enjoyed reasonable growth, the strongest additional sales were in the family-oriented segments of large and medium cars and compact off-roaders.FCAI chief executive Andrew McKellar says sales growth this year is more widely spread across segments than last year.“In 2006 the dynamics of the automotive market were dominated by small and light-car sales but this year sales action has been more broadly based,” he says.So far this year the market total of 610,667 vehicles is running 8.9 per cent ahead of the same period last year.The FCAI continues to forecast a record sales year of more than one million vehicles.McKellar says the continued sales buoyancy is pleasing, but he is cautious about the future because of economic challenges ahead.“The overall strength of the market in July is a tremendous result and we are on track for record annual sales, but we shouldn't take the strength of the motor-vehicle market for granted,” he says.“In particular, there is nothing in these sales figures that in any way supports the case for an interest-rate increase. There is no evidence of excess demand in the motor-vehicle market.“Supply has responded strongly to meet consumer demand, competition is intense and vehicle affordability is at record levels.”  Top 10 makes1 Toyota 19,0472 Holden 12,3433 Ford 90064 Mazda 64565 Mitsubishi 53086 Honda 56327 Nissan 45978 Hyundai 40059 Subaru 300710 Volkswagen 2383 Top 10 models 1 Holden Commodore 51342 Toyota Corolla 44603 Toyota HiLux 33004 Ford Falcon 31865 Mazda3 29096 Toyota Yaris 24497 Toyota Camry 19908 Toyota Aurion 19259 Hyundai Getz 172010 Mitsubishi Lancer 1676(Source: VFACTS) 

Mazda will expand its Australian diesel models later this year, with a Mazda3 diesel to join the Mazda6.The new addition is expected to arrive in September and will be available in sedan and hatchback. It will have the same engine as the Mazda6 diesel.The two-litre common-rail turbo diesel produces 105kW and 360Nm. It has a claimed fuel consumption of six litres/100km.It will be available only in Maxx Sport trim and will have a rear spoiler, 16-inch wheels and unlike the petrol models, will have Electronic Stability Program as standard.Mazda spokesman Alistair Doak said the company expected to sell more than 100 Mazda3 diesels a month. Mazda sold 2758 Mazda3s last month, making it the second-most popular small car, behind the Toyota Corolla.When the Mazda6 diesel went on sale, Mazda originally forecast 50 sales a month, but Mr Doak said it had been closer to 100.He said there were no plans to expand the diesel range in Australia.“They will be our two diesel passenger cars, the ones that sell the most in Europe,” he said. “None of our Japanese competitors has diesel and we're introducing a second.”Mr Doak said there were no plans for diesel engines in the CX-7 or CX-9 because those cars were primarily for the North American market, where diesels were not in demand.The Mazda3 diesel will be followed by a new Mazda2 model.The smaller Mazda will go on sale in October and is expected to cost about $16,000 for the base model.Mr Doak said buyers could expect the new Mazda2 to be comparable in price to the present car, which started at $16,335 for the Neo and rose to $20,290 for the Genki model.But unlike its rivals, which have 1.3-litre entry models, Mr Doak said the Mazda2 would be sold with only a 1.5-litre engine.He said the Mazda2 was a vital part of the overall line-up, with the car coming third in sales to the Mazda3 and Mazda6.The current car has been on sale since December 2002. So far this year Mazda has sold 3045, up 30 per cent on last year's figures.The car's styling brought it into line with the rest of the Mazda line-up.Mazda is also expected to carry over the existing three models the Neo, Maxx and Genki. 

The biggest recall has hit Toyota, which wants to check 144,500 Camrys for headlights, and nearly 8000 Honda Civics also have light problems.The federal Department of Transport says eight imported cars have been recalled since June 1, even Volvo, which makes safety a key selling point, hasn't escaped, recalling cars to check on a faulty door assembly.The latest recalls are;Audi: A6 built between March 2004 and March 2005 may have a software fault which, in exceptional circumstances, could delay release of both front air bags in an accident. Number of cars, 464.Toyota: Camrys built from June 2002 to May 2006; faulty headlight switch which may cause headlights to flicker or temporarily fail. Number involved, 144,589.Honda: Civic sedan and somes hatches built between 2001 and 2002; problem with plastic terminal connector melting, causing low beam lights to fail. Number, 7979.Volvo: Current model C70 may have incorrect left hand door assembly, so it doesn't meet legal requirements in an accident. Number, 173.Mazda: The Mazda3 MPS built from May 2006 to May 2007 may have a loose bolt securing the engine and transmission to its mounting. If it falls out, the engine may drop, detaching the drive shaft. Number of recalls, 1160. Recall will start next week. 

With the local car industry now at the halfway point in the 2007 sales race, it is easy to see who's winning and who's losing.Toyota is basking in the glory of not only being No.1, but also cementing its sales lead so convincingly that — barring a catastrophe — it will take out the sales crown this year.The Altona-based Japanese company is 40,404 vehicles clear of its nearest rival, Holden. It is also relishing the positive spin of the Corolla knocking off the Holden Commodore last month.But apart from Toyota, other players are also revelling in the good times.Of the importers, Mazda, Subaru, Suzuki and Peugeot managed strong June sales.Mazda sold 6932 cars, with the Mazda3 being the strongest seller on 3037.The company experienced the biggest market share gain of any importer.Its record half-yearly result is 20.3 per cent up on the same time last year, lifting market share from 6.7 per cent in 2006 to 7.5 per cent, a gain of 0.7 percentage points.Subaru's tally was 4085 for the month, with the Forester, Impreza and Liberty all breaking through 1000 sales.Suzuki, like many importers, was buoyed by keen end-of-financial year deals.It sold 2368 cars for the month, bringing its year-to-date tally to 10,910 vehicles, a 43 per cent lift over last year.Of the French, an ever-expanding Peugeot line-up continues to bolster sales, but Renault flops around due to a lack of new product.Peugeot sold 1016 vehicles last month, bringing its year-to-date run-rate to 4549, a 13 per cent lift over last year. The 307 continues to be Peugeot's best seller.By contrast, Renault has a year-to-date total of 1431 vehicles, 32 cars fewer than last year.Even Saab experienced some solid growth, albeit off a low base, as the 9-3 turbodiesel helped lift the marque's appeal.Saab sold 336 cars last month, its best month for 10 years, taking its year-to-date tally to 1148, a 170 per cent lift over last year.The X-Trail, Tiida and Navara continue to drive Nissan sales. The Japanese importer sold 5845 vehicles last month with 31,176 year-to-date, a 20 per cent lift over last year.The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries monthly Vfacts figures show that most of the extra volume last month was generated by the light, small and medium car segments.A breakdown of large car sales shows that Holden sold 5588 Commodores last month, Ford 3206 Falcons, Toyota 2626 Aurions and Mitsubishi just 877 380 V6s.All three were eclipsed by the new four-cylinder Corolla, which secured 5890 sales.But a finer look at the figures shows that much of the Corolla's success was down to fleet purchases and pent-up demand for the new car, which spiked figures.But a sale is a sale. Holden's own figures point out that 29 per cent of VE Commodores are bought by private buyers, as opposed to 18.6 per cent for the VT Commodore.Apart from the Corolla, other small car stars were the Mitsubishi Lancer with 2143 sales, Holden Astra 1763 and Ford Focus 1550.Of the tiddlers, Toyota again ruled last month. The Yaris managed 2926 sales against 2486 for the Hyundai Getz, 1361 for the Kia Rio, 1351 for the Suzuki Swift and 1392 for the Honda Jazz.Despite the dominance of the light, small and medium segments, large cars were up 3.7 per cent in June and, in year-to-date terms, are running 5.1 per cent ahead of last year.However, Ford's overall market share has slipped 2 per cent and Holden's by almost 1 per cent, despite its Korean strategy, which was hoping to deliver an increased share.Mitsubishi is a bit stronger, experiencing a 0.6 per cent overall drop in share and, despite Toyota's increasing sales, its share has increased by only about 0.6 per cent.One of the more interesting results was for the Ford Fairlane.Ford sold 149 Fairlanes, bolstered by the news that the long-wheelbase sedan will be axed at the end of the year.Dealers are also reporting a slight pick-up in interest for the car from fleets.Overall, the year-to-date sales figure of 524,376 means that a record 1 million market is likely by December.   Top 10 makes  1 Toyota 24,5392 Holden 14,2563 Ford 10,3044 Mitsubishi 81945 Mazda 69326 Nissan 58457 Honda 57508 Hyundai 50239 Subaru 408510 Volkswagen 2848 Top 10 models1 Toyota Corolla 58902 Holden Commodore 55883 Toyota HiLux 42494 Ford Falcon 32065 Mazda3 30376 Toyota Yaris 29267 Toyota Camry 26458 Toyota Aurion 26269 Hyundai Getz 248610 Mitsubishi Lancer 2143 

Mazda will expand its diesel offerings in Australia later this year, with a Mazda 3 diesel set to join the Mazda 6.The addition is expected to arrive in September. It will be available in sedan and hatchback form and will have the same engine as the current Mazda6 diesel.The 2-litre common-rail turbo diesel produces 105kW and 360Nm and has a claimed fuel consumption of 6L/100km.It will only be available in the Maxx Sport trim level and will feature a rear spoiler, 16-inch wheels and, unlike the petrol models, Direct Stability Control will be a standard feature.Mazda spokesman Alistair Doak says the company expects to sell more than 100 Mazda3 diesels a month, but says it will be a reasonably small percentage of overall Mazda3 sales. Mazda sold 2758 Mazda3s last month, the second-most popular small car, behind the Toyota Corolla.When the Mazda6 diesel went on sale, Mazda originally forecast 50 sales a month, but Doak says it has been closer to 100 models a month.He says there are no plans to expand the diesel range further.“They will be our two diesel passenger cars, the ones that sell the most in Europe,” he says. “None of our Japanese competitors has any diesel and we're introducing a second.”Doak says there are no plans for diesel engines in the larger CX-7 and yet-to-arrive CX-9, because these cars are primarily for the North American market, where diesel isn't in demand.The Mazda3 diesel will be followed by the new generation of the Mazda2. The smaller Mazda will go on sale in October and is expected remain about $16,000 for the entry model.Doak says buyers can expect the new Mazda2 to be comparable in price with the current car, which starts at $16,335 for the Neo and rises to $20,290 for the top-line Genki model. But unlike some of its rivals, which offer 1.3-litre entry models, Doak says the Mazda2 will be available only with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine.“I don't think there is a lot of benefit going to a 1.3. Certainly there isn't that much difference on cost,” he says.Doak says the Mazda2 is a vital part of the overall line-up, with the light car running in third sales spot behind Mazda3 and Mazda6. The current car has been on sale since December 2002. So far this year Mazda has sold 3045, up 30 per cent on last year's figures.The car's styling brings it into line with the rest of the Mazda line-up, Doak says.“Mazda has always established a reputation as being a style leader and the Mazda2 should do so in the light-car segment,” Doak says.Mazda is also expected to carry over the existing three model names; Neo, Maxx and Genki.Safety has been at the forefront of the car's appeal, with the option of curtain and side airbags and ABS in the current model.The newcomer is expected to have dynamic stability control. It sheds 100kg in weight over its predecessor.Mazda says by using high-tensile steel it has been able to slice out weight without compromising safety, body rigidity and noise, vibration and harshness. This has benefits for fuel economy, with Mazda claiming a 15 per cent improvement over the current car. There is a 60/40 split rear-fold seat, but boot space is down from 280 to 250 litres.The 1.5-litre develops 76kW at 6000rpm and 136Nm at 4000rpm, down from 82kW and 141Nm.