Mazda 3 2008 News

Mazda Australia has issued a national recall for 124,686 examples of its last-generation Mazda2, Mazda3 and Mazda6 models which were sold between September 2007 and March 2012.

Mazda has issued a global recall of more than 2.2 million cars from across its range to rectify a potential corrosion issue that affects some of its best-selling models.

The entry level Neo model of the popular Mazda3 doesn't have a reversing camera, and many expected the brand to fit one as standard when it announced a pricing adjustment as a result of the free trade agreement with Japan.Instead, the brand made rear parking sensors and alloy wheels standard on the Neo, despite the fact that some of the cheapest cars on the market — including the Toyota Yaris and Honda Jazz — now have cameras as standard equipment."It might surprise you," Benders said, "but I don't have a string of customer complaints or comments saying, 'where's my reversing camera?'"There is no silver bullet to stop accidentsBenders said a reversing camera shouldn't be relied on to guard against driveway tragedies involving young children."I don't see the driveway as being a place where kids should be walking around in the first place," he said."I expect that people who drive cars take care and attention about how they drive their cars. Reversing cameras are not infallible. They're more an aid but so are reverse parking sensors and they will pick up obstacles in the same way."He later clarified his comments, saying he hadn't meant to be dismissive about the cameras, but was making the point that drivers had to take responsibility for road safety, rather than rely on crash-avoidance technology."There is no silver bullet to stop accidents," he said.

Increasing competition in the hot hatch segment has pushed Mazda plans for a Mazda 3 MPS powered by a turbocharged 2.5-litre, according to insiders in Japan.

The Japanese brand has boosted the features list for the small car range by adding Bluetooth - already standard in key competitors Cruze and Corolla - to the entry-level $20,330 Neo model without adding to the price tag.The system will enable hands free phone use and music streaming, the latter also on offer via a USB input. A USB connection also allows for full iPod integration and function via the steering-wheel mounted controls and information being displayed on the centre display.So far this year the Mazda3 has sold more than 28,000 units and was just ahead of the Toyota's HiLux range of two and four-wheel drive utility vehicles in second and the soon-to-be-replaced Corolla in third.Mazda Australia's national marketing manager, Alastair Doak, says the Mazda3 is Australia's most popular car and the updates were designed to maintain that. “With the introduction of Bluetooth and USB across the entire range, offering even more value to the customer, we expect the appeal to continue.“The fact that the latest enhancements come at no extra cost shows that we are intent on giving Mazda buyers more,” he says. Mazda facelifted the top-seller last year, so the extra equipment is part of an upgrade the company would hope helps keep the hatch and sedan range in the top tier of the car sales race, as the next Mazda3 is not likely until next year.The Mazda3 MPS hot hatch has also been updated with changes to the paintwork and wheels, with no change to the $39,490 price tag. “It's a tweak with the MPS - it was made available to us, the MPS wasn't part of that facelift last year so it was an opportunity for us to bring some updates to the MPS as well,” Mr Maciver says.Exterior mirrors, part of the rear spoiler and rear lower bumper are now painted in a black mica colour, the radio reception is now taken care of by a shark fin antenna and the alloy wheels have taken on a dark metallic hue. “The main volume market for the (Mazda6 MPS) car is the US but ultimately the volume wasn't there, that's the reason the decision was made to stop production of the car, there's no plans to add more MPS models,” he says. 

The claimed 5.7L/100km efficiency from the high-tech manual-only 2.2-litre turbo diesel will make the Mazda 3 sedan and hatch the most fuel miserly models in Mazda's Australian range

Mazda is on a high right now after securing its best sales month in history in June with 8406 vehicles sold.

Mazda's "zoom-zoom" catchcry may be seen by some as childish and overdone.Yet, says Mazda's global design director Laurens Van Den Acker, the slogan immediately crystallised the company and illuminated its future path.The Japan-based stylist this week opened his sketch pad in Melbourne to an intimate guest list and started by terming "zoom-zoom" as "Mazda's moment of truth".Mr Van Den Acker says Mazda had to do more to create brand awareness before it became indistinguishable against similar design trends being adopted by — among others — Opel, Kia and Hyundai."I thought it was time to move on," he says."We needed some freshness yet didn't want to scare away customers. And we had to appeal to new customers as much as retain existing customers who were moving up to a new Mazda."Part of the result of a clean-sheet approach is seen in the current Mazda6 and, from mid-2009, the next Mazda3.But only part. The new design philosophy is called Nagare, a Japanese word indicating "flow" and, yes, one that could also seen to be childish and overdone. But that's part of Mazda's new definition."The Mazda3 was developed at the same time — 2006 to mid 2007 — as the first theories of Nagare were being developed," he says."We didn't know if Nagare would work even though we recognised that it had potential."Taking the guest through the 2009 Mazda3 design by way of his drawing pen, Mr Van Den Acker shows a new grille — the "face" — that moves away from the current Mazda3's "traditional and tired graphic"."In profile, the current Mazda3 is static. We wanted to make it more dynamic."So we start by adding RX-8 fenders," as he draws in the bold arcs over the front wheels, "and then sharper the rear, swoop up a line," drawing an arc through the rear door "to create a coupe look.""The rear is still one of the most important parts of the car. We shouldn't walk away from that."Mr Van Den Acker says the Mazda6 has been changed to reflect its mature appeal in the market. The Mazda3 now (for 2009) has been changed to attract a younger market.He admits that when it comes to the cabin, "a lot of our rivals are running away from us"."So we need some new features here, creating zones and making it a place for the customer who loves to drive."These customers aren't afraid of technology so we use technology in the dash."Some of our competitors have simplified the dashboard to the level of a (kitchen) appliance."Above all, Mr Van Den Acker admits to falling for beauty."Beauty should rise above a vehicle's functionality to avoid being too German," he says."Styling is what sells the car. A beautiful car is one that people desire."He says that Mazda was fortunate that it had a short history."We have nothing to look back to. We aren't burdened by 100 years of careful grille management so we are always looking forward."That's not the case in a car company that has a long history because you are always presented with opportunities to look back, to reflect, on previous design themes."At Ford (one of his previous employers), we used to look back a lot." The audience laughs.No humour, however, in crash avoidance.All safety authorities strive for the day when car collision and accident injuries and fatalities are abolished through sophisticated car-to-car communication.For another reason, Mr Van Den Acker awaits the day with enthusiasm.“I can't wait for the day cars communicate and we don't need all this stuff (protection for occupants and pedestrians)," he says."Imagine the weight and fuel efficiencies of that! Imagine if cars don't crash — our design future would be more exciting."The future will also include new materials and here he looks at BMW's concept Gina that uses a textile skin that allows the body surfaces to move."The characteristics can change according to factors including speed and other specific situations," he says of Gina which has features including a spoiler that rises from the tail and changes shape on instruction from electronics that measures airflow.Mr Van Den Acker moves on to show exciting future Mazda models based on the Nagare theme. I'd like to tell you but I promised Mazda I wouldn't. 

But that is no surprise with the heads of the Big Three carmakers all skipping the event to continue lobbying for a $US25 billion lifeline from congress in Washington.Ford still splashed with the official introduction of the 2010 Mustang, but Chrysler and General Motors both wound-back their involvement in the second-biggest car show in North America.That left the way clear for the imports, with Mazda pulling the cover off its all-new Mazda3 - the last car it will develop with Ford as its owner - Nissan revealing its revitalised 370Z and a new Cube, and Honda revealing a radical looking new concept coupe called the FC Sport.Lexus also has a new RX SUV, which is being simultaneously unveiled in Sydney and will come as both a pure petrol car and a hybrid, Hyundai is showing a Sonata hybrid concept and the plug-in Mini E electric car is making its first public appearance.The LA show usually draws a crowd of more than one million visitors but the attendance is expected to be well down this year with car sales off by more than 35 per cent in October and America's annual selling rate down by closer to 40 per cent.Still, cars like the Mustang will still draw a crowd in a city which is one of the most automobile driven in the world and there are plenty of pointers to the future including a growing number of electric cars led by the Mini but including concepts from Chrysler. 

The eyes of the world turned to Sydney as the stylish and dynamic new-generation Mazda3 sedan was revealed at the show today to coincide with world embargoes of the images.Mazda presented first official images of the highly-anticipated new Mazda3, ahead of the actual car’s public debut at the LA Auto Show on November 19, before it goes on sale in Australia around March 2009.The new Mazda3 will inherit the mantles of Australia's third-best selling passenger car, and a leader in the small car segment.The Mazda3 represents one-third of all Mazda global sales across 100 countries, with 150,000 being sold in Australia since its launch in 2004.Since then, the Mazda3 has won more than 90 automotive awards and has set numerous records for Mazda in the small car class.With that in mind, Mazda designers in Europe, Japan and America, led by Mazda General Manager of Design Laurens van den Acker, endowed the new Mazda3 with a refreshingly expressive design that demands attention.High levels of safety equipment, clever use of emerging technology, aerodynamics improvements and greater drivetrain efficiency not only improve real-world performance; they contribute to a reduction in fuel consumption and guarantee the Mazda3's exemplary environmental credentials.