Mazda 3, 2014

 

 

 Mazda 3, 2014

Building on its award-winning predecessor, developers of the all-new Mazda 3 set out to do no less than come up with a car that actually interacts with its owner on several levels. On the surface, it's a top quality means of transport, delivering an unmatched combination of performance, fuel efficiency and functionality in a package that's as safe and practical as it is stunning. Here it follows in the footprints of its new generation forerunners: the Mazda CX-5, a compact SUV that drives like a car, and the new Mazda 6, which more recently took the mid-sized class by storm.

Like them, Mazda's all-time bestseller gets the full range of lightweight SKYACTIV-Technology, optimised like the latest adaptation of the company's KODO design for a compact's size and agility. But its looks are more than just eye-catching. They grab hold of the senses, bonding man and machine.

The relationship will flourish as the new Mazda 3 exceeds expectations at every turn. In the way the door opens or how the controls are in exactly the right place. The brand-new interior connects occupants with the car, whether behind with wheel having a typical Mazda one-with-the-car Jinba-Ittai experience or enjoying the trip in the relaxed, secure comfort of the passenger space.

Like a true partner, the new Mazda 3 is revitalising, inspiring people to expand horizons. Look at how it handles, devoutly responding to driver input, cornering and delivering feedback with choreographed precision. It even links occupants to cyberspace with a new mobile connectivity concept, safely and conveniently bringing what they otherwise take for granted into the vehicle.

It's all part of Sustainable Zoom-Zoom, Mazda's vision-in-progress for safe and eco-friendly vehicles. Exceptionally low harmful emissions let one enjoy the drive with a clear conscious. In fact, it's at or near the top of its class in a list of other categories, too, from interior space and aerodynamics to acceleration, braking and more.
The intelligent design and sophisticated interactivity of the new Mazda 3 will simply bring out the best. This car is going to grow on you.

The Exterior Design
Temptation. One look at the all-new Mazda 3 instantly stirs the spirit, taking hold of the onlooker before tightening its grip. It draws one in, getting under the skin. A connection has been made, sewing the seeds of a long relationship.

Behind this magnetism is the "KODO - Soul of Motion" design theme. Inspired by the beauty and power of nature, Mazda developed KODO to take its distinctive sense of vitality and agility one step further. For an uncompromising new generation of cars that simply beg to be driven.

Capturing emotions
Always acclaimed and always distinctively Mazda, the latest Mazda 3 nevertheless marks a rebirth of sorts. Mazda has come up with a truly passionate expression of dynamic motion, evolving KODO's boldness for the strong, energetic C-segment proportions. Like prior KODO models, the all-new Mazda 3 features a firm stance enhanced by the compact looking, rear-leaning cabin. Lower and wider than the current model, the car's raked profile, rising dramatically towards the rear and bolstered by the boldly flared fenders and large sporty aluminium wheels at the corners, conveys agility and strength. And Mazda's characteristic off-the-line power.

At first sight, the new Mazda 3 ignites a fire in the heart of the beholder, sparking the imagination to conjure up the possibilities. The energetic tension is united with an enticing - and refreshingly uncommon - sensation of rhythm. Reflections off the glossy surface textures change like an emotion with the lighting and the viewer's position, sometimes subtly, sometimes drastically, but always capturing the senses and lifting the mood.

Quality in detail
This is only one example of the craftsmanship and painstaking attention to detail that went into this car. One of Mazda's priorities was to achieve a new level of precision and quality with the fit and finishing. The company therefore brought together design, development and manufacturing specialists to figure out ways of enhancing the joy of driving and owning the new Mazda 3.

To minimise the gaps between body panels and doors, for instance, they studied everything from the way the doors were attached to paint thickness tolerances on the edges of the body panels. By taking a fresh look at improvement potential, Mazda was able to set stringent new targets. As a result, the gaps between the front door and fender, which tend to be wider than others, are smaller on the new Mazda 3 than on many premium-class vehicles.

Tension with rhythm
Like its siblings, the new Mazda 3 gets the distinct KODO face, featuring the contoured grille and the sculpted signature wing. The latter flow out from under the vertically enlarged grille to the headlamps, which glint like the eyes of a predator staring ahead. The Mazda 3 was given a distinct headlamp design. Their sleek, sharp shape and clean structure was made possible by positioning the turn signals outside the headlamp assembly. Consisting of LED light sources, inner lenses and a light-guiding ring, the eye-catching lighting signature imparts a "glaring" presence that immediately says Mazda.

KODO is clearly about motion, expressed on the new Mazda 3 with the undeniably rhythmical flow of its simple, solid character lines. Extending back from signature wings and headlamps along the sides of the car, they unite the powerful fenders to emphasise the car's nimble agility.

Even when stationary, these shapes along with the optically low centre of gravity allude to the impression of pent-up energy, building expectations about the car's performance. The enlarged wheelbase - 60mm longer than the current Mazda 3's - allowed designers to shorten the front and rear overhangs for a more powerful KODO-inspired stance, in the process creating more space for the engine and improving crash safety, too.

The Mazda 3's hind quarters, meanwhile, parallel the front in many ways. Like the grille, the brawny tailgate seems to protrude. Every bit as inspired as the headlamps, the tail lamp signature, which features sporty round tail light rings and quality two-tone internal finishing, is perhaps best described by the words "zooming away".

Extraordinarily exacting
Speaking of which, by now the beholder may have an urgent desire to get behind the wheel of the all-new Mazda 3. Satisfying this yearning will bring the first physical contact with the car - a surprisingly pleasant experience in itself. Because in keeping with their focus on quality, developers meticulously analysed how people interact with the door, tweaking the hinges and moment of inertia to make the operation feel as natural as possible.

Consequently, opening and closing the doors of the new Mazda 3 is an exceptionally smooth, linear procedure, without the customary "weighty" feel. Together with the striking looks, it's this sort of extraordinary thoroughness that enlivens the bonding process owners are destined to undergo with their new Mazda 3. It starts when they first catch sight of the car. Just wait until they get inside.

The colours of SKYACTIV
The all-new Mazda 3 comes in a choice of nine body colours to commemorate its arrival in the bold world of KODO. They include Soul Red Metallic, developed as perhaps the most emotionally appealing red ever, as well as two brand-new Mazda colours: the sophisticated expression of Titanium Flash and Deep Crystal Blue, a hue inspired by the power and speed of a lightning bolt piercing a dark sky. Mazda's new compact is also available in Blue Reflex, Snowflake White Pearl, Aluminium Metallic, Meteor Gray, Jet Black, and Arctic White.

Interior comfort
If the body of the all-new Mazda 3 raised expectations about the interior, then the interior is destined to overachieve. Open the door, and behold a treasure chest of refined comfort and ergonomics, with the seductive charm of surfaces that beg to be touched, and the sophisticated purity and clean coherence of a space that's more people-oriented than ever.

This first impression is unlikely to disappoint. Destined for all coming Mazdas starting with the new Mazda 3, the freshly compelling next-generation interior follows a revolutionary new concept: partitioned yet unifying. Specifically, the cabin is divided into zones, with a snug cockpit that seems self-contained in the way everything is positioned to promote a driving experience that's as safe, enjoyable and stress-free as possible. The passenger space, in contrast, offers a reassuringly open, spacious and relaxed atmosphere.

The centre-focused driver's zone contrasts with the relatively low passenger side dashboard, which manages to simultaneously impart freedom and security. The asymmetrical centre console marks the border between the two zones, demarcating their respective properties. But it manages at the same time to establish a feeling of connectedness, blending the two zones to establish a kind of balance between the driver and passenger, who can share their experiences: the joy of driving or a relaxing, secure ride.

Typically Zoom-Zoom, all forms throughout the cabin face forward. Their origins appear to flow through the interior from a theoretical vanishing point in front of the car, intensifying the sense of motion and speed - even when the new Mazda 3 is at a standstill.

Mazda 3 navigation system
With a variety of comfort and convenience features, the navigation system on the new Mazda 3 helps drivers reach their destinations safely, less stressfully and better informed.

Key features:

Safer, easier and more relaxed for the driver, since turn-by-turn directions are shown on the Active Driving Display as well as the centre stack display.
Real-time information using RDS-TMC along with accumulated statistical traffic congestion data (stored with the maps) and the latest online traffic info to deliver the most accurate route calculations.

Search destinations as well as filling stations, points of interest and weather forecasts:
accesses current fuel prices online, also allowing drivers to choose filling stations as destinations
displays the latest online weather and forecasts for anywhere along the route
destination search also possible on the internet via smartphone, or set destinations from a mobile phone contact list
Available throughout Europe with map data on the navigation system SD card:
three years of free updates (maps and directions) transferable via SD card
support for up to 18 audio and 26 text languages