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There are so many new vehicles hitting the market monthly that it’s hard to keep track. In
Car Spotlight, we highlight a new release every month which we think is worth looking at. This time it’s the Mazda3.
Have you heard? Mazda wants to be the next Audi or Lexus. Judged by the all-new Mazda3, this is no delusion of grandeur.
In the previous decade the Mazda3 was a Mzansi favourite, but fashion trends affect cars as much as clothes. Consumers have gravitated towards SUVs, double cabs and premium brands – those who can still afford cars, that is.
Therefore, big sedans such as the Mazda6 and VW Passat have withdrawn from South Africa. Only sedans wearing premium badges stand a chance. As for big hatchbacks (C-segment), if it’s not a Golf GTI or Audi A3, it’s a tough sell too.
This helps to explain why the Mazda3 is going Audi hunting. But Great Zimbabwe wasn’t built in a day.
The all-new Mazda3 hatchback’s styling is divisive, thanks to a hint of hunchback around it’s rear profile.
In contrast to the VW Polo and Tiguan, there’s an absence of fashionable creasings. Mazda wanted purity and simplicity, it says. Overall, the styling approach is more successful in the Mazda3 sedan.
Inside it’s more Volkswagen and Volvo than Ford and Toyota, judging by the minimalist interior design and premium tactile quality.
It’s also as refined, comfortable and quiet as the best of them.
Where there’s work to be done is under the bonnet. For now, Mazda only fits 1.5- and 2-litre petrol engines, and neither is turbo-charged.
These don’t feel underpowered, but BMW, Audi and Mercedes owners are accustomed to the almost instant kick of turbocharge.
To build a car this good isn’t cheap, so the new Mazda3 will cost you about as much as an Audi A3, unless you give yourself free rein with the Audi’s seductive option list.
The Mazda3 range starts at R359 900 and climbs to a lofty R474 000, where it’s in the Audi A3’s desirable 2-litre turbo territory.
Luckily, the entry-level Mazda3 models provide compelling refinement and luxury at an accessible price.
More at mazda.co.za or wheels24.co.za
