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09/01/2012
REVIEW by EWAN KENNEDY
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The Mazda3 took many industry observers by surprise when it pipped Holden at the post to become the number one selling car in Australia in 2011.
In the past all the top selling cars in Australia have been locally assembled. In the past 60 years they have usually been to a local design, though some have been major adaptions of overseas models.
Why has Mazda changed Australian automotive history with its small-medium model called the Mazda3?
The story goes back to the early 1960s when Australians heard the name Mazda in connection with cars and immediately asked, “Doesn’t Mazda make light bulbs?” Mazda did, indeed, make light bulbs and the original cars were rather odd-looking beasties that could be mistaken for a large light bulb in poor light.
Mazda cars didn’t sell particularly well in the early days, but when people did buy them the first thing they noticed was their quality of finish and the reliability achieved because of this. In an age where Australian, English and American cars routinely broke down, Mazdas, Datsuns and Toyotas showed it didn’t have to be like that.
Japanese cars also made their names for being well equipped and providing excellent value for money.
Mazda really got going during the 1980s and by the turn of the 21st century was very much a part of the Australian automotive scene. The Mazda3 arrived on our shores in early 2004 as a replacement for the popular, but somewhat bland looking Mazda 323.
The name change was due to Mazda seeing its latest range as introducing a whole new generation of models. Models that had far more style than ever seen before in Mazda passenger vehicles and which stood out from the crowd of sensible but mundane looking competitors.
Not only does the Mazda3 look great, but also has decent handling and in its latest format, introduced just a few months back, has interior refinement more in keeping with that of an upmarket European machine than an affordable Japanese car.
Mazda Australia has been in the forefront of safety for some time in Australia and introduced items like multiple airbags and ABS brakes ahead of many others.
Mazda joined the hot-hatch brigade with an MPS (Mazda Performance Series) version of the Mazda3 in 2006. Thus complementing the sports RX-7 and RX-8 models.
The Japanese marque has taken its own route in engineering for many years, with the rotary engine being its speciality. An important new model called the Mazda3 SP20 SkyActiv features fascinating new technology designed to significantly reduce fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. This model is about to join our road test program and we will publish our review in a few weeks’ time. |
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