The launch of the newly updated Mazda 3 is great news for value-conscious fleet buyers
Mazda has ripped the covers off its updated Mazda 3 in Brisbane, revealing more safety equipment than ever, at a better price.
A slightly re-shaped front grille is about all you’ll notice on the aesthetics. Manufacturer list prices start at $20,490 for the manual transmission Neo (automatics are $2000 extra across the range), $22,890 for the Maxx, $25,290 for the Touring, $25,690 for the SP25, $29,990 for the GT, and $35,490 for the top-spec automatic SP25 Astina.
Starting with the top-shelf SP25 Astina, you get all the safety technology Mazda can offer, which will not only keep employees safest, but also pedestrians and other road users. Are you ready? You get:
- Rear parking sensors
- Hill start assist
- Smart City Brake – front & rear
- Traction control
- Blind Spot Monitoring
- LED front fog lamps
- MZD Connect (Bluetooth, sat-nav, reversing camera, Pandora, USB, CD)
- G-Vectoring Control (enhanced chassis balance, cornering stability)
- Rear Cross Traffic Alert
- Electric park brake
- Heated power mirrors
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Driver Attention Alert
- Traffic Sign Recognition
- Adaptive LED headlights
- Forward Obstruction Warning
- Lane-keep Assist
- Lane Departure Warning
- Radar-guided Cruise Control
- Smart Brake Support
- and even a sunroof.
While the diesel engine option has been dropped from the Mazda 3, two punchy but frugal petrol four-cylinders are available. There’s the 2.0-litre with 114kW and 200Nm of torque, available in the Neo, Maxx and Touring variants, while the pokier 2.2-litre donk comes with 138kW of power and 250Nm in the SP25, GT and Astina.
Overall length of Mazda 3 Hatch is 4.46m and gets 205/60R16 rubber on 16-inch wheels as standard on both body styles, and is 4.58m long with for the sedan – the SP25, GT and Astina get 215/45R18 tyres on 18-inch rims. A 51-litre fuel tank, capable of taking E10 or 91RON juice, leaves a slightly squashy 308 litres of boot space, even with a temporary spare wheel. Kerb weight is only 1314kg, and offers 1200kg of braked towing capacity. Not bad.
You also get 60/40 folding rear seats, ISOFIX child restraint anchor points.
A great value option with loads of safety gear at a very competitive price for the small car market.
