2004 Mazda 3

-- Mazda is giving the subcompact car segment a personality makeover.

The all-new Mazda3 delivers an exciting drive experience while optimizing function, economy and spaciousness. Its striking exterior design, with aggressively flared fenders and sleek curves, is unmistakably Mazda and epitomizes the stylish, insightful and spirited experience that marks the brand's design DNA.

'What they've come up with is a subcompact that is a good bit more stylish than many of the segment's current blandmobiles,' says Paul Eisenstein of the Car Connection. 'With integrated fog lamps, and a big air intake tucked below the bumper, even the base Mazda3 won't be confused with a me-too econobox.'

Mazda3 is the fourth all-new Mazda in just 24 months and is being launched on the heels of the widely acclaimed Mazda6, the Mazda2 (in markets outside of North America) and the all-new, rotary-powered RX-8 in a revitalized lineup of new-generation products from the Japanese automaker. To be sold globally, the Mazda3 will replace current Protegé and Protegé5 models in North American markets.

'The 3 improves on its predecessor in every respect, from its structure, performance, comfort, looks and safety to that spirited Mazda je ne c'est quoi the company calls zoom-zoom,' writes Stacey Morrison in The Globe and Mail.

Available as a four-door sedan or five-door hatchback, the all-new Mazda3 benefits from design and innovative packaging methods refined and developed in its new-generation stablemates.

'The 3 always looks like it's in motion, even when it's standing still,' says Morrison. 'Both models feature integrated circular headlamps and rear combination taillights, which make the 3 look good coming or going.'

The five-door Mazda3 evokes a sense of movement with sweeping contours and short overhangs on either side of a long wheelbase. Its front and rear fascias are flared and assertive, and bold character lines extend from the familiar five-point grille over the hood for an emphatically contoured look. A unique, triangular C-pillar enhances the hatchback's dynamic design, and integrated circular headlights and rear combination lights add a distinguished touch.

'Mazda has done more than slap a box on the back of the basic sedan,' writes Eisenstein.

The Mazda3 sedan has a personality all its own and a subtler, more elegant look than the hatchback. It has a long wheelbase with short overhangs, similar to the hatchback, but the sedan's rear is short and high and with its compact-looking cabin, achieves a more coupe-like design.



Inside, a variety of interior colors and materials allow Mazda3 owners opportunity for customization. The instrument panel is uncluttered to reinforce a feeling of spaciousness, while sporty-style seats and a dual-textured, leather-wrapped steering wheel convey a sense of the vehicle's sport-car heritage.

'The interior is impressive for an entry-level vehicle and is punctuated with funky instrumentation and a streamlined, uncluttered centre stack,' notes Morrison.

At the heart of Mazda's new sporty compact is a diverse lineup of powertrain options specifically developed to meet the demands of a global market. Globally, the Mazda3 features a new range of five inline, four-cylinder engines with low emissions, good fuel economy and ample low-end torque for agile response on the highway and in city driving. North American drivers will choose from either a 148-horsepower, 2.0-liter or a 160-horsepower, 2.3-liter engine.

Coupled with an electronically controlled, four-speed automatic transmission with manual mode or Mazda's redesigned, five-speed manual transmission, the Mazda3 delivers linear, predictable and responsive driving dynamics.

'The 3's responsive steering and athletic road hugging abilities ensured constant control and solidity,' writes Morrison. 'The fun to drive quotient was through the roof…making for enthusiastic sprints and tight cornering.'

The Mazda3's body is highly rigid, delivering sports car-like stiffness for superior handling, precise steering and minimal noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). Larger brakes lend more effective deceleration, and Mazda's advance impact distribution and absorption system helps to provide additional passenger safety in collisions; the body structure is designed to resist impact deformation and disperse crash energy away from the cabin.

'The car is a delight to drive on a winding road…and is equally adept at high-speed cruising,' says Kenzie. 'This is a very well worked-out little car.'



'Like a proud parent, Mazda has much to brag about with its newest offering: athletic and nimble, good looking with a fun personality,' says Morrison. 'Look for the 3 to gallop off dealer lots.'

Source - Ford Communications Network