Mazda’s been on a roll for the past year, launching all-new models that use an all-new design language that basically adds luxury-car styling cues that go well with their sporty handling. Their latest introduction is the redesigned Mazda 3, a car we expected to hit above its weight. And from what we could tell from our briefer-than-brief encounter, it didn’t disappoint.
It’s not often that we update our Recommended List of road-tested cars, but when we do, we’ve noticed that it’s becoming increasingly harder to pick the best of the best, especially since every carmaker seems to have improved so much over the years. It was much easier this time around though. The three 2014-model-year cars we’ve added are perennial public favourites.
The all-new 2014 Mazda 3 made its debut at the 2013 Dubai Motor Show this week. It is Mazda’s third new launch this year, following the Mazda CX-5 and Mazda 6.
College projects can be fun, especially if you’re the privileged ones to join hands with Mazda to create a one off concept. And that is why we envy this Mazda Deep Orange 3 Concept Car, built by Clemson University automotive engineering students. The neat piece of design was compiled by Frederick Naaman from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.
The 2.5-litre version of the Mazda CX-5 was launched elsewhere a few months ago, and we had assumed that it’d take ages to reach the GCC. However, word is Mazda’s UAE dealer has been quietly offering the bigger-engined version for at least a month now.
Our first test car for Ramadan is the Mazda CX-9, a car that is seemingly loved unconditionally by its owners, but one we haven’t driven before. The 2013 iteration of the CX-9 is a facelifted version with carryover mechanicals and some interior enhancements. Is the forgotten Japanese contender in the hotly-contested midsize segment as good as we hope it is?
Mazda made its first impressions of the new 3 last week. And it went pretty well with our readers, as many poured in their satisfaction with the new design. However, it was pretty evident that they would soon follow up with the sedan version of the same.
There seems to be a tendency among “top” automotive journalists to go with the flow. They will all parrot the same things, like how class-leading the Audi A5 interior is, how easy to drift the Toyota 86 is, or how awesome the Range Rover Evoque drives. If you really knew how the media industry worked, you’d lose faith in the press forever. The latest story that’s going around is how the all-new 2014 Mazda 6 is the best midsize sedan ever made. For once, there is some truth to it, although only up to a point.
The new Mazda 3 has officially been revealed by the Japanese outfit. It is going to be 61 mm longer in length and 50 mm shorter in height than the previous generation.
Carmakers share so many standardised parts due to having common parts suppliers nowadays that if one of these bits turn out to be faulty, several unrelated car brands are affected. Such is the case with the latest mass recall of 3.4 million vehicles produced by four unrelated Japanese carmakers between 2000 and 2004 for faulty airbags produced by parts-supplier Takata Corp. Information is also emerging that General Motors and BMW may also be affected.