World Best Car Image Zone: Mazda

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Mazda MX-5 Celebrate 20th Anniversary Special Edition

It's been two decades since Mazda first showed the world how to build a classic British sports car right. The roadster known as the Miata and MX-5 at different times and places around the world is 20 years old and to celebrate, Mazda has invited 200 examples and their owners from across Europe to a party in France next month at the 24 Hours of LeMans.

Over the course of two decades and three generations, Mazda has sold over 850,000 MX-5s and it remains one of the most entertaining roadsters available. While it's never been the most powerful sports car and some dismiss it as a secretary's chosen chariot, the compact, lightweight roadster has won over even the most insecure alpha males with taut handling, a balanced drivetrain and one of the simplest convertible mechanisms known to man.

European MX-5 owners who want to participate in the party should contact their national MX-5 club or Mazda France. The 200 attendees will watch the race from the Mazda camp alongside the circuit and a best in show will be awarded, along with plenty of goodies.

Source : Autoblog

2009 Mazda RX-8 updated and headed for Frankfurt

The New 2009 RX-8: Stares Will Follow

You may want to slow down just enough to give them a good, solid glance. The newly-redesigned 2009 RX-8 features new aggressive front and rear styling, all new seating, a revved-up R3 trim level and the same incomparable RENESIS rotary engine.

* Powerful 1.3L RENESIS rotary engine: 232-hp 6-speed MT with an impressive 9000 rpm redline and a 212-hp 6-speed AT with a 7500 rpm redline.
* A surprisingly spacious trunk, 4 full-size seats and unique "Freestyle" doors with all the convenience of a 4-passenger sedan.
* New technology including available Bluetooth® hands-free phone capability*, 7-inch touch screen, voice-activated DVD navigation system and standard auxiliary-audio input jack for mobile media devices.

Source : Mazdausa

Japanese version of Mazda5 MPV

The new Mazda5 Compact Multi Activity Vehicle (MAV) has scooped the MPV of the Year title awarded by 4x4 and MPV Driver magazine just two months since the stylish Zoom-Zoom MAV was launched in the UK.

The Mazda5 was praised in the October awards issue of 4x4 and MPV Driver magazine - in newsagents from 22 September - for its fresh styling and build quality: "The style is unquestionably ‘Mazda’ and all the better for it...It’s built to an impressively high standard, too. The driving position is spot-on, visibility good and the gearchange brilliant - all far from guaranteed in an MPV.

Source : Carpages

2009 Mazda 3 Axela

Mazda Motor Corporation has released updated versions of the Mazda Axela sports compact in Japan. Known as the Mazda3 in overseas markets, the Mazda Axela has earned high praise both in Japan and abroad. All models in the range – including the four-door 2009 Mazda3 Axela, five-door 2009 Mazda3 Axela Sport and Mazdaspeed 2009 Mazda3 Axela – feature fresh improvements and are available from today at all Mazda, Mazda Anfini and Mazda Autozam dealerships nationwide. Two new special edition versions of the 2009 Mazda3 Axela Sport, the 23HS and 20HS, which come outfitted with equipment to enhance their sporty pedigree, also go on sale from today.

Exterior design modifications such as chrome door handles and expanded use of black molding on the rear bumper enlivens the 2009 Mazda3 Axela’s appearance.*1 Interior quality has also been enhanced with the addition of piano black parts*2 on the center panel, power window switch bezels and other areas, and chrome parts for some levers and buttons. Reduced cabin noise and higher comfort levels have been achieved through the increased use of sound absorbent materials.

The 2009 Mazda3 Axela 20E model grade is a new addition to the range. It offers enhanced quality and comfort thanks to exclusive sand-beige combination Alcantara®*3 seat covers with genuine leather trim, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, blackout meters and other sporty, well-crafted extras as standard equipment.

The special editions 2009 Mazda3 Axela Sport 23HS and 20HS come with a full complement of sports equipment including 17-inch reflective aluminum wheels, exclusive aluminum pedals, a floating rear roof spoiler and a BOSE® sound system.*4 These models also come with black Alcantara® and genuine leather combination seat covers and Alcantara® door trim.

Source : Zercustoms

2010 Mazda Mazda3 Sedan

The 2010 Mazda Mazda3 is Mazda's compact, featuring a sedan and a 5-door hatchback. Similar foreign cars include the Honda Civic, Kia Spectra, Nissan Sentra and the Toyota Corolla and Matrix. American cars in the same class include Chevrolet Cobalt, Dodge Caliber, Pontiac G5 and Ford Focus.

The 2010 Mazda3 has taken on a new look - lower, meaner and with better lines than past versions. Past versions, especially of the sedan, just looked like a small car. But the 2010 model has a look reminiscent of recent German sports cars.

The Mazda3 comes in five trims, from least to most expensive: i SV, i Sport, i Touring, s Sport and S Grand Touring. The s models come in both sedan and hatchback, the latter giving you more than five extra cubic feet of cargo space. Mazda3 is a front-wheel drive vehicle.

There are two available engines for the Mazda3, both gasoline powered. The i models come with a 2.0 liter, 148 horsepower I4 with a standard five-speed manual transmission with overdrive. The s models get a slightly more powerful 2.5 liter, 167 horsepower I4 with a standard six-speed manual transmission with overdrive. There is an optional five-speed automatic transmission with overdrive available on all models.

Mazda3 Fuel efficiency is slightly better with a manual transmission. The i models with manual transmission are rated at 24 miles per gallon city and 32 miles per gallon highway. s models with manual transmission are almost as good at 22 miles per gallon city and 29 miles per gallon highway. That's right on the class average for the s models and a little better than class average for the i models.

Whichever trim you choose, the Mazda3 has better than average headroom. On the downside, the warranty (at three years or 36,000 miles) is weak and the smaller engine has a lower than class average power to weight ratio, which is less than optimum for pulling into city traffic.

NHTSA numbers are not available for the Mazda3, but IIHS numbers are. The Mazda3 gets a G rating (the best) everywhere except leg or foot injuries on a right side impact collision, which gets an A, the second best rating.

The 2010 Mazda Mazda3 really shines on price, rising just $355 from last year to a base of $15,045 in spite of the upgraded looks. That's almost $10,000 less than the class average. At $21,500 the base price on the s Grand Touring, the most expensive of the Mazda3 offerings, is still thousands under the class average. Which means you can get a really nice car for the money.

Source : Mazda

Mazda Marches Forwards to Record Market Share (UK)

With a record share of the UK retail market, the imminent launch of the all-new Mazda3 next month and a revised Mazda MX-5 on sale now, one of the few places in the UK car industry where the bosses still smile is Mazda UK.

“We’ve bucked the trend of gloom and despair that you can see throughout the industry at the moment,” said Jeremy Thomson, Managing Director Mazda Motors UK. “January and February were the best start we have had to a year in terms of market share and we continued that trend in March,” Mr Thomson added.

Mazda’s share of the retail market was 3.1 percent in the last quarter, up from 2.7 percent a year ago. Share of the overall market was 2.5 percent, up from 2.3 percent last year. “One of the keys to doing business in tough times is making the most of every opportunity,” commented Mr Thomson. Used car sales have also been buoyant since the start of the year and with Mazda’s ever-increasing customer base, dealers are finding parts and accessories business is a healthy revenue stream for them.

“In 2001 when Mazda UK was formed our market share was just 0.6 percent so we are entering our 2009 financial year as a company with eight years of continuous growth behind us,” highlights Thomson.

Success at the beginning of this year has been helped by new finance arrangements with Mazda’s new credit company Santander. “We go into April with 0 percent finance offers not just for the first time on Mazda2 but also across the whole range,” said Mr Thomson. “Using Santander for our financing gives us and our dealers a real competitive advantage.”

Judging by the trade-ins the 157-strong dealer network takes, new retail and fleet customers are switching to Mazda almost on a daily basis. “Once we get a customer we tend to keep them. Our customers are very loyal and we are getting on to significantly more company user-chooser lists because Mazda6 and Mazda3 are very credible choices for fleet drivers,” Thomson adds.

* Mazda sold 7,734 cars in March for an overall market share of 2.5 percent, up from 2.3 percent in March 2008 when sales were 10,355. The overall UK market was down by 30 percent in March at 313,900 according to figures from the SMMT. In the first three months of the year, Mazda’s sales totalled 12,320 for an overall market share of 2.6 percent. Sales in the corresponding period last year were 16,057.

Source: Mazda UK

All-new Mazda3 on sale in May in UK

The all-new Mazda3 range goes on sale in May, priced from £13,500 to £21,500 (on-the-road), with first deliveries scheduled from 18 May. The all-new Mazda3 has a fresh bodystyle that portrays a more powerful and emotional design, with a richer expression and a more dynamic stance. In many ways the new Mazda3 is a ‘baby Mazda6’ bringing the elegant excitement of that model’s distinctive lines to the small family car sector.

All-new Mazda3 customers will have a choice of three petrol and three diesel powertrains, all fine‑tuned to use less fuel. On the official combined cycle, fuel consumption+ ranges from 41.5 to 44.8mpg (manual transmission, petrol models, excluding MPS) and from 50.4 to 62.8mpg (diesels). The 2.0 Automatic delivers fuel economy of 37.2mpg and the Mazda3 MPS 29.4mpg.

Customers who prefer a petrol engine can choose from 1.6-litre 105ps, 2.0-litre 150ps with automatic transmission or 2.0-litre 151ps powertrains for the 11 regular Mazda3 models or the 2.3-litre 260ps turbocharged engine in the Mazda3 MPS, due to be launched later in the year. The choice of diesel engines is expanded to encompass 1.6-litre 109ps, 2.2-litre 150ps and 2.2-litre 185ps engines.

Technical innovations featured on the all-new Mazda3 include the fuel-stretching ‘i-stop’ (Smart Idling Stop System) technology on the Mazda3 2.0 Sport, which can deliver fuel consumption savings of up to 16 percent on the combined cycle. In addition the new five-speed automatic transmission is introduced to the range on the 2.0-litre TS2.

“The all-new Mazda3 brings the sophistication, style, technology and refinement of the Mazda6 to the small family car sector. The new model has a more striking design with higher levels of interior comfort and quality providing a more premium cabin environment. Meanwhile, an even more generous specification at each equipment level continues to deliver excellent value for money," commented Mark Cameron, sales & marketing director for Mazda UK.

Safety is paramount on the all-new Mazda3 with Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) and an Emergency Stop Signalling (ESS) System standard on all models. This system automatically activates the hazard warning lights at cruising speeds when the ABS sensors detect emergency braking. Mazda's Traction Control System (TCS), active front head restraints and six airbags are also standard across the range.

The shape of the all-new Mazda3 has lowered aerodynamic drag to just Cd 0.28 (saloon) and 0.30 (hatchback). The improved aerodynamics and retuned powertrains, plus the reduced weight (down by 15 kilos on some models), result in significant reductions in CO2 and fuel consumption.

“Both retail and fleet customers will benefit from the dramatic CO2 reductions Mazda’s engineers have achieved to bring models below the 120g/km and 160g/km tax threshholds. The CO2 output of the 1.6 petrol model has been cut to 149g/km, from 162g/km on the current model. The 2.0 petrol (available from June) is down to 159g/km from 189g/km due in part to the new i-stop technology, the 1.6 diesel model emits just 119g/km, down from 128g/km, and benefits from only £35 per year road tax. The Mazda3 MPS, powered by a 2.3 petrol engine has slashed CO2 output to 224g/km meaning that the annual road tax will be just £215 as opposed to £405 on the current vehicle,” highlights Cameron.

Source: Mazda

Mazda 6 2.2D (2009) CAR review

You’d be forgiven for thinking that the family saloon shootout is a straight battle between that experienced gunslinger, the Ford Mondeo, and the new kid in town, the impressive Vauxhall Insignia. But waiting in the background is the Mazda 6 – and it’s seriously annoyed about all the attention the other two are getting. And so it should be because, as we are about to find out, even in detuned 123bhp form, its 2.2-litre diesel is a very serious prospect indeed.

So, is the Mazda 6 the tooled-up Samurai to take on the Vauxhall and Ford?

The answer is yes – not least because Mazda’s versatile 2.2-litre diesel engine is a star across all three of its power options. We’ve already highlighted the qualities of the 161bhp and 183bhp specs on launch, and here we get to run the rule over the opposite end of the spectrum. But don’t let 123bhp your judgement – this is an engine that feels like its has far more low down torque and sackloads more power than figures suggest, and it spins up through the revs with alacrity.

We notice the fuel economy figures are a nice little number…

Yep. At 147g/km of CO2, it’s inside the 150g/km CO2 band that triggers a road tax payment of £145 or above. Some technological innovations including a new particulate filter means that this is a significant improvement on the equivalent engine – a 2.0-litre 119bhp diesel – that was in the previous Mazda 6 incarnation. In other words, this engine is cleaner, quicker and cheaper to run than before.

A Mondeo rival, then. Hold on, don’t Ford own Mazda?

Until recently Ford had a controlling stake, but the company announced in late 2008 that it was selling 20%, reducing its overall stake to around 13%. We suspect that means Mazda will no longer be guilty of biting the hand that feeds it, if the 6 sells as many as it should do. They haven’t even had to resort to using the latest incarnation of the Ford-PSA developed common rail diesels, as seen in the Mondeo 2.2 TDCi, Citröen C5 2.2 HDi and Peugeot 407 2.2 HDi. This is an all-new alloy block that’s versatile and quiet.

Statistics

How much?	£15,869
On sale in the UK:	Now
Engine:	2183cc 16v diesel four cylinder, 123bhp @ 3500rpm, 229lb ft @ 1800-2600rpm
Transmission:	Six-speed manual, front wheel drive
Performance:	10.6sec 0-62mph, 121mph, 51.4mpg, 147g/km CO2
How heavy / made of?	1485kg/steel
How big (length/width/height in mm)?	4755/1795/1440