Developers of the all-new Mazda 3 set out to do no less than come up with a car that actually interacts with its owner on several levels. On the surface, it's a top quality means of transport, delivering an unmatched combination of performance, fuel efficiency and functionality in a package that's as safe and practical as it is stunning. Here it follows in the footprints of its new generation forerunners: the Mazda CX-5, a compact SUV that drives like a car, and the new Mazda 6, which more recently took the mid-sized class by storm.
Mazda's all-time bestseller gets the full range of lightweight SKYACTIV-Technology, optimised like the latest adaptation of the company's KODO design for a compact's size and agility. But its looks are more than just eye-catching. They grab hold of the senses, bonding man and machine.
The relationship will flourish as the new Mazda 3 exceeds expectations at every turn. In the way the door opens or how the controls are in exactly the right place. The brand-new interior connects occupants with the car, whether behind with wheel having a typical Mazda one-with-the-car Jinba-Ittai experience or enjoying the trip in the relaxed, secure comfort of the passenger space.
Like a true partner, the new Mazda 3 is revitalising, inspiring people to expand horizons. Look at how it handles, devoutly responding to driver input, cornering and delivering feedback with choreographed precision. It even links occupants to cyberspace with a new mobile connectivity concept, safely and conveniently bringing what they otherwise take for granted into the vehicle.
It's all part of Sustainable Zoom-Zoom, Mazda's vision-in-progress for safe and eco-friendly vehicles. Exceptionally low harmful emissions let one enjoy the drive with a clear conscious. In fact, it's at or near the top of its class in a list of other categories, too, from interior space and aerodynamics to acceleration, braking and more.
The intelligent design and sophisticated interactivity of the new Mazda 3 will simply bring out the best. This car is going to grow on you.
Exterior Design
Temptation. One look at the all-new Mazda 3 instantly stirs the spirit, taking hold of the onlooker before tightening its grip. It draws one in, getting under the skin. A connection has been made, sewing the seeds of a long relationship.
Behind the magnetism is the "KODO - Soul of Motion" design theme. Inspired by the beauty and power of nature, Mazda developed KODO to take its distinctive sense of vitality and agility one step further. For an uncompromising new generation of cars that simply beg to be driven.
Capturing emotions
Always acclaimed and always distinctively Mazda, the latest Mazda 3 nevertheless marks a rebirth of sorts. Mazda has come up with a truly passionate expression of dynamic motion, evolving KODO's boldness for the strong, energetic C-segment proportions. Like prior KODO models, the all-new Mazda 3 features a firm stance enhanced by the compact looking, rear-leaning cabin. Lower and wider than the current model, the car's raked profile, rising dramatically towards the rear and bolstered by the boldly flared fenders and large sporty aluminium wheels at the corners, conveys agility and strength. And Mazda's characteristic off-the-line power.
At first sight, the new Mazda 3 ignites a fire in the heart of the beholder, sparking the imagination to conjure up the possibilities. The energetic tension is united with an enticing - and refreshingly uncommon - sensation of rhythm. Reflections off the glossy surface textures change like an emotion with the lighting and the viewer's position, sometimes subtly, sometimes drastically, but always capturing the senses and lifting the mood.
Quality in detail
This is only one example of the craftsmanship and painstaking attention to detail that went into this car. One of Mazda's priorities was to achieve a new level of precision and quality with the fit and finishing. The company therefore brought together design, development and manufacturing specialists to figure out ways of enhancing the joy of driving and owning the new Mazda 3.
To minimise the gaps between body panels and doors, for instance, they studied everything from the way the doors were attached to paint thickness tolerances on the edges of the body panels. By taking a fresh look at improvement potential, Mazda was able to set stringent new targets. As a result, the gaps between the front door and fender, which tend to be wider than others, are smaller on the new Mazda 3 than on many premium-class vehicles.
Tension with rhythm
Like its siblings, the new Mazda 3 gets the distinct KODO face, featuring the contoured grille and the sculpted signature wing. The latter flow out from under the vertically enlarged grille to the headlamps, which glint like the eyes of a predator staring ahead. The Mazda 3 was given a distinct headlamp design. Their sleek, sharp shape and clean structure was made possible by positioning the turn signals outside the headlamp assembly. Consisting of LED light sources, inner lenses and a light-guiding ring, the eye-catching lighting signature imparts a "glaring" presence that immediately says Mazda.
KODO is clearly about motion, expressed on the new Mazda 3 with the undeniably rhythmical flow of its simple, solid character lines. Extending back from signature wings and headlamps along the sides of the car, they unite the powerful fenders to emphasise the car's nimble agility.
Even when stationary, these shapes along with the optically low centre of gravity allude to the impression of pent-up energy, building expectations about the car's performance. The enlarged wheelbase - 60mm longer than the current Mazda 3's - allowed designers to shorten the front and rear overhangs for a more powerful KODO-inspired stance, in the process creating more space for the engine and improving crash safety, too.
The Mazda 3's hind quarters, meanwhile, parallel the front in many ways. Like the grille, the brawny tailgate seems to protrude. Every bit as inspired as the headlamps, the tail lamp signature, which features sporty round tail light rings and quality two-tone internal finishing, is perhaps best described by the words "zooming away".
Extraordinarily exacting
Speaking of which, by now the beholder may have an urgent desire to get behind the wheel of the all-new Mazda 3. Satisfying this yearning will bring the first physical contact with the car - a surprisingly pleasant experience in itself. Because in keeping with their focus on quality, developers meticulously analysed how people interact with the door, tweaking the hinges and moment of inertia to make the operation feel as natural as possible.
Consequently, opening and closing the doors of the new Mazda 3 is an exceptionally smooth, linear procedure, without the customary "weighty" feel. Together with the striking looks, it's this sort of extraordinary thoroughness that enlivens the bonding process owners are destined to undergo with their new Mazda 3. It starts when they first catch sight of the car. Just wait until they get inside.
The colours of SKYACTIV
The all-new Mazda 3 comes in a choice of nine body colours to commemorate its arrival in the bold world of KODO. They include Soul Red Metallic, developed as perhaps the most emotionally appealing red ever, as well as two brand-new Mazda colours: the sophisticated expression of Titanium Flash and Deep Crystal Blue, a hue inspired by the power and speed of a lightning bolt piercing a dark sky. Mazda's new compact is also available in Blue Reflex, Snowflake White Pearl, Aluminium Metallic, Meteor Gray, Jet Black, and Arctic White.
Interior comfort
If the body of the all-new Mazda 3 raised expectations about the interior, then the interior is destined to overachieve. Open the door, and behold a treasure chest of refined comfort and ergonomics, with the seductive charm of surfaces that beg to be touched, and the sophisticated purity and clean coherence of a space that's more people-oriented than ever.
The first impression is unlikely to disappoint. Destined for all coming Mazdas starting with the new Mazda 3, the freshly compelling next-generation interior follows a revolutionary new concept: partitioned yet unifying. Specifically, the cabin is divided into zones, with a snug cockpit that seems self-contained in the way everything is positioned to promote a driving experience that's as safe, enjoyable and stress-free as possible. The passenger space, in contrast, offers a reassuringly open, spacious and relaxed atmosphere.
The centre-focused driver's zone contrasts with the relatively low passenger side dashboard, which manages to simultaneously impart freedom and security. The asymmetrical centre console marks the border between the two zones, demarcating their respective properties. But it manages at the same time to establish a feeling of connectedness, blending the two zones to establish a kind of balance between the driver and passenger, who can share their experiences: the joy of driving or a relaxing, secure ride.
Typically Zoom-Zoom, all forms throughout the cabin face forward. Their origins appear to flow through the interior from a theoretical vanishing point in front of the car, intensifying the sense of motion and speed - even when the new Mazda 3 is at a standstill.
Unifying perspectives
Cockpit is certainly the right word for the driver's space. Its powerful lines and ergonomic layout enable drivers to focus effortlessly on the road. Fittingly, the newest driver-friendly feature was borrowed from supersonic jet fighters. As one of the first models in the C segment, the new Mazda 3 comes with a new head-up display called the Active Driving Display. It projects the most important driver information, such as speed and active safety system warnings, directly into in the driver's forward line of view.
Drivers react best when comfortable, so Mazda positioned the controls needed to directly operate the vehicle in such a way as to maintain natural angles and thus a relaxed posture. They feel like extensions of the limbs. The steering wheel, for instance, is lower than in the current model and brings the car closer to the driver, while the pedals are laid out symmetrically to the left and right of the driver's centre axis in the most optimal positions. The gearshift knob, too, fits like a glove in the palm of the hand. It all contributes to minimising strain on the driver and thus preventing fatigue.
As mentioned, the rear-leaning cabin is a core KODO design trademark, and the A-pillars on the new Mazda 3 have been pushed back by 100mm. One advantage here is improved forward visibility and an outstanding field of view. Along with the repositioned side mirrors, this further alleviates stress potential for the driver, especially at intersections and in corners or bends. Mazda even studied eye points to fine-tune the shape and thickness of the A-pillars so they would not have an oppressive effect on front occupants.
Comfort time
It's one example of how the KODO's compact exterior look is advantageous on the inside: The increased width and wheelbase on the new Mazda 3 - the longest in the segment - gave Mazda room to work with. Accordingly, both hatchback and sedan offer best-in-class shoulder room front and rear, and are close to it in terms of legroom. The interior is, in fact, larger and more comfortable than its predecessor in most respects, from foot space to knee room and more. And Mazda maintained headroom, despite a 25mm reduction in the car's overall height, by lowering the hip point of the seats.
The driver's seat offers 260mm of front-to-back adjustment, 102° of recline and 56mm of vertical adjustment, including an extra 20mm of downward range for taller drivers. Mazda stuck to the fundamentals with seats that wrap around occupants, supplying a natural position with good support and plenty of hold.
The enhanced vibration-suppressing seatbacks feature a bolstered shoulder area and a larger cushion to go with their sleek, dynamic form, which complements the interior's clean sporty style and solidity. And because they're even slimmer than before with concave hollows in the back, rear passengers get additional knee clearance. There's more room for their feet, too, since the front seat mounts were shifted further apart. Indeed, the second row has a decidedly unrestricted feel to it thanks to narrower front headrests and shoulder sections, bigger rear windows, and the fact that the rear seating positions are closer to the middle. Those in the back simply get a better view of the world. As far as upholstery goes, the all-new Mazda 3 comes in a choice of black leather with red stitching, either alone or combined with off-white leather and white, grey and red stitching. Black fabric is also available with different patterns in a metallic lustre.
Tastefully functional
Consistent with the roomy effect, the front passenger side is highlighted by a horizontal decorative panel, which serves to "widen" the space. The dashboard's virtual lines extend through the harmonious side air vent louvers and door handles back to the B-pillars, accentuating the pureness and unity of the cabin design. The centre stack also offers a simple, functional layout. The climate control system, which is located below the centre air vents, features a sleek three-dimensional look with circular controls. On top of the dash, the 7-inch touchscreen is easily accessed by the passenger or driver, but without distracting the latter from operating the vehicle.
Overall, the interior finishing is emotional and stylish while at the same time adding a certain logic to the cabin - particularly in regard to the various controls and areas surrounding them. The sportiness of the black keynote colour is enhanced by contrasts that intensify the quality look and feel, such as the enthusiasm-sparking carbon fibre look or the black leather steering wheel with matching parking brake lever, armrests and gearshift boot. Combinations like these or the dignified piano black surfaces set next to metallic satin chrome elements confer a youthful sophistication.
Rational, balanced and unifying, the new Mazda 3 cabin is an extraordinarily refined environment, with attention to detail that's every bit as meticulous as elsewhere. It's certainly going to be a hard act to follow.
