Mazda: Mazda3 News
08-19-2003, 10:27 AM
#6
Safety Car
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i don't see how its a ford focus just because the next gen focus, next gen s40 and this will be built on one platform. doesn't matter anyways, the focus is a good car, ford just needs to learn how to make a car reliable from the start instead of through recalls.
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08-26-2003, 01:56 PM
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Wow, that interior is awesome for a economy car, NAV too. It shames some luxury cars. The C-pillar looks exactly like the new Maxima and the rear looks very choppped off.
Overall though, not cookie cutter, I like it.
Overall though, not cookie cutter, I like it.
08-26-2003, 03:43 PM
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LMAO at cusdaddy! Good point. Our 2.2 liter has 200hp....
oH wait, sorry, it only makes 117hp on 106 octane pushed down a hill with a 30 degree slant loaded with 4 fat biatches eating Popeyes....
oH wait, sorry, it only makes 117hp on 106 octane pushed down a hill with a 30 degree slant loaded with 4 fat biatches eating Popeyes....
08-26-2003, 05:01 PM
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will probably have 160 as the top power, not sure if the 6's 4cylinder is overrated like the 6cylinder is. very nice though, econo cars coming out with interiors like this is great.
08-28-2003, 06:46 AM
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It is no new strategy for companies to give similar looks to their complete lineup. Chrysler has been doing this better than anyone, especially lately.
08-28-2003, 07:02 AM
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dude, it looks fine to me. i am not bothered by 2 cars off the same company looking the same.
the murcielago and gallardo look the same and i dont hear anyone complaining about them. come to think of it. all the models in Audi VW Lambo and Porsche look the same throughout the model lines. they make fine cars and if youve got a good look, why not keep the same styling cues and create a distinctly AUDI or VW look?
the murcielago and gallardo look the same and i dont hear anyone complaining about them. come to think of it. all the models in Audi VW Lambo and Porsche look the same throughout the model lines. they make fine cars and if youve got a good look, why not keep the same styling cues and create a distinctly AUDI or VW look?
09-15-2003, 02:04 PM
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This was a long overdue change that the protege needed. Looks great. The 03 protege was 14k-18k. So I'm assuming that it will be a little more. There will also be a hatchback coming soon.
09-19-2003, 07:21 AM
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2004 Mazda 3
The new Mazda3 is built on all the best qualities of its predecessors which have been further refined from the experience and attributes of the new generation Mazda product line-up. It represents a fresh and confident alternative in a segment that has left the customers of other brands wanting more. Mazda3 is Mazda’s answer to Europeans looking for a car that redefines the style, build quality and performance of a segment that has traditionally been focused on functionality and sales volumes. The new Mazda3 will initially be launched in a dynamic five-door hatchback version, with a saloon to follow a few months later. The outstanding attributes of both versions combine to deliver a unique combination of sporty exterior design, outstanding dynamic performance, a large and flexible interior and one of the segment’s best safety packages.
In the UK, the Mazda3 range will follow the same naming strategy as the Mazda6 and Mazda2, starting with the Mazda3 S model, with TS, TS2 and Sport models completing the line-up. The Mazda3 petrol goes on sale in the UK in January 2004 with the diesel following in May. Final specification, pricing and sales strategy will be available closer to the on-sale date.
The new Mazda3 five-door hatchback introduces unmistakable Mazda styling and high levels of build quality to the European C-Segment and offers a car that is both fun and functional.
The new Mazda3 hatchback exterior is another example of Mazda’s fresh approach to designing and building cars with the very best in Japanese manufacturing quality. The Mazda3 hatchback’s outward appearance is designed to express movement combined with muscular solidity and stability and is another tangible expression of the "emotion of motion", successfully evoked by the Mazda6, Mazda2 and Mazda RX-8.
Dynamic, solid proportions - created by a long wheelbase and cabin, short overhangs and large-diameter wheels, and aggressively flared fenders - give the five-door hatchback an assertive presence, even when viewed from a distance. The solid build quality of its exterior is instantly apparent by excellent fit and finish that features consistently small shut lines between abutting body panels and components.
Building on methods used to develop the flagship Mazda RX-8, Mazda3’s hatchback interior is far roomier than the car’s sporty exterior indicates. It is sporty yet comfortable, with intelligent functionality and storage solutions so important to a vehicle in this segment.
The Mazda3 hatchback is one of the largest vehicles in its class, despite its aggressive, sporty design. It has a spacious, airy cabin with generous shoulder room front and rear, while its long wheelbase and the optimal shape of the rear seats ensure plenty of knee clearance. Together, these deliver ample space for five adults to travel in comfort.
Add to this a host of intelligent storage compartments, a large and flexible luggage compartment, all built to Mazda's high levels of craftsmanship, and the result is a car that is not only fun to drive, but also fun to use.
The look, touch and operating feel of Mazda3’s large interior were designed and built to deliver a vehicle that rivals Europe’s top C-segment models when it comes to quality and craftmanship.
Mazda3’s petrol engine line-up was developed to deliver the spirited driving experience that epitomizes Zoom-Zoom and to meet the diverse demands of the European market. A product of Mazda’s innovative approach to engineering, the engines deliver linear, lively power combined with low fuel consumption and emissions. The new Mazda3 hatchback also features a redesigned five-speed manual transmission and a smooth and sporty-shifting electronically controlled four-speed automatic transmission called "Activematic" (1.6-litre only), available from May 2004.
The Mazda3 hatchback will be launched initially in Europe with two petrol engines - a highly balanced 1.6-litre 104bhp (105ps) MZR and a more powerful 2.0-litre 148bhp (150ps) MZR - both part of a new range of quiet-running, in-line four-cylinder DOHC petrol engines that deliver ample low-end torque for spirited driving and meet all current global emission standards.
When the Mazda3 is launched in the UK in January, there will be a third member of the range, a 1.4-litre MZR petrol, while two derivatives of a new 1.6-litre common-rail diesel will enhance the engine line up in May 2004, alongside the 1.6-litre petrol Activematic.
Mounted in a highly rigid body structure with superior torsional and flexural stiffness, Mazda3’s chassis systems are carefully tuned to provide a superb balance between handling stability and ride comfort, with steering that is precise and predictable in all situations. It exhibits the same handling and control that characterise all new generation Mazda vehicles by delivering a flat ride, reassuring steering feel and superior braking performance.
A MacPherson strut-type front suspension and a multi-link rear suspension, based on the Mazda6, are designed and tuned to ensure an excellent balance between handling stability and ride comfort. Mazda3’s robust braking system delivers responsive, linear braking and one of the segment’s shortest braking distances.
The 2.0-litre model features electro-hydraulic power-assisted steering (EHPAS) and the 1.6-litre features hydraulic power-assist. Both steering systems deliver optimal road feedback and precise steering control that have helped make all new-generation Mazda vehicles some of the best handling vehicles in their respective classes.
The Mazda3 hatchback continues Mazda’s determination to deliver a safety package for all its new generation vehicles that exceed expectations. Superb dynamic characteristics, steering and braking ensure safe and predictable driving under normal conditions. Supplemental to this is a full line-up of active safety systems. These include four-wheel ABS with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) and built in mechanical brake assistance, along with optional dynamic stability control (DSC) with traction control (TCS) for superior vehicle stability and braking performance on slippery roads and in emergency situations.
Disc brakes, front and rear, offer superior braking effectiveness, consistency, rigidity and response. A 10-inch (255mm) single vacuum booster enhances brake effectiveness and response by ensuring linear increase in deceleration as pedal travel increases. The result is one of the segment’s shortest braking distances from 100 km/h in just 37 metres. Mazda3 also features an "intelligent" auto light system that improves headlight longevity and also helps the driver better adapt to situations where light conditions on the road ahead can suddenly change.
Mazda3’s new five-door body structure is a product of Mazda’s Advance Impact Distribution and Absorption System (MAIDAS) and features Mazda’s unique Triple-H design, which delivers a safe and strong passenger cell that resists impact deformation and disperses impact energy in all possible crash scenarios. Inside Mazda3’s rigid passenger cell are dual-stage front airbags, seatbelts with pretensioners and load-limiters, standard front side airbags and optional curtain airbags.
A collapsible steering column, collapsible brake pedal, energy absorbing pillar and roof side trim materials make Mazda3’s passive safety package one of the best in this segment. In fact, internal testing has indicated that the new Mazda3 will receive a 4-star Euro NCAP rating or better.
09-19-2003, 07:23 AM
#34
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We will be getting this with similar engines but after it's introduced in Europe.
I just dont think this hatchback craze crawling back once again (after the 80s fiasco), is going to be for real. ALl these automakers preparing to introduce all these hatchbacks for the USA market....what are they thinking? I just dont buy it.
I just dont think this hatchback craze crawling back once again (after the 80s fiasco), is going to be for real. ALl these automakers preparing to introduce all these hatchbacks for the USA market....what are they thinking? I just dont buy it.
09-19-2003, 07:34 AM
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Originally posted by soopa
hatches are hot. so are wagons.
sedans are boring
hatches are hot. so are wagons.
sedans are boring
