The all-new Mazda 3 saloon is welcome to the market, with consumers demanding more choice from the staple diet of hatchbacks and crossover/small SUV, writes Business First Motoring Correspondent Ian Beasant.
Based on the highly successful and competent Mazda 3 hatchback, The all-new Mazda3 Saloon marks itself out as a stylish compact executive saloon with its unique proportions and styling. With an identical wheelbase, it is 200mm longer than its hatchback brother, and when it comes to exterior panels it shares just its windscreen and bonnet with the hatchback.
The test car was in Sport Lux trim and used Mazda’s Skyactiv-x M Hybrid, 2-litre petrol engine, quite a mouthful of a description, six-speed manual gearbox drives the front wheels.this is the debut of Mazda’s Mazda M Hybrid system that features this 24v mild-hybrid technology. A belt-driven integrated starter generator (ISG) converts the kinetic energy recovered during deceleration into energy and stores it in a 600KJ lithium-ion battery. A DC-DC converter alters the power to the appropriate voltage to supply the cars electrical system. In addition to improved economy, Mazda M Hybrid also helps drivability by substituting engine torque for motor torque when the car is starting, accelerating or coming to a stop. Even better, engine speed is adjusted by motor torque during upshifts to deliver a smoother gear change and subconsciously smoother clutch operation by the driver; this works so well it is unnoticeable when driving.
The Skyactiv-X engine is intelligent, Mazda has stuck with a four-cylinder engine, rather than follow the flock of competitors who have taken the three-cylinder engine route all in the quest for maximum fuel efficiency both in the operation of delivering performance and reducing emissions, which seems to be at the forefront of engine performance at the moment. Mazda uses a very lean-burn engine which wastes no fuel in the way it produces the combustion, add to that, Cylinder deactivation which Delivers improved economy and enhanced efficiency, the system automatically switches between two-cylinder and four-cylinder operation depending on driving conditions, shutting down cylinders one and four in light-load situations, such as when cruising at a constant speed. Intake volume, fuel injection and injection timing are all precisely controlled; it works so well I had no idea anything was happening while driving, and it is that good.
The driving experience with the Mazda 3 saloon is excellent; the sweet chassis offers a sporty feel with comfort and aplomb; its road manners are class-leading. The engine is smooth, maybe doesn’t have the punch but the power delivery is smooth , the six-speed short-throw gearbox adds to the enjoyment in driving the Mazda, The brakes are well, just fantastic, Mazda has used large disc brakes both front and rear, under braking at any speed the Mazda 3 saloon feels composed and confident. The interior is premium in every way, plenty of room for four people to travel in comfort, the boot is generous, and the boot opening is the right size, it’s easy to load and unload.
The Mazda 3 saloon is a real gem of a car, I liked everything about it, and it is as good, as the hatchback version maybe even a little better.The Skyactiv-x M Hybrid, 2-litre petrol engine, is smooth and very economical, I averaged 50 mpg, and a lot of that was in the city, impressive! Which just about sums the Mazda 3 saloon up in one word. Impressive.
Car as tested. Mazda 3 Saloon 2.0 180ps Sport Lux. With Metallic paint £25.665.
