Here you go, the shrunken Mazda 6! At a distance, one could easily mistaken the new Mazda 3 as the 6. It is like the junior twin. The soon to-be-launched Mazda 3 has made it appearance in most Mazda showroom now, even with most already sold. Pity the first batch owner as the salesperson allows public to step in and out of those car that has been marked SOLD. In fact, some minor scratches already been spotted!
Red has almost been the colour of choice for a sporty-looking vehicle, and it catches one's eyes easily. The Mazda 3 is the fourth Mazda model in Malaysia to inherit the SKYACTIV Technology, following the CX-5, Mazda 6 and the Biante MPV. With a compression ratio of 13:1, the engine fuel consumption is as good as a hybrid, qualifying it to be categorized as an Energy Efficient Vehicle (EEV) here. However, no special incentive at this moment, as the 3 would still cost RM135k.
A 2.0-litre Skyactiv-G engine is the only choice here, producing 162hp/210Nm of power via the Skyactiv-Drive 6-speed auto box. Lesser variant means easier marketing and sales strategy for Bezmaz. However, this significantly pushes sway a lot of potential customers looking for a more affordable variant. The 1.5-litre could be a welcome to flood our streets with more Mazda. Let's hope Bermaz could consider this. By the way, bring in the hatchback fast, we do not want to be tied down with a sedan.
First look at the interior, one would be disappointed with the analog aircon dial. Though it could switch to auto mode, these dial looks so outdated and does not match the Bermaz catalog which shows photo with the Mazda 3 with dual-zone digital aircon control. Moving your eyes to the center, the bolt-on 7" screen look odd, similar to the latest Mercedes A-Class, which shown some afterthought design. The joystick behind the gear stalk is a welcome in this class of car. Ergonomic placement of this joystick should be re-considered as it is now oddly placed and has to be operated with a hanging hand! Another let down is the passenger space, which is small at the back. The 3 loses this out to its competitors. It feels like an upmarket B-segment instead!
The Mazda 3 should be the best equipped car in the C-Segment category, with 5-star Euro NCAP safety, 18" wheels, sunroof, GPS, Xenon headlights with Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFS), LED taillights, ABS with EBD, BA, DSC & TCS, 6-airbag, keyless entry, engine Start-Stop system (i-Stop) and Mazda flagship super-capacitor storage system, the i-Eloop that uses regenerative braking system energy to power some of the electrical equipment in the car. Now, that shall add complexity to the electrical system which in turn add to the maintenance cost.
Here you go, the simple comparison of various popular Japanese makes available, stick to the trusted uncle's Altis, boring Sylphy, or geeky Civic, it is up to you. I would always recommend a car with the best safety rating, as one only live once, value your life!
| Altis 2.0V + Safety + Navi | Mazda 3 2.0 | Civic 2.0 Navi | Sylphy 2.0 XV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine Power | 143HP/187Nm | 162HP/210Nm | 152HP/190Nm | 131HP/191Nm |
| Transmission | CVT 7-speed | 6-speed | 5-speed | CVT |
| Airbags | 7 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| Traction Control | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Warranty (Yrs) | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
| Price (RM) | 142k | 139k | 137k | 125k |
