ON FRONT PAG E N O R T H E AST V I C TO R I A , A L P S A N D H I G H CO U N T RY
JUNE 3 - 9, 2016
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MARVELLOUS MAZDA: The Mazda2 hatch carries design cues found across the complete range of Mazda vehicles.
Mix and Maxx for Mazda Compact
IN a world where connectivity is king and social media, like a hatchback, can lay bare through the ‘rear window’ even the most personal information, there are people, usually older, who prefer to hang on to their privacy. In automotive terms the latter are the sedan folk who like to lock away possessions out of sight in a car boot. Mazda has tipped its cap to them by introducing a sedan version of its popular Mazda2, leaving the hatch to attract the younger, more connected, buyer. Available in Neo and Maxx specification – the high-end Genki has been let go – sedan prices start with an entry level of
By EWAN KENNEDY $14,990 for the Neo manual. Neo and Maxx hatchback share their prices with the sedan, while the added Genki tops out the range at $20,690. The mid-spec Mazda2 Maxx hatchback was on test. There’s no disguising the Mazdaness of the ‘2’, with the front taking on the brand DNA. Designers created a dynamic profile by pushing the compact cabin toward the rear of the lower body’s forward sloping lines. The overall effect of this body design is that of forward momentum, while wheels positioned as close as possible to the
four corners of the body create a short overhang and achieve a wide track. The passenger cabin takes on high ideals with cues taken from small aircraft. The instrument panel spreads like the wings of a plane; the round air conditioning louvres resemble jet engines; the radiating lines of the door trim convey the image of air flowing from a jet engine. The intention is to create a feeling of quality that goes beyond the modest class of the car. The driver-centric cockpit environment and classy colour co-ordinated surroundings work well. Next-generation HMI (Human Machine Interface) with Commander control
knob on the centre console, allows easy access to navigation, communications and infotainment, including social media via MZD Connect. A number of functions can be controlled by voice activation, including switching menus, audio play, stop and skip functions, station selection, as well as zooming in and out of the navigation system maps. With a mobile music player or smartphone connected to the onboard head unit via USB, voice commands can also be used to search for songs by artist name, or to call phone numbers stored in the phone’s contact list.
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