CIRCULATING IN WANGARATTA, BENALLA, MYRTLEFORD, BRIGHT, MT BEAUTY, BEECHWORTH, YACKANDANDAH, RUTHERGLEN, CHILTERN AND DISTRICTS
NORTH EAST
June 12, 2015
available online - wangarattachronicle.com.au
PRINTED FORTNIGHTLY — VOLUME 475
Subaru Forester Storypage3
MAZDA CX-3: There’s little doubt this all-new model will sell on style alone.
Mazda CX-3 is an instant winner T
he stylish new Mazda CX-3 takes an interestingly different tack in small SUV design. Whereas its many competitors have produced tall vehicles that cry out that they are SUVs, the Mazda is only a little higher than a typical small-medium hatchback. A crossover between a hatch and an SUV might be just what many buyers are asking for – indeed, Mazda CX-3 has been selling its wheels off since it was launched in March. Styling is obviously a major factor in the big sales numbers, but the interesting size could also be playing their part. The familiar Mazda model names of Neo and Maxx are used for the CX-3, but are joined by two new ones. The upper-middle CX-3 sTouring and topline Akari complete the range.
By EWAN KENNEDY Pricing is highly competitive, starting at just $19,990 (plus on-roads) for the 2WD petrol manual and going up to $37,690 for the topline Akari with AWD diesel with auto. We tested two autos, a 2WD Maxx petrol and an AWD Akari turbo-diesel. The CX-3 carries the latest iteration of the highly successful Mazda ‘Kodo’ design language, with the usual large vertical grille and long bonnet. The front guards sweep up and over the wheels almost to the end of the front doors, where the wave-like shape is then picked up by the guards of the rear wheels. There were admiring glances aplenty during the two weeks we spent driving around our home area of the Gold Coast.
People in these parts like a bit of style in their lives and anything out of the ordinary is greeted with interest. Even the more conservative Brisbane people seemed to like it as well. Inside there’s the latest Mazda instrument layout of a large central dial with rectangular pods on either side of it. It’s neat, compact and works well, but doesn’t have the sort of sporting twin-dial style of most in the segment. Information on the 7-inch centrally mounted display screen is accessed through a control knob handily placed on the centre console. Voice commands can be used to control audio functions, Bluetooth hands-free phone operation and reception of short text messages. There’s internet radio that can receive something like 100,000 broadcasters.
A head-up display, not on all models, shows vehicle speed and navigation directions. Mazda CX-3 offers the option of petrol or diesel power. The four-cylinder petrol has a capacity of 2.0 litres. The turbo-diesel is interesting in that it displaces just 1.5 litres and follows the latest European engineering trend of using small capacity, low friction engines aided by complex turbochargers for added power and torque. The power output of the petrol is 109 kW, the diesel puts out just 77 kW. But, it’s torque that talks and the diesel has an impressive 270 Nm between 1600 and 2500 revs.
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