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
AUGUST 12 - 18, 2016
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MAZDA 3: Slimmer lights front and back give the facelifted Mazda3 a wider look.
Mazda is smarter By EWAN KENNEDY
In this instance, Hitoshi Takeshita, the general manager of the product division attended the new Mazda3 event in Queensland. Takeshita-san explained that the changes to the styling, chiefly a revised grille, and slimmer lights front and back give the facelifted Mazda3 a wider look. Inside, there are changes to the decorative areas of the trim. Perhaps most importantly, the side ‘wings’ on the instrument display panel are a bit larger, and therefore faster to read. Takeshita then went on to explain the new Mazda ‘G-Vectoring Control’ system
that uses electronic control to improve chassis balance. This senses movements of the steering wheel by the driver and modifies the amount of torque to each of the front wheels to change the amount of grip that’s required. Torque is restored when the system sees the car is in balance again, thus bringing the back wheels into play. Complicated? Yes, and there’s a lot more to it than this necessarily brief explanation gives. Try Google for deeper explanations, ‘extremetech.com’ is a good one. Anyway, enough of the theory. We were able to spend a number of
hours at the Driver Training Centre at Mount Cotton, near Brisbane doing comparison tests between the just superseded Mazda3 and the revised one. This consisted of driving the two cars over the same course, first on the wet skidpan, then on sections of the road course. Note that the Mt Cotton facility is not a racetrack, rather it has been designed to simulate real Australian country roads. There are no runoff areas and quite a few places where you can hurt the car, and yourself, if you make a mistake. The testing was done by setting the cars on constant speeds using the cruise control.
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MAZDA has never been a company to follow other auto makers and the updated Mazda3 is a prime example of this. While it has received a mild facelift, the main emphasis is on what you can’t see, with major changes to the steering and suspension systems. Safety, long a strong point with the Mazda Australia organisation, has been further enhanced. It has become customary for Mazda Australia to fly senior engineers from its Japanese head office for car launches downunder. A real honour to our local guys and gals that shows the high esteem in which they are held.
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Aug 12 - 18 | 2016
Kia Picanto By EWAN KENNEDY
cute as a button
ROAD TEST
KIA Picanto is a small city car that’s loaded with standard equipment and comes in at a very attractive price of just $14,990. That’s for a five-door car with automatic transmission and is driveaway. This market segment isn’t strong in Australia at present, which is a shame as these small economy cars are really all that many people need. It’s early days yet - the little Kia Picanto has only been on sale here since April - and is now neck and neck with the previously all-conquering Mitsubishi Mirage in the sales race. Tall, cheeky styling makes a statement in the new Kia Picanto. It has big headlights, the Kia ‘Tiger’ nose design and mesh grilles. The sculpted side features a rising character line with the rear fringed by what Kia calls ‘inverted comma’ taillights. There’s an attractive chrome trim finish on the bottom of the dashboard and lower part of the steering wheel. Our review Picanto came in a daffodil yellow colour which was always simple to spot in carparks crammed with an endless array of boring grey coloured vehicles. Kia Picanto is powered by a 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine in some markets, but only a 1.2-litre four-cylinder is imported to Australia. With only 64 kilowatts of power and 123 Newton metres of torque it’s no ball of fire. However, this diminutive 3.6-metre long hatch weighs in at a lightweight 960 kilograms. Having only four forward ratios in the automatic can be a drawback in some country driving, but is generally fine around town. See the Driving impressions later in this report. Infotainment features are limited to the Bluetooth phone and audio streaming
KIA: Tall, cheeky styling makes a statement in the new Kia Picanto. with information displayed on a small red-on-black screen. USB and Aux sockets are recessed above a phone-sized space. It’s not easy to make small cars safe because of the limited room for building in crumple zones and side intrusion bars. But the Kia engineers have done well and Picanto comes to us with a five-star ANCAP rating. It has six airbags; ABS brakes with electronic brake distribution and brake assist; stability and traction control; daytime running lights; outer rear seat IsoFix child-seat anchorage points; and emergency-stop signal. There is no reversing camera but rear parking sensors are standard. The front seats are comfortable enough, but as the car has no sporting pretensions they don’t really offer much in the way of side support.
The back seat can cope with adults if the folks in the front are willing to give up a bit of legroom. But to Australian minds it’s not really a four-seater. Boot space at 200 litres is good for this class, with good depth and the ability to carry plenty of shopping or a duo or trio of cabin bags. Folding down the 60/40 seatbacks increases luggage space to 605 litres. Picanto is clearly a car aimed at singles, couples and young families, which is the norm in this class. It fulfils those duties well. The major controls are large and wellplaced. The steering wheel is height adjustable only, something that didn’t cause us any hassles, but try for yourself during your private road test out of a Kia dealership. Around town the little Picanto is nimble
Mazda is smarter than ever
From page 1
No accelerating or braking was required so the ‘both-feet-on-the-floor’ technique was used. The old Mazda3 felt fine, turning in with a fair bit of precision and not needing a lot of wheel movements to make it handle neatly. The fast changes of direction around witches hats were handled with little fuss. It has to be admitted there was a temptation to ‘drive’ the car on the throttle and brakes that was almost overwhelming at times as the cars were going pretty hard. Anyhow we managed to resist that and let the Mazda do the work. Then it was into the new model. The difference wasn’t huge, but was most certainly noticeable. Less movement of the steering wheel was required to turn-in and there was no need to make any corrections at the speed at which we were travelling. We are talking about real speeds here, enough to squeal the tyres at times. What does this mean in real life driving? It means that drivers with little training (which is the great majority of them thanks to the very basic requirements set by Australian governments) are less likely to panic and overreact if something happens to them unexpectedly on the road.
in traffic and has good visibility to let you keep track of the traffic all round. It’s easy to park, again due to the excellent visibility and also to the fact that there isn’t a lot of car in the first place. Out of town it’s happy to motor at motorway speeds, though the engine is working at 3400 rpm on 110 km/h motorways. Hills do cause it problems but locking out fourth gear gets it to the top without stressing the engine. Around town fuel use is in the seven to eight litres per hundred kilometres range, about average for this class. On the open road there’s no trouble getting it down into the fives. Comfort is well sorted and while you’re never going to mistake the interior for that of a midsize upmarket car it’s certainly in the topline in its class. Likewise, noise and vibration are well isolated. Handling is good without being in any way aimed at the keen driver. It’s a little vague in the central position of the steering and the car is inclined to move about a bit in crosswinds or when large trucks pass in the other direction. Kia Picanto is a cheerful little car with a lot of style. It’s pleasant to drive, works well around town and isn’t too out of place in the country. Its low driveaway price is certainly appealing as is the extremely long sevenyear warranty. Note that the Kia Picanto is already five years old and that a new model is expected in 2017. Kia Australia has been considering importation for some time, and it looks as though it has done a good deal with the South Korean head office on price of this about to be superseded model. The idea is to let it establish a foothold and be ready for a big battle in the sales race next year. As always when the big boys battle, buyers can take advantage of the situation and push for excellent deals.
At a Glance NOTE: THESE PRICES DO NOT INCLUDE GOVERNMENT OR DEALER DELIVERY CHARGES. CONTACT YOUR LOCAL MAZDA DEALER FOR DRIVEAWAY PRICES.
Neo 2.0-litre petrol sedan or hatch: $20,490 (manual), $22,490 (automatic)
Maxx: 2.0-litre petrol sedan or hatch:
LOOKS GOOD: The new Mazda3. Just in case you still get it wrong the latest Mazda3 has even more safety technology than before. There’s Smart City Brake SupportForward (SCBS) across the range. Mazda3 Maxx and all grades above it get SCBS in reverse gear as well (SCBS-R), Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) and Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA). The powertrain is unchanged; a 2.0-litre petrol with 114 kW of power and 200 Nm of torque is available on Mazda3 Neo, Maxx and Touring grades. A 2.5-litre petrol engine with 138kW and
250Nm is standard on Mazda3 SP25, GT and Astina. The 2.2-litre turbo-diesel has been discontinued in Australia due to lack of interest. Six-speed manual or automatic transmissions are offered on all Mazda3 models. Mazda3’s designers and engineers have taken an already good car and made it better in numerous ways. Mazda3 is already one of the big sellers in Australia and looks like increasing these numbers.
$22,890 (manual), $24,890 (automatic) Touring 2.0-litre petrol sedan or hatch: $25,290 (manual), $27,290 (automatic)
SP 25 2.5-litre petrol sedan or hatch: $25,690 (manual), $27,690 (automatic)
SP 25 GT 2.5-litre petrol sedan or hatch: $29,990 (manual), $31,990 (automatic)
SP 25 Astina sedan or hatch: $33,490 (manual), $35,490 (automatic)
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Aug 12 - 18 | 2016
CLASSIFIEDS ECONOMICAL & STYLISH. 2004 Peugeot 206 XR with 80,000km on the clock, 3 doors 5 seat Hatch, black exterior, blue interior, 5 speed manual, 2 x airbags. Full service history, comes with 12 months registration June 2017 (WMX305) and D 5RDGZRUWK\ &HUWL¿cate. This has been our second car and is a brilliant little car, It will be a shame to see it go as it offers huge value due to its low kilometres and low price of $4999. Inspections welcome. Ph 0457 902 966.
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2010 Mazda 6 Wagon, 6 months rego, rego no. (XLP303), automatic, VOLKSWAGEN Polo 121,000Kms, $9900 2001, auto, (QSA361), ono. Ph 0408 022 171. very low 69,000km, rego until March 2017, always serviced on time by genuine dealer, full log book, immaculate condition, cheap to run, near new tyres, RWC supplied, $5500 ono. Ph 2000 Mercedes Sprinter van, (XFN686), 0449 088 044. 268,000km, AWD, automatic, 2.9lt diesel turbo, basic bed and storage, dual battery, reliable, $9800, no RWC. Ph 0438 555 684, 0401 373 993.
ABOUT to retire? Want to travel? Then have a look at this! 2014 Coromal 612 Element, like VG Commodore new! $60,000 + Will ute, dual fuel, unreg sell for $45,000. Set (ZWP499), $2500 ono. up for off road campPh 0490 336 891. ing. Ph 0418 150 749.
1997 Mazda Astina 323 Hatch, 4cyl Auto, spoiler, immaculate i n t e r i o r, e x c e l l e n t q u a l i t y, r e l i a b l e , economical, (QYI044), 282,000km, 11 months reg, $3750. Ph/txt AH 0431 261 155.
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1997 Mitsubishi Pajero van/wagon, 3.5lt manual, (WNU717), petrol/gas, T/B bar, electric brakes, VGC, 285,000km, $5450 neg. Ph/txt AH 0431 261 155.
HOLDEN Caprice, 2006 model, 6.4ltr V8, 175,000kms, rear seat dvd’s, (UNA269), excellent condition, $18,000. Ph 5722 1105.
NISSAN X-trail, 2003, (WVX031), well looked after, mechanically sound, excellent condition, current road worthy certificate, $5000 ono. Ph 5753 5335, 0417 528 160.
2007 YZ85, full top end rebuild completed, comes with 2 x brand new rear tyres and spare DLU ¿OWHU 3KRQH %RE
2008 Supreme Executive 1660 Tourer, dual axle, full annexe, 110AH battery, new Projecta charger, combination shower toilet, 3 way 180 litre fridge, CD, DVD, internal and external speakers, 12v TV, 12 months registration (S55603), excellent condition, Hayman Reese hitch and level rides included, $34,000. Ph 0417 751 534.
HARLEY Davidson Sportster 2008 XL 1200C, (GU101), excellent fun reliable bike, optional extras, 38,000km, 1 rider only, excellent bike, regretful 2004 Ford Courier, dual sale, $9950. Ph/text AH cab, turbo diesel, 4WD, manual, rego June 2017 0431 261 155. (UVI899), 100,099km, RWC, $8000. Ph 0409 221 923.
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2001 Ford Falcon XR6 AU, auto, body kit, needs front grill, SUPREME Executive $ 2 5 0 0 . 6 F PA A A J G 2010, 20ft caravan, q/ SWID99811. Ph 0439 bed, ensuite, washing 766 211. machine, solar panels, 1999 Hyundai Excel, r/c air, awning, elect/ 2 door, great for spare gas cooking, $37,500. parts, reg (PXG744), Ph 5727 0524 or 0408 no RWC, $500 ono. Ph 741 154. 5721 9102.
2000 Ford Laser 1.8Lt, 5 door hatch, 150,000km, in good condition, (WQO506), $1000 or offer. Phone Peter 0408 308 284.
2008 Mazda BT50, 3 litre turbo diesel, 2WD manual, Freestyle cab, with towbar and wired for towing, tray hardly used, new tyres, new battery, recently serviced and 150,000 carefully driven kms. This vehicle is perfect for trade or farm use. Owned from new, full service history. Complete history of fuel usage, still delivering 9l / 100kms, rear seats never used. It still has much to give, excellent condition, (WIT185), $12,000. Ph 0458 582 828.
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1937 Dodge, club rego (40009H), good driveable condition, $18,000 2004 Nissan Pulsar ono. Ph 5726 9029. ST-L sedan, 105,175 kms, power steering, JAYCO van, poptop, a i r c o n d i t i o n i n g , 5 m t r, s i n g l e a x l e , cruise control, CD, electric brakes, island power windows, 12 bed, good condition, months rego, current well shod, $3750 or RWC supplied, just B.O. Ph 5721 6160 or serviced, engine no: 0423 022 529. QG18380898, $8250 ono. Ph 0418 579 368. MAZDA 3 Neo, white sedan, first registered January 2007, cruise 1994 Toyota Hilux, dual control, 5 speed manual, cab, 2WD, 6 months full service history, rego (CD46DQ), in 162,000km, RWC, one good order, manual, owner, reg (UNA467), extractors, aircon, power $4500 ono. Ph 0429 steering, $4200. Ph 0439 766 211. 899 543.
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