WITH more people opting for smaller cars, many SUV buyers are also
looking at crossovers instead, and there is no shortage of models that provide
both eye-candy and gravel road ability.
The Nissan Juke is still a head turner, the Fiat500X does cute.
with aggro and Ford’s Ecosport is rewriting all the rules with sustained
demand.
But no crossover has drawn so much attention from those in the know
as the Mazda CX3.
Wheels can reveal this
compact, but beautifully proportioned mix between sport car and ute will soon
be launched in SA — and this will just add to the woes of the factory that
already cannot meet demand.
Car Bay in Malaysia
reports the CX3 has become so popular in both Australia and the East that Mazda
ran out of capacity at the Hiroshima plant and the little ute with the big
presence is now also built at the AutoAlliance plant in Rayong, Thailand.
It is
not yet clear from which plant the South African models will be shipped, but as
Mazda states on its website, “there’s never been an SUV that can move you like
this.”
In Australia, where the CX3 is already sold, the writers at Car and Driver said, “The CX-3 steers with
precision, corners with aplomb, and scoots down the road with a verve that is
almost universally absent among crossovers.
“Toggle the Sport mode and the quick-shifting automatic
transmission takes on Porsche-esque logic, downshifting as you brake for an
upcoming corner.
“Without question, Mazda has built the driver’s car — er, crossover
— in this burgeoning segment.”
Mazda states this “natural agility” comes from its Skyactiv
technology, which are Mazda’s range of naturally aspirated engines that perform
as if they have variable vane turbos.
A unique piston design improves combustion to boost power and lower
emissions. Reduced friction liberates extra power, while a 4-2-1 exhaust layout
lifts efficiency.
The 4-cylinder engine delivers a sporty 115 kW of power and 204 Nm
of torque; using as little as 6.5 litres of fuel every 100 km (manufacturer's claim).
With no turbo to burn extra fuel faster comes outstanding fuel
economy in petrol.
Inside the cabin, Mazda’s call Bluetooth MZD Connect links the car
to the Internet.
It is not only a looker either. Under those pumped flanks, an
extremely strong body structure integrates SRS airbags ensuring superb
protection.
Mazda states the confident grasp on the road that so impressed the
scribes Down Under is aided by Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) with Traction
Control System (TCS).
Innovative Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) brakes feature Electronic
Brake-force Distribution (EBD) which matches braking to vehicle load, while
Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) boosts stopping power when emergency braking is
sensed.
At Barloworld Mazda in Pietermaritzburg, the word is the CX3 is
only expected at month end, but customers can already register their interest to
be first in line for when this much anticipated crossover arrives.
How the new Mazda will affect the rampant sales of the Ford
Ecosport remained to be seen, but in a market where sales are generally expected
to be at least eight percent down, buyers with good-condition trade-ins are king
and they can expect red carpet treatment at both the Ford and Mazda
dealerships.
