First deliveries are expected in January 2020. All registered in England and Wales. Mazda tends to accompany the launch of its new vehicles with a lot of marketing bluster. Highly specced, as standard As with the All-new Mazda 3, the new generation of Mazda vehicles will offer a high-level of on-board features and technology as standard. Both engines are also equipped with Mazda new M-Hybrid system. It strikes that nice balance of tall airiness in the cabin but compact movability on the road. It carries a premium of £1,480 over the SkyActiv-G powertrain.
Other than that, though, this car uses the same platform as the 3 and is being launched with the same engines: a 114bhp 1. Inside, the layout of the dashboard and switchgear is similar to that of the Mazda 3, save for a bit of extra padding on the top of the facia. It's a lovely place to sit. Materials are strong and high-quality, switches operate satisfyingly and are logically laid out, and the new 8. It's centred around the driver with the neatly integrated dashtop screen turned at a slight angle towards the driver, while the raised centre console creates a snug, sporty feel.
Peak power comes in at a heady 6,000 rpm, so the engine needs revving hard to get any momentum. If it were, this would be an easy recommendation. Shorter because Mazda thinks this makes it easier to manoeuvre around town, which is where all of these things will live, and taller because, well, crossover. Automatic emergency braking, high-beam assist, blindspot monitoring with rear cross traffic alert, lane-departure warning and lane keep, traffic sign recognition and adaptive cruise control are all standard. Can I use it as a family car? Prices start from £22,895 for the entry-level SkyActiv-G powered model, climbing to £33,495 for the range-topping SkyActiv-X engined variant. This incredible bit of technology offers drivers the best of both petrol and diesel. There's plenty of rear legroom, good headroom all around obviously and a decent sized boot — albeit one that lacks the practicality flourishes of, say,.
The modest torque of the 120bhp SkyActiv-G means progress is a little lacklustre, with 11. Mazda has also fitted a seven-inch digital instrument binnacle as standard, along with an 8. We drove a petrol auto and a diesel manual — both front-wheel drive all-wheel drive is an option. It certainly feels less breathless than the Skyactiv-G engine. The result is less load on the engine and less fuel usage. On hilly roads the auto gearbox keeps the engine in the higher reaches of the rev-band, spoiling its otherwise impressive refinement.
Inside, the cockpit again has a look that will be familiar to any current Mazda owners. The latter assists with accelerator, brake pedal and steering operations when stuck in traffic. Best of both worlds, right? It fires into life with the gruffness of a diesel, and settles into a more petrol-like hum eventually. Looks similar too, though different enough from the standard hatchback to make it a worthwhile item. Even on the largest wheels, the ride is comfortable and damped well to cope with some rather serious potholes. That already exists as a car for the Chinese market and is a different proposition, while this newcomer is looking to build on the momentum established by its hatchback sibling: the recently launched new.
Just contact one of our Mazda showroom teams, based in , , and. Premium design and superior comfort As Mazda continues to evolve and improve on their award-winning Kodo: Soul of Motion design philosophy, each new car offers an even higher level of head-turning looks. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Ride and refinement are good, too, with a generally softer ride than a Mazda 3 hatch. .
Economy and emissions figures stand at 47. Five trim levels are available. It follows on from the updated Mazda 3 hatch, and steals its powertrain and technology underpants, too. Would you be shocked if we said it was a lot like the 3 hatch? Among the better-looking cars in its class, certainly, even if the plastic cladding along the sills and over the wheel arches looks a bit heavy-handed from some angles. Pinging is currently not allowed. All petrol engines feature mild hybrid technology using an electric motor and a 24V lithium-ion battery mounted between the wheels. Steering wheel mounted controls and an 8.
Take that, premium German marques! Expect it to weigh in around £2000-£3000 more than an equivalent Mazda 3 hatch. Its spark-assisted compression system allows it to offer the better efficiency of a diesel, without compromising on power or emissions output. Same sort of unflustered body control from corner to corner — albeit with a little more roll, naturally. That does, however, translate into noticeable body roll in faster corners. While it revs freely — something Mazda has put considerable effort into making a characteristic of its whole engine range — the lack of torque just makes this 2.
It's available with a range of Skyactive petrol and diesel engines, including Mazda's recolutionary Spark Plug Controlled Compression Ignition technology - said to combine the free-revving performance of a petrol engine with the fuel economy of a diesel. There is also a 1. This all adds to the experience of oneness between the driver and the car. What about the Skyactiv-X engine? But there really is no end to the list of rivals this new car faces; the , , and more line up against it. Not quite as crisp as the 3, but not too far off.
Look elsewhere if you regularly fill your boot up. But it still has spark plugs and can fire the cylinders using those, like a standard petrol engine. If so, expect good levels of standard equipment for the money. However, a tall passenger sitting behind a tall driver may find legroom a little restricted, and the transmission tunnel is quite high, limiting legroom in the middle seat. The steering is precise and generously weighted — the latter point many crossovers blindly ignore — and the manual gearbox has a very satisfying shift, courtesy of a rather stubby gearknob. Very simply put, it uses a supercharger to help create a very lean air-fuel mix that can be combusted via compression, like a diesel engine.