Mazda Australia is introducing the updated Mazda3 as revealed earlier this month complete with a styling refresh, improved handling and more safety equipment.
In terms of powertrains, there’s the choice of Mazda’s 2.0-litre SKYACTIV-G petrol with 114kW/200Nm, and the more powerful 2.5-litre SKYACTIV-G petrol engine pushing out 138kW and 250Nm. The latter is standard on SP25, GT and Astina variants. Mazda is no longer offering its 2.2-litre diesel powertrain for the Mazda3. All variants come with the option of a six-speed manual or automatic transmission.
In terms of driving dynamics, Mazda says this is the most capable 3 yet thanks to a new G-Vectoring control system, which is said to improve chassis balance while cornering. GVC is standard on all variants. There’s also been changes to the electric power assisted steering system, as well as changes to damper and suspension calibration.
Mazda is now offering some of its i-ACTIVSENSE safety technology package as standard across the range, with the base Neo variant receiving the smart city brake support (forward). The Maxx receives smart city brake (reverse), blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, while the range-topping Astina gets all these, plus lane-keep assist and adaptive LED headlamps.
Key features for the base Neo, which starts at $20,490, include electric mirrors, rear parking sensors, G-vectoring control and drive selector switch (automatic transmission only). Mazda is keen to point out the new base model is $1000-$1500 more affordable when factoring in the extra safety tech.
The updated 2016 Mazda3 goes on sale in Australia from August 1. Prices are listed below (excludes on-roads), and highlight features further below:
2016 Mazda3 Neo manual – $20,490
2016 Mazda3 Neo auto – $22,490
2016 Mazda3 Maxx manual – $22,890 (up $500)
2016 Mazda3 Maxx auto – $24,890 (up $500)
2016 Mazda3 Touring manual – $25,290 (up $500)
2016 Mazda3 Touring auto – $27,290 (up $500)
2016 Mazda3 SP25 manual – $25,690 (up $500)
2016 Mazda3 SP25 auto – $27,690 (up $500)
2016 Mazda3 SP25 GT manual – $29,990 (up $200)
2016 Mazda3 SP25 GT auto – $31,990 (up $200)
2016 Mazda3 SP25 Astina manual – $33,490 (down $1550)
2016 Mazda3 SP25 Astina auto – $35,490 (down $1550)
Mazda3 Neo features include:
Drive Selector switch (auto only)
Electric folding mirrors
G-Vectoring Control (GVC)
Halogen headlamps
Rear Parking Sensors
Smart City Brake Support-Front (SCBS-F)
Traction Control System (TCS)
Mazda3 Maxx features (additional to Neo)
Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM)
DAB+ Digital Radio
Front Fog-lamps (LED)
Multi-function commander control
MZD Connect
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)
Rear-view mirror with auto dimming function
Reverse Camera
Satellite navigation
Smart City Brake Support – Reverse (SCBS-R)
Mazda3 Touring features (additional to Maxx)
Dual-zone climate control
Electric Parking Brake (EPB)
Headlamps with auto on/off function
Leather seat trim
Power mirrors (body coloured, auto folding)
Rain sensing wipers
Mazda3 SP25 features (additional to Maxx)
Advanced Keyless Entry
Duel-zone climate control
Electric Parking Brake (EPB)
Headlamps auto on/off function
18 inch alloy wheels
Mazda3 SP25 GT features (additional to SP25)
All-colour Active Driving Display
Daytime running lamps (LED)
Driver Attention Alert (DAA)
LED headlamps with Adaptive Front-lighting System (AFS)
Power mirrors (heated)
Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR)
Mazda3 SP25 Astina features (additional to SP25 GT)
Adaptive LED headlamps
Forward Obstruction Warning (FOW)
Lane-keep Assist System (LAS)
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
Mazda Radar Cruise Control (MRCC)
Smart Brake Support (SBS)
Sunroof
18 Inch alloys (bright finish)
