Worth waiting for

Mazda"s 3 model is probably the most important car in its range. But it has been time for the makeover to freshen up the styling and add more power with thrift. Changes in car design, though, need to be cautious and Mazda has been in no rush to do anything radical. This new Mazda 3 - which will not appear in Ireland until the year"s end - has been given a subtle and smart makeover. The new car is lighter and smoother to drive and now there"s the option of a bigger 2.2 litre diesel engine without compromising on fuel efficiency. You won"t notice any radical styling changes here. The overall shape of the current model has been retained. There are changes to the front and rear ends that are more significant. The interior of the car, however, has been given a complete style overhaul. The external styling retains its sporty wedge shape. The new headlamps give it a sportier look and, at the rear, there are changes to the light clusters and an integrated spoiler gives a sleek look. Mazda has continued its strategy to build lighter cars. The new 3 is claimed to weigh up to 15kg less than the current model. Mazda claims to use 17 per cent more high-strength steel in the car"s construction, ensuring light weight with strength. At the recent European launch, I drove the new 1.6 litre turbo-diesel model. For me, the most significant thing about this car was its quietness. Mazda has tackled this noise issue and delivered a car that"s smooth and easy to drive. The car feels very quiet to drive for one that"s diesel-powered. That"s because the carmaker claims to have achieved up to an 11 per cent noise reduction versus the current model. The trick was to improve the aerodynamics of the car, increase the suspension rigidity and using more vibration dampening material in the right places. On the mechanical side, Mazda has achieved the smooth driving feel by the use of a new front and rear suspension system. The rear suspension is now a multi-link system and it, too, delivers in terms of comfort. The improvements in fuel economy for the new 3 range are equally significant. For the 1.6 litre turbo-diesel test car that we drove, there was no difference in the levels of fuel economy compared with the current model. The change has been an improvement in the car"s CO2 rating. The economy ratings give the car a fuel economy figure of 4.5 litres/100km (60mpg) in the combined driving cycle. That and engine power remains almost unchanged from the current model. The more significant point is that the CO2 rating has been reduced from 125 to 119g/km. The bonus for the Irish motorist from this change is that it drops the road tax for the Mazda 3 1.6D from Band B to Band A. And that results in an annual road tax saving of €52 with a new rate of just €104. The other engine bonus is that, side by side with the improvements in the CO2 rating, is the use of a diesel particulate filter. The car is also faster in terms of acceleration. Mazda has cut one second off the acceleration rating, bringing it down to 11 seconds for a 0 to 100km/h race. Even though the 2.2 litre turbo-diesel engine is equally thrifty, Mazda reckons this 1.6 litre diesel will be the most popular in the new line-up for Ireland. David McGonigle, general manager at Mazda Ireland, said that with the current trend to diesel power in the segment, he expects that more than 80 per cent of sales will be diesel-powered when the car arrives at the end of this year. Electro-hydraulic power assist steering has been fitted to all versions for a light but stable steering feel and reduced fuel consumption. The steering feels firm while easy to use. There are more safety features, too. The car comes with the new standard ABS, EBD and Brake Assist. The new features include a traction control system (TCS) and stability control (DSC) as standard. Mazda will be supplying front, side, and curtain airbags are standard in all markets. A Bose sound around system is offered, which is an executive level sound system for a car in this segment of the market. Bluetooth phone connection and MP3 player connection are also part of the package, with a compact satellite navigation system among the other options. The new Mazda 3 will be sold in other markets sooner than the planned Irish arrival date. This is further confirmation of just how bad the Irish new car market is currently. Mazda claims this new model will be price competitive. The standard kit will have air conditioning and alloy wheels. Current Mazda 3 diesel prices start at €21,615, while the lower CO2 rating for the new model should trim a little from that price. Prices may tumble even further than the current good deals on offer, even if this is a car well worth waiting for.