Mazda3 has new entry point
Mazda Australia believes increasing the entry point of its popular Mazda3 small car range will not affect sales numbers due to private buyers – its target demographic – opting for more mid and high-end variants.
While the previous Mazda3 range opened at $20,490 plus on-roads for the six-speed manual Neo, the new range now kicks off from $24,990, with a new naming strategy that begins with the G20 Pure.
While a $4500 shift upstream seems significant in the value-focused small car segment, Mazda Australia managing director Vinesh Bindhi said the shift in entry point was due to the removal of an entry-level grade, which should not drastically affect Mazda3 sales.
“In terms of what we are offering in the marketplace, when we say the starting price is higher than the outgoing generation, it’s not actually true,” he said.
“We’re not having an entry grade as we had in the last generation. Where we are starting our pricing, our features, our specs from, is where 90 percent of our customers have said ‘that’s what I want to buy’.
“Our starting point with the Pure model includes a significant amount of extended features, which were
available in the previous Maxx and Maxx Sport grade. We’re offering that and a whole lot more value.
“So if we are going to lose some customers because of pure affordability, then we might be able to offer alternatives, either with the CX-3 or maybe a used car.
“There is a chance we might lose a small number of our customers who repeatedly buy on an entry price. But I don’t think the exit will be significant.”
Under the new Mazda3 naming system, three variants each will be offered with the two available engine options, starting with the G20 Pure, G20 Evolve and G20 Touring for the 2.0-litre mill, and G25 Evolve, G25 GT and G25 Astina for the more powerful 2.5-litre engine.
Further down the line, the Skyactiv X compression-ignition petrol engine will debut in the flagship Astina variant, while a mild-hybrid Skyactiv X powertrain is also a chance for Australia. Mazda expects the G20 Evolve to be the most popular variant with around 30 percent of sales, while the 2.0-litre engine is expected to make up two thirds of overall sales.
The hatch body style will be the more popular variant with 60 percent of sales, compared to the sedan, which will arrive mid-year. Only 10 percent of buyers are expected to opt for the six-speed manual transmission offered across the range.
With its new generation, Mazda has focused on bringing the Mazda3 upmarket with a step up in standard kit and a significant focus on improving noise, vibration and harshness, NVH, levels, with 49 wholesale changes over the outgoing model specifically targeting an NVH improvement.
Changes include introducing damping nodes between the car’s steel panels to reduce vibration, moving audio speakers from the doors to the footwell, and developing a new set of tyres specifically designed to reduce noise from the road.
With the removal of the previous entry-level grade, Mazda has improved the level of standard kit on its small car contender, starting with the G20 Pure which includes 16-inch alloys, 8.8-inch widescreen display with Mazda Connect infotainment system, Apple Carplay or Android Auto compatibility and DAB+ digital radio, satellite navigation, eight-speaker audio system, a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, head-up display, electric parking brake, rear parking sensors, reversing camera, black cloth seat trim with manual adjustment and rainsensing wipers.
The Mazda3 hatch goes on sale in Australia this week, while due to staggered production the sedan variant will arrive mid-year.