SIDE TRACK
IT takes a closed road and a gaggle of witches’ hats to best appreciate the nuances of the latest Mazda 3’s new-found dynamics.
That way, in a controlled, safe environment and at set speeds, a driver can compare steering and handling characteristics of the current car back to back with the revised model.
As with style changes for one of Australia’s best-selling cars, these fresh performance standards are most subtle.
Much of that is understandable, because the third-generation Mazda 3 – which debuted in 2014 – is already a handsome car with a stellar reputation for accommodation and on-road manners.
It’s a Mazda model as popular around the world as it is in Australia; with 468,000 sold around the globe last year it accounts for onethird of the Japanese maker’s volume. Close on 40,000 were sold here last year.
Mazda’s general manager of product Hitoshi Takeshita puts that down to the company’s “humancentred development philosophy”.
To further the Mazda 3’s advancement there are small changes to front and rear styling to make the car look wider, lower and more “dignified” at the front.
It is in the handling department that the updated Mazda moves on, with computer-controlled G-Vectoring Control.
GVC adjusts engine torque to front wheels in response to steering inputs, smoothing out the each-way forces on the wheels.
As the steering is turned, GVC generates a minute deceleration force, loading up the front wheels to increase grip and responsiveness.
The result is sweeter steering, fewer steering corrections needed and smoother turns into corners, though it needs a back-to-back comparison to best appreciate the difference.
The Mazda 3 is available with 2-litre or 2.5-litre engine, six-speed manual or six-speed auto and six trim grades. Prices start at $20,490 and run through to $35,490.