Pretty and cute
Engine Power Max torque Gearbox Wheelbase LxWxH (mm) Tyres Ground Clearance Price
Although we don’t get them here Mazda has over the last few years been making very pretty cars. No wonder the new Mazda 3 won the World Car Design of the Year 2020.
By Indian standards, the Mazda 3 is a rather large hatchback. In terms of length, it is just 2cm longer than both the Honda City and the Hyundai Verna. So the designers have had a lot of surface area to work with to get the right proportions and lines. Built and designed with an aspiration for all theme, the 3 in its hatchback form has a very sensuous appeal, gentle and ephemeral. The chief designer of the Mazda 3 days that the design concept was condensed and emotional and one car see it being translated into the production car. It’s an elegant and soft design with the only aggressiveness coming through from the grille. The lines are gentle and the rear is quite raised and the tail lamps are above the rear view mirrors on the sides. The slits or pockets for the head-lamps and tail-lamps seem to have been cut out from the outer skin of the car and the round pods nestled in – very delicate and avant garde.
On the inside, the 3 is as gentle and snug as it is outside and it is fully loaded, with equipment and features that would do a higher segment car proud. The 8.8in touchscreen serves as an interface between you and the car and is nicely positioned behind and above a fold in the dashboard.
The 2.5-litre Skyactiv-G engine is smooth and refined but the rush of torque comes in only higher up in the rev range. The car’s low stance, snug seating, meaty steering and its all wheel drive system all demand a rush of torque which a fast revving turbo charged engine may have been able to deliver better. However, the NVH levels are really good and the cabin feels well isolated from the road and other noise on the outside.
Mazda continues to keep away from India and from the 3 we can see what we are missing. Sensuous designs and great cabins amongst others. While Mazda has given no indication that it will set up shop in India, we do keep nudging them whenever we meet the folk from Mazda.
Acouple of years back I had driven the CX-5 during the World Car Awards LA Test Drives and was very impressed with the vehicle. Although it did not go on to win the World Car award, perhaps because it did not present anything radical, but was good all around. For India, I thought it would have been just a little too big and the CX-3 was just a little too small. So in comes the CX-30, which at 4394mm, is just slightly longer than the Kia Seltos, and looks nice like most Mazdas these days. It’s a simple yet beautiful design, without too much drama at the front or on the sides. The most sculpted side is the rear which adds power and muscle to back up the simplicity. On the inside, the CX-30 is again very simple and neat, with the 8.8in touchscreen rising elegantly out of smooth flowing lines. The SUV is loaded with convenience features and I would have preferred a smaller turbocharged engine in place of the 2.5-litre naturally aspirated one that does duty in the Mazda 3 as well. Again it is mated to the 6-speed automatic transmission and with AWD. The powertrain overall is the part that lets the car down specially on the motorway and even more so on the Angeles Crest Highway that snakes up the hills and mountains.