2004 Mazda 3 By Tony Whitney ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PARIS, FRANCE: Mazda was expected to launch a new small car at the recent Frankfurt auto show but few expected that it would be one of the highlights of this huge event. The show was to some extent dominated by luxury sports products like the Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR, Aston Martin DB9, Maserati Quattroporte and BMW 6-Series, but thanks to Mazda and VW with its new Golf, there was something affordable for Canadian new car buyers to look forward to. I didn't have to wait for the show to see - or even drive - the new Mazda 3, thanks to an invitation from Mazda to attend the world media preview in Paris just prior to Frankfurt. The Mazda 3 will replace the very popular Protégé models for the 2004 model year. Both sedan and hatchback versions will be available and there will be a choice of two engines in the range we'll get in Canada. Styling is very attractive indeed and owes something to the Mazda 6 models that were introduced a while back. I always thought the old Protégé sedan a little bland, though the very successful four-door hatchback version (Protégé 5) was certainly more "interesting." Of the new cars, I liked the hatchback best, both for its looks and its practicality. This time around though, the choice between hatchback and sedan is harder to make because both look as good or better than any similar range on the market. The front of the car is especially "Mazda 6-like" and the treatment heralds a kind of corporate look that we're likely to see on other Mazda products. An available Sport Appearance Package will make the car look even more like a touring car racer. The new range is so appealing, some of the media people in attendance at the Frankfurt launch were saying that the car upstaged the new Golf - a huge debut for VW, which hopes to sell 600,000 of them over the next year. At the launch, many auto scribes were saying that the car could steal sales away from the Mazda 6, it's that good. In fact, the car has enough appeal to win lots of "capture" sales from other manufacturers to keep sales figures high and it's worth remembering that if you want a V-6, you can't get one with a Mazda 3. Power for the range comes from either a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder with twin cams and 16 valves developing 148 horsepower or a 2.3-litre engine of similar configuration developing 160 horses. I found both engines very lively and even the base powerplant provided lots of driving fun, especially with the manual transmission, which was very slick and positive. An automatic transmission will be available as an option, as you'd expect in a range like this. Incidentally, the hatchback, being of a sporty demeanor, comes only with the 2.3-litre engine. To get the smaller motor, you have to stick with the base sedan - at least, in North America. In Europe, a diesel version will certainly follow, but there's no indication that we'll ever get one here. The basic platform of this car, by the way, is likely to find application on the next generation Ford Focus as the two automakers are working ever-closer together these days. Ford owns about a third of Mazda, but the Hiroshima company is fiercely independent and has recently appointed a Japanese chief executive after several years of North American and British leadership. The interior of the Mazda 3 should please people looking for the kind of quality and ambiance usually found only on upscale European products. The instrument panel, console and dash are almost Audi-like in their quality and fit and finish. I liked the driving position as soon as I got into the car and the seats are very supportive too. Best of all, this is a real "driver's car" like the bigger Mazda 6. It's fast and agile and certainly as good as anything we've yet seen in this class. The car compares to some of the sportier VW Golfs I've driven and people moving on from products like the Miata will not feel they've given much up when family sedan/hatchback time comes around. Pricing, incidentally, will be announced later in the year and I have a feeling we'll be pleasantly surprised. I thought that Mazda had come up with "best in class" styling and performance with the 6 model and they seem to have done it again with the smaller car. The Mazda 3 is going to be a major hit when it arrives later this year and should put a company that saw some problems a few years ago firmly back on the road to prosperity. Well done Mazda! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Back to Tony Whitney's Auto Reviews Page