Mazda3: Blazing a trail

THE all-new Mazda3 has made its world premiere at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
The fully re-designed model will be rolled out to global markets, beginning with North America, in early 2019.
It adopts a mature Kodo design that embodies the essence of Japanese aesthetics.
While the overall design presents a simple, single form, subtle undulations bring the styling to life through shifting light and reflections that glide over the body surface.
The result is a richer and more powerful model with a distinct personality.
New SKYACTIV-Vehicle Architecture adorns the Mazda3, designed to enable people to relax in a natural sense of balance.
This is also a response to lingering complaints surrounding older models: of NVH – industry kargon for Noise, Vibration and Harshness.
Based on its key philosophy of designing the car around the humans inside, Mazda has dramatically enhanced the car’s fundamental driving attributes e.g. acceleration, turning and braking.
Having sold over 6 million since its 2003 debut, (Mazda’s best-selling vehicle ever), the Mazda3 is a global success that has driven the company’s success both as a business and as a brand.
“The all-new Mazda3 begins a new era for Mazda,” said Akira Marumoto, Mazda’s President and CEO.
“Through it, we will further raise Mazda’s brand value and work towards our goal of building ever stronger bonds with customers all over the world.”
Marumoto added that Mazda’s autonomous capabilities would serve to bring the car to a safe halt in the case of an incapacitated driver, instead of doing the driving itself.
He said that Mazda will never build a car without a steering wheel, and that he “prefers the smell of gasoline to full electric power.”
He also stated that Mazda would rather establish itself as a genuine premium carmaker comparable to its European rivals, emphasising that this would be achievable through quality, comfort and improvements in the existing models rather than expanding into others.
The 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show ends on December 9.