3rd generation Mazda3 to premier at Frankfurt

• All-new Mazda3 range to enjoy public premiere on stage in Frankfurt
• Mazda3 is third new generation model with SKYACTIV technology and KODO design
• Range of new Mazda3 hatchbacks and fastback on sale in January

Captivating, capable and connected – the all-new Mazda3 will be the star attraction of Mazda’s exhibition at this year’s Frankfurt International Motor Show.  Although it won’t go on sale in the UK until January 2014, the all-new Mazda3 has already attracted high praise from motoring media and is currently proving itself on the road during an extreme 9,300 mile ‘Mazda Route3 Hiroshima-Frankfurt Challenger Tour 2013’ endurance test from Japan to Germany.

The new model’s standard equipment redefines the word ‘generous’ for a car in the C-segment class.  Mazda’s brand new connectivity concept makes the company’s all-time global best-selling model one of the first in Europe to take occupants online.  Building on existing email, text and navigation features, the system safely brings an array of free mobile online content into the vehicle, including Facebook and Twitter audio feeds as well as Aha™, with tens of thousands of cloud-based stations, from radio to audio books and more.

Like the first two models of Mazda’s inspired new generation, the Mazda CX-5 compact SUV and Mazda6, the all-new Mazda3 is equipped with SKYACTIV technology and features the brand’s award-winning KODO design language.  Adapted for the Mazda3’s sporty compact physique, the KODO philosophy results in an exterior that unites a bold, powerful stance expressing pent-up energy with superior build quality.  Hatchback or fastback, the new shapes also save fuel – thanks to a very aerodynamically ‘clean’ design, boasting among the best aerodynamics on the market, with Cd values of 0.258 (fastback) and 0.275 (hatchback).

Convention-defying technology

Inside the cabin, Mazda’s brand new interior offers safe, ergonomic comfort.  Larger than the outgoing model in most respects, the all-new Mazda3 also gets an optimised Human-Machine Interface (HMI).  Highlights of the HMI include the Active Driving Display, Mazda’s new head-up display, another rarity in this class, and a new design of rotary commander enabling a safe operation of infotainment functions.  The all-new Mazda3 hatchback and fastback share the enlarged 2,700mm wheelbase – the longest in the C-segment and 60mm longer than the current Mazda3’s.

A high-mileage example of the all-new Mazda3 will also be displayed on stage at the Frankfurt Show, after driving directly from the factory at Hiroshima in Japan.  It will be one of eight Mazda3 hatchbacks to have completed the ‘Mazda Route3 Hiroshima-Frankfurt Challenger Tour 2013’ across Russia, Belarus and Poland.  Other tour cars, which are scheduled to arrive in Frankfurt just in time for the motor show, will be exhibited in an outdoor area of the show grounds.

Mazda’s stand at the Frankfurt Show is located in Hall 9, stand B12 and the company’s press conference will take place at 14.00 hrs (CET) on 10 September.

All-new Mazda3 coming to Britain in January 2014

When the all-new Mazda3 goes on sale in the UK in January 2014, the model line-up will once again include two bodystyles – hatchback and fastback.  The two styles share the enlarged 2,700mm wheelbase – the longest in the C-segment and 60mm longer than the current Mazda3’s.  Both bodystyles are 40mm wider and 15mm lower than the current model, while the fastback’s boot design extends the overall length by 120mm to 4,580mm – compared to 4,460mm for the hatchback.

Despite performance-enhancing changes that normally add weight – such as bigger brakes and bigger wheels – all-new Mazda3 is lighter than the current model, with kerb weights starting from 1,200kg (fastback) and 1,190kg (hatchback), making it one of the lightest C-segment cars.

All-new Mazda3 is going to deliver some remarkable fuel economy and emissions figures.  British buyers will be offered a choice of three naturally-aspirated petrol powerplants and one turbocharged diesel – all fitted with i-stop, Mazda’s idle-stop system, as standard.

The 100ps SKYACTIV-G 1.5-litre is a brand new, exceptionally frugal petrol engine, delivering up to 55.4mpg (combined cycle), with CO2 emissions from 119g/km (hatchback).

The SKYACTIV-G 2.0-litre will be available in standard (120ps) and high power (165ps) versions.  The standard power engine combines first-rate fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions – 55.4mpg and 119g/km (manual) and 50.4mpg and 128g/km (automatic).  For the high power engine, fuel consumption (48.7mpg) and CO2 emissions (135g/km) are very respectable for such performance.

The 150ps SKYACTIV-D 2.2-litre clean diesel will deliver an unprecedented combination of excellent fuel economy and responsive dynamics, while significantly reducing nitrogen oxide (NOX) and soot emissions.  High performance, with 380Nm of torque at 1,800rpm, is combined with fuel economy and CO2 emissions up to 72.4mpg and from just 104g/km.

Convoy of all-new mazda3 cars to drive from Japan to Germany

• Convoy of all-new Mazda3 cars to drive from Hiroshima, Japan to Frankfurt, Germany
• 9,300 mile route crosses nine time zones, five countries and two continents
• British media and Mazda dealers from UK to drive three legs of challenging route

Mazda has long been famed for the robust quality and reliability of its vehicles and the all-new Mazda3 builds on those key attributes.  To prove just how good its new model is, Mazda is sending eight of its new compact hatchbacks on an unconventional test drive – travelling more than 9,300 miles from the factory in Hiroshima to the 2013 International Motor Show in Frankfurt, Germany.

The ‘Mazda Route3 – Hiroshima to Frankfurt Challenger Tour 2013’ crosses nine time zones, five countries and two continents, traversing Russia (the world’s largest country), before crossing Belarus and Poland.  Driven by journalists, bloggers and Mazda dealers, the convoy of new Mazda3 cars will arrive in Frankfurt on Saturday 7 September, three days before the motor show opens its doors.  Mazda fans can follow the convoy’s progress on a dedicated website available at www.mazda.co.uk/mazdaroute3/ which will feature a trip diary with images and videos.

After taking a ferry across the Sea of Japan, the main overland portion of the Mazda Route3 endurance test drive begins in Vladivostok, Russia’s main Pacific port, on 3 August.   British media and Mazda dealers from the UK will be among the first crews to pilot the Mazda3 test fleet when they participate in the three legs from Vladivostok to Krasnoyars, via Blagoveshensk and Ulan-Ude.

Averaging just over 1,300 miles, the seven ensuing legs of the tour will take between three and six days each to cover.  The endurance test will provide ample opportunity for those behind the wheel – journalists and Mazda enthusiasts from various parts of the world – to become well acquainted with the all-new Mazda3 under a variety of conditions.  There will also be several opportunities along the way to experience different cultures and customs.

All the Mazda3 hatchback test cars will be powered by a 120ps SKYACTIV-G petrol engine mated to a six-speed SKYACTIV-MT manual transmission.  From the stunning ‘KODO – Soul of Motion’ exterior design to the advanced lightweight SKYACTIV technology and a completely redesigned cabin space, the convention-defying all-new Mazda3 is built to exceed customer expectations.

Enhancing traditional Mazda strengths, new Mazda3 delivers uncompromising handling, safety and build quality.  In the UK, there will be a choice of two bodystyles (hatchback and fastback), three SKYACTIV-G petrol engines and one SKYACTIV-D diesel – all offering an unbeatable combination of performance, fuel economy and low emissions that should place the all-new Mazda3 among the best in Europe’s C-segment.

This will be the third time that Mazda models have taken part in such an extreme test drive.  In 1977, German reporters drove two predecessors of the Mazda3 – Mazda 323 hatchbacks – from Japan to Frankfurt.  The expedition was followed up successfully in 1990, when four Mazda 626s crossed the former Soviet Union.  Now the stage is set for the most advanced Mazda compact ever to follow in their tracks.