by Graham Heeps at TractionLife.com
Mazda fills another SUV niche, but does the 2020 CX-30 bring anything different to the table? Considering the Mazda3 GT/Hatch is cheaper & just as capable?
This feature 2020 Mazda CX-30 Review appeared first on TractionLife.com by Graham Heeps.
by Chris Chase at TractionLife.com
Turbocharged power returns to the Mazda3 lineup for 2021 – the first time since 2013 the company has offered a turbo engine in its entry-level 4-door model.
This feature Mazda3 compact the latest Mazda to add turbo power appeared first on TractionLife.com by Chris Chase.
by Graham Heeps at TractionLife.com
We review the 2019 CX-5 Signature with the Skyactiv-D motor. Diesels remain a rare, costly alternative to its gas-powered siblings. Is this SUV different?
This feature 2019 Mazda CX-5 Diesel Review appeared first on TractionLife.com by Graham Heeps.
by Graham Heeps at TractionLife.com
Full review of the 2019 Mazda3 GT sedan – sleek compact goes back to basics with ease of use & driver appeal; interior, exterior, performance impressions.
This feature 2019 Mazda3 Sedan Review: Back to Basics appeared first on TractionLife.com by Graham Heeps.
by Kelly Taylor at TractionLife.com
Redesiged 2019 Mazda3 debuts at LA Auto Show. Expect an AWD option, 2 engine choices, a stickshift and more interior tech.
This feature World Debut: Redesigned Mazda3 Looks Sleek & Keeps 6-Speed Manual for 2019 appeared first on TractionLife.com by Kelly Taylor.
by Kelly Taylor at TractionLife.com
Redesiged 2019 Mazda3 debuts at LA Auto Show. Expect an AWD option, 2 engine choices, a stickshift and more interior tech.
This feature World Debut: Redesigned Mazda3 Looks Sleek & Keeps 6-Speed Manual for 2019 appeared first on TractionLife.com by Kelly Taylor.
by Kelly Taylor at TractionLife.com
Fuel-sipping subcompact crossover, the stylish 2019 Mazda CX-9 makes a strong case against buying a hybrid. But does this small SUV have ample gusto under the hood?
This feature 2019 Mazda CX-3 Review appeared first on TractionLife.com by Kelly Taylor.
We review the 2018 Mazda6 Signature family sedan with added luxury & tech to keep up with the compeititors. But how does the 2.5L turbo engine perform?
This post 2018 Mazda6 Signature Review appeared first on TractionLife.com by Chris Chase.
More specs, pricing info: Mazda6 USA
More specs, pricing info: Mazda6 Canada
Vernon, B.C. — The 2018 Mazda6 has a two-cylinder motor. Some of the time, that is. Launching a somewhat radical refresh of a car that first hit the roads in 2012, Mazda’s changes go more than skin deep.
Two new motors are on tap, a 2.5-litre normally aspirated four-cylinder with cylinder deactivation, and a 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder delivering more than 300 foot-pounds of torque.
The motors are the big news here, one for fuel economy and one for added power (and not bad fuel economy). For our drive, the normally aspirated 2.5-litre motor, when cruising on the highway and running on two cylinders, dropped down to five litres per 100 kilometres on the instant fuel-economy display. For a midsize sedan, that’s hybrid territory without being a hybrid.
The second motor, a variant of the 2.5-litre dynamic pressure turbo in the CX-9 crossover (read the review here), has peak horsepower of 250 and peak torque of 310 pound-feet. The nice flat torque curve transforms the Mazda6 from a capable family cruiser to a legitimate sports sedan that still only burns 10 litres per 100 kilometres in the city and 7.5 on the highway.
There are about 75 changes — to the car’s glass, wipers, acoustic sealing, floor pan, window channels and door seals, among others — that drastically cut interior noise.
There are new chassis and suspension changes to improve noise, handling and reduce weight.
There are tweaks to the exterior design and a radical revision to the interior.
“Here’s a photo showing the changes to the interior in red,” said Mark Peyman, Mazda Canada’s national manager of product planning and strategy. The entire photo was red.
There’s a new dash design, new infotainment screen that’s an inch larger, new instrument panel display that declutters the gauges and uses a different font to improve readability. New seats, new centre console, new door panels and new air vents.
The new instrument panel replaces the speedometer with a seven-inch LCD screen that digitally mimics a conventional analog speedo. The change allows the speedometer to display only one measurement standard at a time, eliminating the clutter of a metric and Imperial set of numbers. (You can switch it between standards when crossing the border.)
There are enough changes it really qualifies as a redesign rather than a refresh, but it will take a knowledgeable observer to notice the changes from the outside. Peyman said the overall shape has held up well the last six years, so only minor changes were implemented, including a new rear fascia, new front, new headlights that integrate the fog lamps into the headlight housing, a larger grille, as well as a new grille design that has gone from horizontal bars to a crosshatch design.
The Mazda6 also gets a top-line Signature trim level, which first appeared on the CX-9 crossover. Signature loads the 6 to the rafters with technology, Nappa leather, ultrasuede accent panels on the dash and door panels, Sen wood accents. There are no options.
It includes high-speed autonomous braking, pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assist, the turbo motor and a gunmetal finish on the grille designed to catch the light and add a sense of depth to its appearance.
It is, interestingly enough, part of Mazda’s plan to expand the reach of its cars into the lower strata of premium brands, a strategy the company calls Mazda Premium. Peyman said the push is paying off, with increasing numbers of premium-brand shoppers including Mazda in their searches.
“It’s an exciting time for us in the brand, it’s a good transformation to be going through,” he said. “At the same time, we have to be careful to not say we’re becoming a premium brand.”
Instead, Mazda — which toyed with but dismissed the idea of creating a luxury brand (Amati) at the same time Honda, Toyota and Nissan launched Acura, Lexus and Infiniti — is maintaining a focus on the mainstream buyers, while offering the Signature model trim to draw in luxury-brand shoppers with a loaded, premium vehicle selling for less than the base price of its luxury competitors.
Sadly, the previous generation’s six-speed manual transmission has been sent packing. Starting with the 2018 model, only a six-speed Skyactiv automatic is available.
For example, a well-equipped base model Mazda6 begins at US$21,950 (Sport trim in US) or C$27,000 (GS in Canada). The Signature series sells for US$34,750 or C$38,800. Peyman said the company expects the majority of buyers to opt for GT or Signature models.
The 2.5-litre normally aspirated motor is the only motor offered on the base-model GS in Canada. For C$2,000, buyers of the GS-L model can upgrade to the 2.5-litre turbo. On GT and Signature, the turbo is the only offering.
Sadly, the previous generation’s six-speed manual transmission has been sent packing. Starting with the 2018 model, only a six-speed Skyactiv automatic is available.
The ride and handling of the Mazda6 are exemplary, thanks to some revisions to front and rear suspensions. Bushings have been eliminated from the mounting points for the steering rack, improving steering feel and eliminating play. As well, changes to the rear multilink suspension reduce noise transfer to the cabin.
The car tracks around corners exceptionally well, with little lean and balanced handling that almost feels like a rear-wheel driver. The lightly sprung and well-damped suspension soaks up bumps, which also do not faze the car’s handling when you hit a bump in a faze.
The midsize sedan segment is going through a period of decline, with sales down throughout the segment, yet the Mazda6 has been growing, with the 2017 model gaining 23.8 per cent in sales to 2,541 units. Only the Volkswagen Passat, at three per cent, grew in 2017 in a segment down overall by 13.5 per cent.
With the new changes, with the addition of the Signature series, it appears Mazda is set to grow the Mazda6 even more.
Engines: 2.5-litre four-cylinder with cylinder deactivation; 2.5-litre turbo
Power: 187 hp @ 6,000 r.p.m. (2.5); 250 hp @ 5,000 r.p.m. (2.5 turbo)
Torque: 186 lb-ft. @ 6,500 r.p.m. (2.5); 310 lb-ft. @ 2,000 r.p.m. (2.5 turbo)
Transmission: six-speed automatic
Steering: electric power rack-and-pinion
Brakes: four-wheel discs
Suspension: MacPherson strut with stabilizer bar, front; multilink with coil springs and stabilizer bar, rear.
Fuel economy (l/100 km, city/highway): 9.1/6.7 (2.5); 10/7.5 (2.5 turbo)
This post First Drive: 2018 Mazda6 Review appeared first on TractionLife.com by Kelly Taylor.
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!!! The long awaited car of redemption from Mazda may finally be coming. For those of us who loved the RX7 from the 90’s but loathed its predecessor the RX8, here comes the RX9 to totally redeem things for Mazda. News is starting to surface that Mazda executives have greenlighted the designs and production of the next generation RX.
Although the name is not official, the RX9 moniker follows suit to what Mazda used as a naming convention for their last generation replacement to the RX7. At this point, there is not much information to share about the RX9 as everything is still in the design phase. To stay competitive in the market place, it’ll likely push out somewhere in the vicinity of 400hp. Power, of course, will come from a rotary engine. However, displacement and forced induction details are unknown. What will be interesting to see is whether Mazda can somehow integrate their rotary technology with EV technology just as many other manufacturers are doing today.
More information about the car will slowly start to come about. We know that prototypes will likely start surfacing in 2017 and production date sometime in 2019. Regardless of the little information we have, what we do have now is hope and that’s enough to hold us over.