Hollywood, California – Right outside the front door of the storied Roosevelt hotel in Los Angeles is where you find the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Stars of screen and sound have their own stars embedded in the sidewalk; a lasting celebration of their status as glitterati of popular culture.
There you’ll see K.C. and the Sunshine Band rub shoulders with Cole Porter, Canadians Donald and Kiefer Sutherland appropriately located side-by-side, and Mike Myers is there, too (shagadelic, man!).
I don’t think there’s an actual car in the Walk of Fame, but Mazda had enough pull to situate a 2012 Mazda3 poolside at the Roosevelt’s Tropicana Bar, and for a while, at least, a car was the star in that part of Hollywood.
It’s not an all-new Mazda3, however, although this “mid-cycle refresh” does feature exterior, interior, functional and safety upgrades, along with new lower pricing. The base price for the 2.0-litre, 148-horsepower Mazda3 GX sedan is now $15,595 (plus $1,395 freight), and that includes standard remote keyless entry and power door locks. You’ll pay an extra $1,000 for the Sport (hatchback) version.
All Mazda3 vehicles (GX, GS, and GT sedans and hatchbacks) receive a new front fascia (the smiley face grille remains, but is softened and appears slightly smaller), better aerodynamics and a new fog light design. There’s a new rear lower bumper, new alloy wheel designs and new exterior colours (Sky Blue, Newport Slate, Indigo Lights).
Inside you’ll find new cloth upholstery, some aluminum-look accents, and an updated information display with white lettering. Each model receives it own gauge display colour: grey for the GX, blue for Skyactiv and red for the GT and Mazdaspeed3.
The low-volume Mazdaspeed3 also retains its current engine — the turbocharged 2.3-litre four making 280 hp — and it, too, receives the Bose surround sound system as standard equipment.
Most importantly, though, the mid-range GS models now feature Mazda’s new Skyactiv drivetrain. This model is the first to receive the Skyactiv technology that will transform the company’s vehicle line-up over the next few years, and it was the GS that took centre stage at the Roosevelt.
Starting at $18,995 (plus $1,395 freight), all GS trim levels feature the new 2.0-litre Skyactiv four-cylinder engine that makes 155 horsepower and delivers five per cent more power and 10 per cent more torque than the 2.0-litre engine that is retained in the GX. It also returns better fuel economy at 7.1/4.9 L/100 km, city/highway, versus 8.1/5.9 city/highway for the GX. So, a lower price, more power and less fuel… consumers should be pleased.
The engine is mated to a Skyactiv six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission with a sport mode. The automatic features advanced technology to provide smooth, quick gear changes at both low and high speeds, and is also engineered to save fuel. The manual transmission features a short-throw shifter that requires minimal effort, but is slightly less fuel efficient (by 0.1 L/100km) than the automatic.
But the GS doesn’t yet receive the all-new Skyactiv chassis/suspension and the sophisticated Skyactiv 4-2-1 exhaust manifold for the engine. These will be available when an all-new Mazda3 debuts likely in two years.
It’s a good start, though. We drove Skyactiv models in both sedan and hatch form, with automatic and manual transmissions through downtown city streets, on multi-lane freeways and on twisting canyon roads. Even without the Skyactiv chassis, the Mazda3 GS is sporty, entertaining and poised in each type of environment.
In back-to-back drives with its competitors (Mazda chose the “eco” versions of the Honda Civic, Ford Focus, Chevrolet Cruze, along with the Hyundai Elantra and Toyota Corolla), the Mazda3 GS Skyactiv is the best-balanced in terms of driving dynamics. This is not to say the competitive vehicles fared poorly in all areas, however. The Focus is responsive and sporty, but the steering was too quick and darty; the Civic HE (not available in Canada) has a great chassis, but its skinny tires and softer suspension compromised handling; the Elantra had impressive ride and handling, but the engine was coarser, and so it went.
That said, it was the Civic that edged out the Mazda3 in overall fuel economy over the four waves of this press introduction, but it was very close, and nobody could say that the Civic in HE form matched the GS Skyactiv in handling or sporty demeanour. The point was made and taken.
Overall, the exterior and interior changes to the Mazda3 2012 won’t be that obvious to consumers, who would likely have trouble telling the 2011 models from the 2012 models. But as the third best-selling car in Canada, Mazda is effectively preserving its brand identity while taking major steps to improve fuel efficiency and value. We look forward to the introduction of other Skyactiv technologies, including diesel engines, in the coming years.
And although the Mazda3 Sedan outsells the Sport (hatch) models 60 to 40 per cent, I still think the Sport is one of the best-looking compact cars on the road. It would get a star if there was an Automotive Drive of Fame.
Pricing: 2012 Mazda3
Sedan
GX: $15,595
GS: Skyactiv: $18,996
GT: $23,695
Sport (hatchback)
GX: $16,595
GS Skyactiv: $19,995
GT: $24,695
Mazdaspeed3
MSP3: $29,695
