MAZDA MX-5 GETS MORE POWER

Mazda continues its relentless way in the sales race in Australia, this time with the introduction of more powerful versions of its halo sportscar the brilliant little MX-5. The MX-5 has been famed since its introduction way back in 1989 for having excellent balance and handling, but somewhat down on power. Now the engineers have made major changes to the 2.0-litre versions of both the MX-5 roadster and the RF (Retractable Fastback). These changes cover the full gamut of the design and see its output significantly increased from 118 kilowatts… Read more

MAZDA’S LAP OF LUXURY FOR LE BUYERS

Mazda says buyers of its popular CX-9 are so fond of life’s little luxuries that it has upped the ante on its aristo Azami model in the shape of the LE, thus bringing the range of the award-winning seven-seat sports utility vehicle to five. Customer demand was the reason for the addition of the Azami LE, says Mazda Australia managing director Vinesh Bhindi. “CX-9 sales have always been skewed to high-grade AWD variants, so we added Azami LE to give those looking for luxury even greater choice in the range.”… Read more

MAZDA CX-3 UPGRADES

Mazda continues its fast paced assault on the Australian car market, this time with its smallest SUV, the CX-3 receiving a facelift, major interior changes, added comfort and improved engines. The frontal styling of all current Mazdas is arguably the biggest reason for its success and the shape has been refined with a bolder grille built around strong horizontal lines. There are also changes to the shaping of the front foglight surrounds as well as to the rear lights. It’s not just the shape that’s selling Mazdas, the Soul Red… Read more

MAZDA CX-7 2006 – 2012

2006 Mazda CX-7

Mazda CX-7 entered new territory when it was launched downunder in November 2006. It was a cross between a hot-hatch and an SUV rather than a toned-down 4WD as was the norm back then. Powered by a turbocharged 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine with 175 kW and a hefty 350Nm it really gets up and boogies when you hit that pedal on the right. Not surprisingly it likes a drink. Despite its sort-of SUV shape Mazda CX-7 in AWD format really isn’t intended to do any more than mild off-road running. You… Read more

MAZDA’S BEST OF A GOOD BUNCH

The Mazda3 marches on as one of the most popular cars on the Australian market with upgrades to its lower end models for modest increases in price. A range of equipment has been added to Neo, Maxx and Touring grades across hatch and sedan variants. Buyers of the top-notch SP25 and SP25 GT are the big winners with driveaway matching the manufacturer’s figure before on-road costs. The Mazda3 SP25 continues to feature advanced keyless entry, dual-zone climate-control, electric parking brake, headlamps auto on / off and 18-inch alloy wheels, while… Read more

MX-5 RF LIMITED EDTION

Mazda has introduced a limited edition to its MX-5 RF retractable fastback range. It is priced at $55,748 driveaway and is on sale now. Only 110 have been produced for Australia and these are moving out of the dealerships fast. The MX-5 RF Limited Edition is offered in Soul Red Crystal Metallic, Machine Grey Metallic, Snow Flake, White Pearl Mica, Ceramic Metallic and Eternal Blue Mica. Our test car was a white one – pity because we really have fallen in love with the Soul Red that has taken Mazda… Read more

NEW MAZDA CX-8 DIESEL

Mazda Australia has plugged a hole in its SUV lineup by introducing the CX-8 Diesel. Potential buyers of the CX-9 seven seater had wanted a diesel engine, but it’s only offered with a petrol unit. Sometimes they settled for a CX-9 petrol – but others went to a different marque that could offer a turbo-diesel, which obviously didn’t please Mazda Australia. The CX-8 is sort of a combination of the Mazdas CX-5 and CX-9, sharing the wheelbase of the 9 and the width of the 5. It’s shorter than the… Read more

MAJOR UPGRADES FOR MAZDA6

Mazda is running hot on the sales front in Australia at the moment and is showing no signs of slacking pace. Mazda6, the medium large sedan and wagon from Japan are the latest to receive the treatment. What at first glance looks to be an interesting facelift is in fact only part of the story because a new sporty engine has been added and there’s also been significant work on the body. Let’s look at the engine first: it’s a 2.5-litre four-cylinder unit like the others in the petrol range,… Read more

2018 MAZDA CX-5 MAXX SPORT REVIEW

So robust is the competition in the SUV market that even cars that would be technically considered quite new are having adjustments to prolong their appeal. The Mazda CX-5 is a case in point with the all-new model released in 2017 now getting a pair of new engines to keep it fresh. The changes are minimal of course, this is one of the brand’s best sellers after all, but those tweaks combined with a slight drop in price is likely to make converts of those “I’m gonna” buyers. STYLING The… Read more

MAZDA CX-5 NOT RESTING ON ITS LAURELS

Never a company to follow mainstream thinking, Mazda has just introduced a series of fascinating engineering changes to Australia’s most popular SUV, the Mazda CX-5. Australia is highly regarded by Mazda so the program manager for the CX-5, Hideki Matsuoka, flew to Australia to introduce the upgraded model to us. He explained that performance and efficiency have been significantly across all engine grades. We have carried out an extensive drive program out of Canberra to examine two of these significantly uprated engines, the 2.2 diesel and 2.5 petrol. SKYACTIV-D 2.2-LITRE… Read more