Mazda: on 2040-cars

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2016 Mazda CX-3 scores 29/35 mpg EPA ratings

Looking for a subcompact crossover that won't cost you too much at the pumps? Your best bet is now the new Mazda CX-3, according to fuel economy figures released by the EPA. Mazda's new baby crossover has been rated by the US government agency at 29 miles per gallon in the city, 35 on the highway, and 31 on the combined cycle. That's in front-drive spec, giving the CX-3 better fuel economy than anything else in its class (at least, that is, with an automatic transmission.) Option it with all-wheel drive and you'll take a slight penalty at 27 mpg in the city, 32 on the highway, and 29 combined. According to Mazda that still "makes it among the most fuel-efficient all-wheel-drive vehicles available in the US." Whichever drivetrain option you go for, the CX-3 packs a 2.0-liter inline-four with direct injection (Skyactiv-G in Mazda-speak) good for 146 horsepower and just as much torque, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The first examples will begin reaching American showrooms later this summer. Related Video: 2016 Mazda CX-3 Scores Class-Leading[1] EPA Fuel Economy Ratings - New Subcompact Mazda Crossover Has EPA-Estimated Fuel Economy of Up to 35 MPG Highway - IRVINE, Calif., June 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The all-new 2016 Mazda CX-3 subcompact crossover utility vehicle has been rated with an EPA-estimated fuel economy as high as 29 mpg city/35 mpg highway[2], which positions CX-3's fuel economy as class-leading1 among all 2015 and 2016 subcompact crossover utility vehicles. As Mazda's first foray into the quickly burgeoning subcompact crossover class of vehicles, CX-3 provides those seeking a purposeful, stylish and sporty vehicle option that bucks convention. CX-3 offers standard keyless ignition and backup camera, and is available with features that are unrivalled in its class like Mazda Radar Cruise Control, adaptive LED headlights and Mazda's signature driving experience. Front-wheel-drive models have EPA-estimated fuel economy of 29 mpg city/35 mpg highway/31 mpg combined, while models equipped with Mazda's predictive i-ACTIV AWD have EPA-estimated fuel economy of 27 mpg city/32 mpg highway/29 mpg combined. That makes it among the most-efficient all-wheel-drive vehicles available in the U.S. "SKYACTIV Technology means we don't have to compromise when it comes to performance, efficiency and fun-to-drive dynamics," said Jim O'Sullivan, president and CEO, Mazda North American Operations.

Electric Miata smokes Tesla Model S at the track

Yes, folks, you read that headline right. A souped up battery-electric version of a Mazda Miata took down a Tesla Model S on a quarter-mile drag strip. And it wasn't even close. Road Test TV was kind enough to post a video of a forest-green Miata (and its very stoked driver) doing a quarter-mile run in a rather brisk 9.27 seconds, beating the Model S sedan by a whopping 3.5 seconds in the process. And the Mazda crossed the finish line moving at 142 miles per hour, or 40 miles per hour faster than the Tesla was going when it finished the race. It's a good thing for the Tesla owner that they weren't racing for pink slips. Granted, the comparison is probably an unfair one because the Tesla was a stock, production vehicle (the P85 Performance model, but still), whereas who knows how the Miata was juiced up and how much cash it took to do the job. It's sort of like putting, say, an automotive writer against Usain Bolt because we ate the same breakfast and share 99 percent of our DNA. Still, the video does lend a certain credence to the idea that a battery-electric, super-light, rear-wheel-drive Miata would be a lot of fun, or at least a heck of lot more fun than any other Mazda out there. We're just sayin'. Check out the 100-second video below, and remember not to blink. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Mazda2 successor to ride atop shortened CX-5 platform

Mazda, looking to make the most of its new, lightweight Skyactiv vehicle architecture, will allegedly use a version of the CX-5 crossover's platform to underpin its next-generation Mazda2 hatchback, according to a report from Just-Auto.com. Of course, the Mazda2 is a much smaller vehicle than its larger CUV stablemate, so some serious chopping will no doubt be in order when it comes time to engineer the replacement for the company's smallest hatch.
Currently, the CX-5 and the sleek new Mazda6 share many of the same platform components, and this architecture will already be scaled down to support the next-generation Mazda3 sedan and hatchback, which will debut later this year. Just-Auto.com states that all of Mazda's remaining front-wheel-drive vehicles will eventually switch to reworked versions of this Skyactiv platform, including the replacement for the larger CX-9 crossover.
Also of note, Mazda will reportedly be switching to shorter, four-year lifecycles for its vehicles. This means that the newly launched Mazda6 will be replaced for the 2016 calendar year, with a refresh coming sometime in 2014. That said, vehicles with platforms supplied by other automakers (like the upcoming MX-5 Miata replacement that will share its underpinnings with an Alfa Romeo product) will not necessarily follow this four-year rule.