Mazda3 Turbo breaks cover, but …

The much-rumoured hotshot Mazda3 has been revealed. It’s exciting. Don’t let it get to you.

 RIGHT out of left field … and, unfortunately, at this stage only likely to be built in left-hand drive.

 That’s the news about the much-anticipated Mazda3 Turbo, whose existence was finally properly confirmed today in an announcement that also makes clear just Canada, Mexico and the United States are the only cited markets.

Mazda New Zealand has reinforced this, saying prior to the unveiling (but subsequent to an early sneak peak out of Mexico): “With regards to the Mazda3 Turbo, we currently do not have any information on availability of this vehicle for right-hand drive markets.” Asked, in wake of today’s announcement, if it had anything fresh to say, it said it had not.

What makes that news all the harder to take is that the first Mazda3 hot hatch – and sedan (cos it’s coming in both shapes) – since the MPS seems perfectly baked.

 In addition to releasing the two images here, Mazda USA has also provisioned enough technical info about a product they’ll have on the street within a few months to make it patently obvious it’s even more pumped than was first conjectured. 

Though intrinsically the same unit running in the CX-5, CX-9 and Mazda6, the model’s 2.5-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol engine has been retuned to produce 186kW and 434Nm. As against 140kW/252Nm in the CX-5 and 170kW/420Nm in the larger models.

Regardless of all the extra mumbo, those outputs relate unevenly against obvious rivals already working the scene here – basically, less power than a lot but generally more torque.

The Hyundai i30 N makes 202kW/378Nm, the newly-arrived Ford Focus ST has 207kw/420Nm, the Honda Civic Type-R cracks out 228kW/400Nm and VW’s Golf GTI and Golf R respectively deliver 180kW/370Nm and 213kW/380Nm.

The Mazda is four-wheel-drive and, interestingly, will avail purely with a version of the six-speed automatic that’s staple fare in Mazda product here.

The images don’t give too much away about the appearance pack, but enough is shown to suggest it’s quite subdued, save for the addition of some additional black exterior elements, such as a front splitter and rear spoiler.

Celebration cars a Kiwi choice

Mazda Japan has allocated NZ 100 centenary special cars – what form they take is up to Kiwi buyers.

 LOCAL market allocation of special editions Mazda has created to celebrate a brand milestone is being decided by novel means. 

Customers have the final say about models dress in celebration of the Hiroshima brand hitting a century of existence, since 1960 as an automobile manufacturer.

Auckland-domiciled Mazda New Zealand has explained this in wake of an earlier announcement about the consignment size. 

The only constraint from Japan is that it can take no more than 100 100th Anniversary Editions and that the trim can apply to the nine passenger models it produces – so, if you want a special BT-50 one-tonne ute, bad luck. 

Beyond that, it’s open slather of what provisions nationally in a colour scheme and with equipment that pays homage to Mazda’s first passenger vehicle, the 1960 R360 coupe.

A process that explains why these are being called ‘special’ rather than ‘limited’ editions is also influenced by the production cycle. Mazda being among makers that simply hasn’t capacity to send all the kinds of cars it creates down the line in any one day, so the order deadlines - in August, October and November - are by car line. It’s also why delivery will span the next five months.

 However, the national customer response already has been so strong already that it is conceivable the whole process could be wrapped up before the mid-August deadline for the first tranche, brand spokespeople say. 

“We’re limited to 100 units all up,” explained marketing services manager Maria Tsao. “But we haven’t been restricted on which models.”

The Anniversary-trimmed Mazda2, Mazda3, Mazda6, CX-3, CX-30, CX-5, CX-8, CX-9 and MX-5 each carry a $1500 premium over their respective donor variants – which are existing Takami editions except where that trim doesn’t avail (so, for Mazda2 and MX-5, Limiteds appear to be the start point).

Anniversary Editions are Snowflake White Pearl on the outside with special badging and wheel caps, burgundy leather seat trim with headrest logo, red floor carpet and floor mats aluminium branding, Anniversary key fob, special edition lower instrument panel trim and white door trim inserts. 

The order book for MX-5s and Mazda6s closes first, in mid-August. CX-5 and CX-8 decisions have to be made by mid-September. Interest in the remaining candidate cars has to be sorted by mid-October. The last cars will be here by January; the first are expected within two months.

It’s not as confusing as it might sound, Tsao and product and sales planning manager Tim Nalden assure. The beauty is that customers get a level of involvement makers generally don’t allow. As Nalden puts it – this is less about provisioning 100 cars than satisfying 100 customers. 

Mazda NZ has declined to detail what’s hitting the right buttons but says suggestion some cars – the MX-5 being the obvious primary choice - might lend themselves more to favouritism hasn’t really played out so far.

Yes, there’s been elevated interest in the global category best-seller that holds the best residuals of all current models and achieves 4-5 sales a month, yet the potential we’ll see the equivalent of almost three years’ volume in one hit is already remote. 

On the other hand, there’s potential at least a couple of CX-9s might come this way and the idea of a five-star make-over for the budget-minded, city-suited Mazda2 is also looking pretty agreeable to some.

Regardless of the form they take, the Anniversary models will universally make positive environmental impact. For every sale, Mazda New Zealand has pledged to purchase 50 trees from the Trees That Count programme to plant in the “Mazda Native Forest”.