Daily News Egypt (DNE) conducted a test drive on the first class 2017 Mazda 3 to get closely acquainted with the car’s power and performance, in response to an invitation of GB Ghabbour Auto, Mazda 3’s distributor in Egypt.
DNE tested the Mazda 3 in a tour drive over two days on the Ain Sokhna road, and in Cairo to survey its suitability for city streets.
Performance test
DNE was keen to experience the car for being one of the cars that finds a way to young people’s hearts.
Design
The 2017 Mazda 3 sedan is characterised by a sportive touch that suits lovers of beauty and attractive design. The nicely sharpened exterior of the car is flawless. The front of the car is luxurious and powerful to suit young people. The refaced front grille looks like a shark grid. This is besides the oval shape of the headlights and the wonderful design of the foglights.
The car combines strength and luxury that attract young people. It also has the power to do long trips, and has a variety of options that help the driver on various routes.
Dimensions
The Mazda 3 has a wheelbase of 270cm, a length of 458cm, a width 179cm, a height of 145cm, and a luggage capacity of 414 litres, which provide the car with the best interior space in its class. The car’s ground clearance is 165cm that contributes to enhance its sporty character.
The 2017 Mazda 3’s bumpers are large and add a pleasing look to the front of the car. The front grille provides circular ventilation to the engine to provide enough air for cooling.
This is in addition to sports wheels of size 16.
Engine
The Mazda 3’s engine is of 4 cylinders, capacity of 1.6 litres, and 105hp at 6,000rpm with maximum torque of 145nm at 4,000rpm.
The new engine is an upgraded version of the car’s previous generation engine, which consumes less fuel with an average consumption of 6.7 litres per100km. The improvements also reduce emissions and enhance the performance of the car on roads.
Despite the strength of the car’s performance, it is quiet and stable at high speeds. The engine has a four-speed automatic transmission.
Interior
The Mazda 3’s interior is comfortable to its passengers. The car has luxurious leather seats and dashboard. The dashboard has many power buttons that allows the car owner to control the majority of its options electronically. It also has a USB input and Bluetooth hands-free phone.
The car has a multi-function steering wheel for audio and Bluetooth controls with buttons to accept or reject phone calls.
The car is also supplied with a multi-functional air conditioner, a medium-sized steering wheel, and large gauge cluster, with comfortable lighting.
The interior is wide and seats are comfortable.
Exterior-rear
The Mazda 3 has rear wipers to remove dust and water from the rear windshield, and the trunk has unique lighting.
The car’s wide tail lights catch the eye.
Stability on road
The Mazda 3 showed its efficiency and stability on the road, especially with the curves on the Cairo-Ain Sokhna Road. The sound of the engine is quite low, compared to its competitors, confirming the outstanding performance of the car’s engine.
Safety
The Mazda 3 provides many safety specifications, including driver and passenger front airbags, anti-block braking system(ABS), electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), and an engine-immobilizer.
Additional options
The car has a self-parking technology to make it easier for the driver to park the car, especially in crowded places, and a collision warning system.
It also has a CD player, AUX input, USB input, Bluetooth, power outlet, power windows, power door locks, automatic light sensors, manual/power adjustable driver seat, front and rear adjustable head rests, electric adjustable folding mirrors, and a leather-wrapped Steering Wheel.
Overall impression
The overall impression is positive. As for being a sedan, it actually suits the Egyptian streets.
Models
1.6 A / T Core
1.6 A / T H / B
1.6 A / T H / L
Photos handout to DNE