IT was a Saturday morning at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) and the all-new Mazda3 was fresh from its launch a few days before.
To recap, the new Mazda3 arrived in Malaysia with three variants and two engine options - the 1.5-litre SkyActiv-G and the 2.0-litre SkyActiv-G petrol mills.
We did not get the SkyActiv-X engine and even up until this review is written, Japan is the only market to have the new high-tech petrol engine.
However, the SkyActiv-G engines now get revised intake ports, split fuel injection and a coolant control valve for more precise air-to-fuel mixture in the combustion, thus delivering better performance and fuel efficiency.
Available in sedan and hatchback forms, the new Mazda3 is priced from RM139,770 to RM160,059 and is fully-imported from its country of origin.
The styling of the new Mazda3 bears the latest Kodo design philosophy. The new car redefines the body curves from the previous-gen Mazda3 and now appears more dramatic, especially the hatchback.
The test drive was divided into two exercises which is the car-park test drive and the circuit drive.
The former is to experience the new GVC Plus set-up on the car as well as a little bit of its car-driver connections, while the circuit drive is to measure the NVH (noise, vibrations and harshness) levels and its handling.
GVC Plus
The GVC (G-Vectoring Control) made its appearance in the face-lifted Mazda3 before, and the new GVC Plus is essentially the updated version of it.
The way GVC works might sound like wizardry at some point, but all you need to know is it helps manage power delivery when the car corners to give better body control and a more pleasant ride.
The GVC Plus adds in brake application to the existing system to further fine-tune the ride, such as applying gentle brake to the outside wheels when the steering is returning to mid-position from a corner.
In this exercise at a car park near the main paddock area, the new Mazda3 sedan and hatchback was pitted against the previous Mazda3 and interestingly, against the 2015 Mercedes A 250 and the 2017 BMW F30 330e.
Here, the cars will need to navigate through a tight slalom course at 40kph and proceed to a double lane change at 50kph.
Again, this is to test how GVC Plus aids the driver and not to test the cars’ handling performances because in this kind of course, even the Perodua Myvi or the Kia Picanto would have outrivalled these cars.
I started off in the Mazda3 sedan and later hatchback, and I must say the ride quality on the new Mazda3 is exceedingly delicate and smooth.
A speed of 40kph through the slalom sounded slow at first, but the tight cone arrangements were enough to fully put the driver and car’s steering system to the test.
The Mazda3’s steering system was fast enough to follow the driver’s input and the body control remained exceptionally calm.
Same goes to the double-lane changes, GVC Plus further helped the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) to keep the cars in check.
In the previous-gen Mazda3 sedan, the ride was pretty good but the car had noticeably had more body roll.
The Mercedes A 250 was quicker off the line but the steering felt slower although it had a solid chassis.
Lastly, the BMW 330e was even quicker off the line with the assistance of the electric motor.
Steering response and chassis were spot on even on this tight course and the fact that the car has the longest wheelbase here.
It reminded me that BMW is still the benchmark in handling but it also showed how close the Mazda3 was getting in this sense, and how far it left its Japanese competitors.
Circuit drive
At the track, we did not test the car to full speed capability as the cars were travelling in a controlled convoy.
It was a good chance to discover the difference between the 1.5-litre and the 2.0-litre engines.
The 1.5-litre engine makes 118hp and 153Nm of torque, and the 2.0-litre produces 44hp and 60Nm of torque more, at 162hp and 213Nm.
During the drive, I found the 1.5-litre engine to be sufficient for what the car is, even on a full-scale circuit like the SIC.
One major change in chassis department of the new Mazda3 is the switch from the independent rear suspension on the previous-gen Mazda3 for the torsion beam setup.
Yes, and the conscious decision was made because Mazda said the torsion beam is going to be good enough to achieve its requirements.
Theoretically, a torsion beam is not superior to the independent suspension setup but we have to bear in mind that torsion beam has come a long way since it was limited to small and affordable passenger cars.
To be honest, for the circuit drive, I did not find myself missing the independent rear suspension at all.
The suspension together with the new and improved chassis construction has made the Mazda3 a capable and fun car to drive.
Even the six-speed automatic gearbox smoothly blips in each downshift to give not only smooth, but sporty gear changes.
The car has such a high level of mechanical grip and composure that it takes an utter fool to break the car’s balance and traction.
When thrown a bit more aggressively during a direction change through Turn 5 to Turn 6, the car’s active safety features intervened ever so calmly and naturally.
The Jinba-Ittai concept where Mazda develops their car to have a sense of oneness between the car and the driver like a rider and his horse was quite effective here.
The steering, driver’s seat and the way the car reacts gave a high degree of information to the driver that made driving the car fun, even while it’s down on power.
The 2.0-litre Mazda3 was driven after the 1.5-litre, and the power difference was not too apparent. The difference was noticeable only when accelerating beyond 110kph.
In terms of NVH, the new Mazda3’s cabin remained quiet even when driven at 140kph on the two main straights.
But this is just first impressions in a limited space and limited conditions. Even so, it was enough to make us adore the car.
We can’t wait to discover the new Mazda3 in real world driving conditions on proper public roads as well as test its comfort and convenience aspects.