Mazda on the boil with the go-fast MPS hatchback leading the pack

Mazda on the boil with the go-fast MPS hatchback leading the pack

Facelifted range leaves carmaker 'well placed to service the changing engine capacity preferences of the motoring public.'

The growth in New Zealand of four-cylinder mid-range cars against the drop in large six and eight-cylinder models and higher fuel prices has been positive for Mazda, says its manager director Peter Aitken.

The Japanese carmaker no longer has a six-cylinder model in its range, since it dropped the C6Tribute sports utility vehicle.

Its biggest engine is the 2.3-litre four-cylinder unit under the bonnet of the Mazda6 and facelifted Mazda3, the king maker of which is the blistering MPS model.

"We are well place to service the changing engine capacity preferences and fuel-efficiency needs of the motoring buying public," says Aitken.

"With the shift in market segmentation, Mazda now competes in a larger slice of the total market."

He said the company was on track for another strong sales year of around 6200 units for just over 6 per cent of the market.

"Even though the new-vehicle industry has come off the highs of the last two years, we are still predicting overall sales for 2006 of 101,500 units. That indicates a pretty healthy market.

He said used imports would continue to decline. "They (used importers) face higher import costs due to the weaker Kiwi dollar but are unable to move retail prices to compensate, as there has been little movement in new vehicle prices.

"There will be further used import yard closures, particularly those that are highly geared - they will not be able to generate in the tighter market sufficient trading profits to cover their costs of operation."

The MPS Heads the revised Mazda3 range, the company's best-selling car with global sales so far of 725,000 units.

The 2-litre and 2.3-litre line-up has been revised inside and out with new look instrument dials and more durable materials.

Dynamic changes include improved body rigidity for stability and a reworked front suspension for improved steering response.

Mazda has revised the engines and five and six speed gearboxes too. The range is priced between $29,595 for the entry-level GLX manual hatch and $41,995 for the S{23 sedan and hatchback.

The standout model is the MPS, a hot hatchback with the potential to be crowned the segment's power broker and priced at$45,990.

The five-door - it doesn't have the exaggerated styling of some go-fast hatchbacks - is the second model to wear the Mazda Performance Series badge after the release last year of the all-wheel-drive Mazda6 MPS sedan.

But, unlike the sedan, the Mazda3 delivers its segment-leading power through the front wheels only.

The Mazda3 MPS is powered by a turbocharged 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine producing 190kW (255bhp) at 5500rpm and a whopping 380Nm of torque at 3000rpm. It is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.

That makes it one of the fastest front-drivers on the planet and gives it considerably more oomph than the best-selling front-drive hot hatchback on the New Zealand market at the moment, the turbocharged 2-litre 150kW/320Nm all-wheel-drive Subaru WRX Impreza.

Torque steer inherent in powerful front-drivers - where driven front wheels scrambling under a powerful throttle fight the driver through the steering wheel for control of the vehicle - is largely controlled in the MPS.

Mazda says that to maximise traction and minimise torque steer, the turbocharged engine uses computer-controlled boost pressure to suppress sudden torque peaks.

A torque-sensing limited slip differential similar to that used in the RX-8 and MX-5 also helps to get the power down.

"It won't step out sideways under throttle like some older models," says Mazda's technical whiz Rodger Russell.

And it didn't either at the launch on the new Taupo race track, where the spread of available torque keeps it on the boil.

No need to work the gearbox - there's nothing peaky about the engine and no obvious turbo lag.

Third and fourth gears worked just fine at speed around the new layout, which promises to be a main attraction when it is completed.

The rear end got a bit light a couple of times in the hands Formula Challenge director Craig Greenwood but it quickly got back on line, thanks to a 60 per cent improvement on roll stiffness.

Formula Challenge is a driver training programme Greenwood and his colleagues run at Taupo, using single seaters and V8 sedans.