Just last month, the facelifted Mazda3 was revealed in Japan. Now the updated C-segment range is available in South Africa, and we have pricing.
The engine line-up remains unchanged, which means SA doesn’t gain the new 1,5-litre turbodiesel engine nor the older 2,2-litre oil-burner. Yes, the 1,6-litre (77 kW/144 N.m) and 2,0-litre (121 kW/210 N.m) naturally aspirated petrol mills soldier on locally.
However, Mazda Southern Africa has added a new derivative to the local range: the 2,0L Astina Plus.
This newcomer is available in both hatch and sedan form and comes fitted with a number of advanced safety features, including adaptive LED headlamps, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, driver attention alert, blind spot monitoring and smart city brake support.
Mazda says the latter feature helps prevent or mitigate low-speed impacts. The system monitors the vehicle in front to assess the possibility of a collision at speeds up to 80 km/h. In the event that the system detects a high risk of impact, it issues visual and audible warnings to the driver and primes the brakes for a faster response.
This new Astina Plus range-topper is priced at R407 900, regardless of which body style is selected. At the bottom end of the range, the Mazda3 1,6L Original Manual comes in at R258 900.
For all 2,0-litre models, the facelift brings with it something the brand calls G-Vectoring Control. The Japanese automaker says this system – which varies engine torque in response to steering inputs – results in “improved handling for the driver and ride quality for the passengers around corners”.
Exterior styling updates are subtle, and include an updated Mazda badge that sits slightly lower than before, redesigned fog-lights, new alloy wheels and fresh side-skirts. The rear of the hatchback model also receives a slight design tweak and new exterior colours have been introduced.
Inside, the entry-level model gains Bluetooth as standard, while models sporting the “Individual” trim now also feature cruise control as standard.
Pricing (both hatch and sedan):
Mazda3 1,6L Original Manual: R258 900
Mazda3 1,6L Active Manual: R271 800
Mazda3 1,6L Dynamic Manual: R284 900
Mazda3 1,6L Dynamic Auto: R295 900
Mazda3 2,0L Individual Manual: R331 900
Mazda3 2,0L Individual Auto: R343 900
Mazda3 2,0L Astina Auto: R378 400
Mazda3 2,0L Astina Plus Auto: R407 900
