OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, March 18, 2009 · 16 There's Zoom Zoom aplenty in the 2010 Mazda 3 Sport GT By Jim Robinson Carguide Magazine Metroland Newspapers At the introduction of the 2010 Mazda3 last November, I noted that trying to improve on a sales winner is something done with a great deal of thought ... and trepidation. One of every three Mazda vehicles sold around the world is a Mazda3. In Canada, the Mazda3 has improved in sales every year since it was introduced in 2003. In fact, sales to date in 2009 have been brisk with a lot of people moving in on the 2009s before they're all gone. Although the 2010 and the current Mazda3 have virtually the same dimensions, much attention was paid to aerodynamics with things like panels under the body to smooth air flow with the car's overall coefficient of drag going from 0.31 down to 0.29. The biggest visual change is the muchenlarged grille. While it retains the Mazda five-point design, the wide mouth is there, MAZDA3 SPORT GT 2010 AT A GLANCE BODY STYLE: Compact sedan. DRIVE METHOD: front-engine, frontwheel drive. ENGINE: 2.5-litre DOHC inline fourcylinder (167 hp, 168 lb/ft). FUEL ECONOMY: 2.5-litre, 10.1/6.9L/100 km city/highway, automatic, 9.2/6.8L/100 km city/highway. PRICE: $23,595, as tested, $28,935 WEB: www.mazda.ca The seat cushions were made 20 per cent larger and seat backs were extended 35 mm for better support. Adding to the quality is the interior lighting that illuminates and fades theatre style and that includes foot well lamps as well. When the door is opened, lights in the handle grips come on to welcome the driver and passenger. As the driver sits down, gauges on the centre stack including audio and air conditioning systems light up. Truly cool is Action Illumination. When the driver operates the air or audio controls, they respond to touch and light up as well. And with an eye on the environment, 80 per cent by weight of each end-of-life Mazda is recyclable. They are working on the other 20 per cent, mostly glass and plastics, and are looking at a 90 cent recyclability in these areas. The 2010 comes in three trim levels: GX, GS and GT. The car itself is available in a four-door sedan and a five-door hatch known as the Sport. The 2.0-litre, DOHC inline four-cylinder engine that helped Mazda3 sales take off in 2008 is offered on the GX and GS. It produces 148 hp and 135 lb/ft of torque and comes with as standard five-speed automatic transmission or optional five-speed automatic driving the front wheels. Fuel consumption numbers for the 2.0litre manual and automatic are 8.1/5.9L/100 km city/highway and 8.7/6.0L/100 km city/highway respectively. The other available engine is a 2.5-litre inline DOHC four-cylinder producing 167 hp and 168 lb/ft of torque on the GS and GT. Continued on Page 19 The 2010 Mazda3 sees a host of changes designed to improve on the outgoing model that was one of the most successful cars in the history of the company. One major visual change is the front grille that is partially responsible for a major improvement in aerodynamics. not just for improved cooling, but is an actual part of the aero package. If you look closely, the upper half of the grille has the blacked out front bumper behind it. The bottom part of the air intake that's left is kept as small as possible. In fact, it is 20 per cent smaller than the first generation Mazda3. Taking in excess air creates drag, which has been considerably lessened in the new car. The front bumper has a flange that funnels air to the radiator. The nose is also shaped to route air not directed at the radiator around and down the flanks of the car. Even the taillights are shaped to aid airflow. The cabin area underwent not just a major redesign with liberal use of soft-touch materials, but the switch to what Mazda calls a `Zone Layout'. Instrumentation is placed in zones of importance based on eye movement, the primary ones being the large tachometre on the left and speedometer on the right in pods directly in the line of sight of the driver. Housed in a second zone is an available Multi Information Display (MID) on the centre of the dash and raised 100 mm higher and to the right of the main gauges. Positioned here, it is still in the line of sight. Depending on the model and options, it shows fuel consumption, distance and even a 3.5-inch color navigation screen. MUST PRESENT THIS COUPON TO RECEIVE THESE SPECIALS ONLY AVAILABLE AT THESE FORD STORES WHEEL ALIGNMENT 50off 0 % OFFER EXPIRES APRIL 15 BAD CREDIT NO CREDIT www.hawleypbc.com APPLY ON-LINE! Everyone Deserves A Second Chance. We Can Re-establish Your Credit And Get You In A Vehicle And On The Road Today. Call Wally-905.330.1104 225 Dundas St. East, Mississauga At The Same Location For Over 60 Years