Archive for Mazda

Shortly after the new Ford Ranger TDCi arrived on Malaysian shores, this lightly camouflaged new generation Mazda Fighter sharing the same underpinings as the new Ranger TDCi was spotted making rounds around Sri Hartamas near EON Bank. Thanks to Derrick Tew for sending in these photos. It looks pretty much like the new Ford Ranger TDCi except for changes on the front grille, headlamps, bumper, and other changes around the outside and inside – mostly aesthetics. We will have to wait until the launch to find out the full specs and differences, or the lack of any for that matter.

The new Mazda Fighter will likely be powered by the same class-leading 2.5 liter TDCi intercooled turbodiesel engine as the Ranger TDCi, making 141bhp/143PS at 3500rpm and 330Nm at 1800rpm. Look at 3 more spyshots after the jump, as well as undisguised product photos of the new Mazda Fighter sourced from Mazda Thailand.

Click here to read the rest of New Mazda Fighter Spyshots

Mazda will be developing a new crossover CUV called the Mazda CX-5 based on the recent Mazda Hakaze Concept. Mazda says the CX-5 will be engineered to provide the fun driving experience of an MX-5 combined with the practicality of the CX-7 SUV. It will be a targa, which means roof panels are removable to create a semi-open top cabin. The 5-door small SUV will also have it’s rear doors installed RX-8 suicide-style.

Great news for those who are looking to buy a new car and have a budget of less than RM100,000. The Mazda3 1.6 liter is now available for RM99,500 while stocks last. This is for the standard specification Mazda3 1.6 liter. There is also a special finance package available where your first year’s installment will only be RM888 a month.

A basic recap on what the Mazda3 1.6’s loaded with – a 105 horsepower 1.6 liter DOHC engine with S-VT variable valve timing, a 4-speed auto with manual shifting, dual front airbags, ABS, EBD, and a 3-year warranty backed by Cycle & Carriage Bintang Berhad.

The Mazda3 1.6 liter sedan normally costs about RM111,863.00 without insurance, so this is a saving of roughly RM12,000. Just head on to a Mazda showroom for more details about the deal.

Here is a collection of more photos of the upcoming Mazda 2 (or Mazda Demio depending on market) to be revealed at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show this week. The Mazda 2 will come with three engine options to begin with, a 75hp 1.3 liter, an 84hp 1.3 liter as well as a 103hp 1.5 liter.

The stock Mazda 2 can be seen as the green car in this set of photos, but there is an optional Sports Appearance Pack which gives the car a little more sporty flair. You get new bumpers that appear more aggressive, for example the fog lamp inserts curve upwards in the Sports Appearance kit instead of downwards in the standard kit. The Sports Appearance grille is also one with a solid bar running through it, while the standard kit has a mesh grille, pretty much the same idea to differentiate trim level as most Mazda cars – in Malaysia the Mazda6 2.0 has a mesh grille while the higher spec Mazda6 2.3 has the solid bar grille.

The center console design reminds me a little of the Mazda RX8’s, with that circular design in the middle, and I can somehow see a Mickey Mouse head there with the two round airvents looking like Mickey’s ears. Weird design cues there.

More photos after the jump – green is standard, grey is sports pack!

Click here to read the rest of More photos of Mazda 2 1.3 and 1.5

Mazda gives us a preview of it’s new B-segment hatchback, the Mazda 2. Updated to modern Mazda design language, gone is the boxy outlook of it’s predecessor, instead you get a sporty hatch which is reminiscent of the Toyota Yaris. The new Mazda 2 is shorter at 3880mm, however it still keeps an identical wheelbase of 2490mm.

It has a sporty front, with a large air dam flanked by two smaller ones hosting fog lamps, and large headlamps, however I have to disagree with their choice of front grille design – something bigger would have looked better. Trunk space is rated at 250 liters, but with the seats down it enlarges to 469 liters of space. The 2008 Mazda 2 is expected to be unveiled with three engine options, a 1.3 liter petrol (two variants – 74hp/118Nm and 83hp/121Nm), a 1.5 liter petrol (103hp/136Nm) as well as a 1.4 liter turbodiesel.

Two more photos of the rear and side profile after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of 2008 Mazda 2 Preview

Mazda has created three design concepts for the Mazda CX-7, it’s recently launched crossover 5-seater SUV slotted between the Mazda Tribute and the Mazda CX-9. Unlike the Mazda CX-9, it’s 7-seater older brother, the CX-7 is not built on the Mazda6/Ford CD3 platform but instead is a hybrid platform which borrows from the Mazda MPV and Mazda5, of which the latter is in turn based on the Mazda3/Ford C1 platform.

The three concepts are: “Adrenaline”, “Phobia” and “Wickledly Red”, designed by Mazda together with Rhys Millen, Troy Lee Designs and DG Motorsports respectively. More photos after the jump along with descriptions of the concepts.

Other than offering inspiration and showing off the trick-out-ability of the Mazda CX-7, you could also interpret this as a sign that Mazda is looking into developing a Mazdaspeed CX-7, or Mazda CX-7 MPS, whichever name depending on market.

Click here to read the rest of Pimped up Mazda CX-7 concepts by Mazda USA

The new 2007 Mazda6 Facelift was launched late last year by Cycle and Carriage Bintang Berhad at its 3S showroom at Lot 9 today, beside the Federal Highway. This facelifted Mazda6 features 785 engineering changes that accompanies the expected exterior and interior cosmetic changes, making this more than a refreshing exercise to keep the car looking up to date since its launch in 2003. In fact, some have said that despite interior similarities, the pre-facelift and post-facelift model are two completely different animals when it comes to the driving experience.

Read my test drive report after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Mazda 6 2.0 and 2.3 Test Drive Review

Naza Wheels Sdn Bhd and Nasim Sdn Bhd, both companies under the Naza Group unveiled the Mazda 3 1.6 (A) sedan Naza Edition and the limited edition Peugeot 206XT 1.6 (A) Naza Edition imported direct from France. The cars are done up by NZ Galaxy Sdn Bhd, a company that envisions to provide personalize vehicles for the masses at affordable prices, from what I see, something like a car styling company.

The Mazda 3 1.6 (A) sedan Naza Edition goes for RM113,993 and comes with a NZ Galaxy bodykit, rims, a leather interior, tinted glass, rear tail finisher, special emblem and global positioning system with Malaysian and Singaporean maps. As for the Peugeot 206XT 1.6 (A) Naza Edition, it too has a new bodykit, a leather interior, crystal clear head lights, tail pipe finisher and the GPS system. Only 10 cars are available for sale at RM85,000.

After months of having to drool at this sleek smaller sibling to the Mazda6 bearing Singaporean number plates, the Mazda3 was finally launched for the Malaysian market on the 23rd of November 2006 by the Mazda Division of Cycle & Carriage Bintang Berhad at its newly refurbished showroom at Jalan Ampang. Sorry for not being able to cover the launch, but to make up for it here is my test drive report on the Mazda3 2.0 in both hatchback and sedan forms. Read my report after the jump!

Click here to read the rest of Mazda 3 2.0 Sedan and Hatchback Review

Mazda’s Nagare Concept seeks to showcase Mazda’s future design language under the leadership of it’s newly appointed global design director, Laurens van den Acker. When designing the Mazda Nagare Concept, Mazda used the concept of flow – inspired by the movement of nature’s elements – it’s designers sought to capture motion, energy and light and embed it into the Nagare’s lines.

“Mazda doesnt produce concept cars to spin its wheels, and while some are more forward-looking than others, we simply do not create pure flights of fantasy. We develop these ideas to demonstrate what we really intend to build and sell,” says Mazda design director Franz von Holzhausen. A future Mazda hatchback or coupe might look like this. I think it looks something like the Calamari Cruisers of the Star Wars universe.

More photos after the jump, including a little peek into the interior through the glass windscreen from the LA Auto Show thanks to reader Syahrizal Salleh.

Click here to read the rest of Mazda Nagare Concept

Apple Computer has teamed up with Ford Motor Co, General Motors and Mazda Motor Corp to offer easy iPod integration with their cars. While some manufacturers have begun offering AUX input so you can plug in external MP3 players and feed music into the audio system, this is not a complete solution as you cannot control the iPod from car controls such as buttons on the steering wheel.

Optimally, a complete integration solution will allow you to browse tracks from an LCD screen and skip tracks from steering wheel buttons. Recently, our local boys Race Rally Research have jumped onto the iPod bandwagon by offering an iPod Nano 1GB integrated with the car audio system with their new limited edition Proton Waja MME and Proton GEN.2 MME.

Source

I previously blogged about Mazda introducing an automatic hard top version of it’s MX-5. Check out this promotional video of the Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe, a hard top convertible version of the popular Mazda MX-5. The top comes up in 12 seconds, and when the top is taken off, there’s no loss of boot space! Video is after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe Video

Mazda will be unveiling it’s hard top roof Mazda MX-5 at the 2006 British International Motor Show. The Motor Show will be held from the 18th of July 2006 to the 30th of July 2006. Mazda’s most successful cult roadster the MX-5 Miata originally came with a canvas soft top. The addition of a powered retractable hard top model will give the Mazda an edge in it’s battle against it’s roadster wars competitor the Pontiac Solstice which does not feature an automatic powered hard top… yet!

Do check out my previously posted video on the Mazda MX-5 in Top Gear, where the Top Gear crew pitches the Mazda MX-5 against a greyhound on the dog’s home turf.

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2006 Pontiac Solstice trashes Miata sales

The Nissan Murano can be said to be the very first crossover – combining the practicality of the SUV with the sportiness of a coupe. This is Mazda’s offensive at the new North American automobile market’s thirst for crossover SUVs, the Mazda CX-7.

Click here to read the rest of 2007 Mazda CX-7 Crossover Production Begins

Now this is really good. Hamster from Top Gear reviews the latest best selling roadster of all time, the Mazda MX-5. A very good review I have to admit, but the best part of this video is the challenge the Top Gear folks put it through. A race in a greyhound race track against a greyhound. It is the year of the dog after all. And dogs are fast mind you, it goes from 0-72km/h which is also it’s top speed in about 6 strides. That’s about one second. A greyhound is also the 2nd fastest accelerating animal in the world after the cheetah. The video is after the jump. Do watch until the end for a funny conversation on animal handling characteristics.

Click here to read the rest of Top Gear pitches the Mazda MX-5 against a Greyhound