1. F E AT U R E
Mazda: Past, present and future
NOVEMBER 2014 I TOPCAR.CO.ZA 101100 TOPCAR.CO.ZA I NOVEMBER 2014
OUT OF THE
DARKNESS I
T’S ONLY A two-hour ride on the bullet train from
Osaka to Mazda’s HQ in Hiroshima. The
countryside is a blur of small, cube-like buildings,
manicured rice paddies and forest-covered hills.
It’s an interesting, yet equally appealing, contrast
to the colourful lights, energetic character and
bustle of Tokyo. Not only is there a sense of beauty
about the coastal city of Hiroshima, but a strong
sense of tradition and a harmony with nature, too,
typified by its tree-lined parks and rivers. As a first-
time visitor, my only perception of Hiroshima prior to
arrival was one of utter devastation as the first city
ever to be hit by an atomic bomb. At its centre, the
Hiroshima Industrial Promotion Hall or A-bomb Dome
– a UNESCO World Heritage site – is a poignant
memorial to the human tragedy. Its charred walls
remain both as a symbol of Japan’s vow to abolish
nuclear weapons and a symbol of peace. Whether
you’re standing in front of the structure or perusing the
modern city streets, there is always an underlying
sense of the spirit, resilience and hardworking nature
of the Japanese people. For instance, electricity was
restored to the city within weeks of the bombing. Even
today the country has rebuilt itself after a devastating
earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku caused a
40.5 metre-high tsunami in March 2011 that left death
and destruction in its wake. While Mazda’s recent
neglect under Ford South Africa cannot compare to
those disasters, the discounts offered on BT-50s at
dealer level (after the announcement that the two car
makers would split) is bound to leave scars all round.
With the divorce now finalised, however, there is no ill
feeling on Mazda’s part. In the few days I spent with the
Japanese engineers and new local management, it was
clear that the company is ready to move forward in
much the same manner as Jaguar Land Rover has
done since leaving Ford’s control. But at the heart of
any successful car company re-launch is a strong
product line-up that appeals not only on a technical
level, but aesthetically as well.
At the helm of Mazda South Africa is David Hughes,
whose more-than-20-year association with the brand
includes a successful tenure as MD of Mazda Australia.
The brand currently accounts for almost 11 per cent of
After years hidden in Ford’s
shadow, Mazda has re-
emerged in South Africa as an
independent company under
the direction of Mazda Japan.
Revitalised, and spearheaded
by a strong new product
offensive, the brand is ready to
regain lost ground.
Angus Thompsontravelsto
Mazda’sbirthplacetobetter
understanditshistory,sample
itslatestproductsandponder
itsfuture
The ruins of the Hiroshima Prefectural
Industrial Promotion Hall form part of the
Hiroshima Peace Park, a World Heritage site

2. F E AT U R E
Mazda: Past, present and future
NOVEMBER 2014 I TOPCAR.CO.ZA 103102 TOPCAR.CO.ZA I NOVEMBER 2014
the Aussie passenger car market, second only to
Toyota. This is impressive given the relative size of
its model portfolio against the competition, not to
mention that it doesn’t actively target fleet or
government sales in Australia – a strategy that
Mazda will emulate here in SA. Almost all sales are
to private buyers, which speaks volumes for
customer service, product quality and brand loyalty.
Mazda South Africa has set modest initial
targets, aiming to sell 1 000 units per month or
around three per cent of the passenger market.
The local dealer network is also being rationalised
to just 47. Several new, dedicated Mazda
dealerships are under construction, while others
will continue to coexist with other brands,
particularly Ford. Trading under the new
management was officially scheduled to begin on
the first of October this year.
As for the product line-up, you can expect those
dealers to realign current BT-50 pricing before a
substantially facelifted replacement arrives in the
last quarter of 2015. Leading the passenger car
charge is the all-new Mazda3 which was recently
voted 2014 World Car of the Year. It will be joined
by the third-generation Mazda6 which has the
potential to be one of the best value propositions
in the medium executive sedan market. The
underrated CX-5 SUV enjoys new Skyactiv 2.5
petrol and 2.2 diesel engines and more efficient
transmissions along with the addition of an
all-wheel-drive version.
According to Seita Kanai, Mazda’s chairman of
the board, Skyactiv technology embodies the
company’s ‘Zoom Zoom’ spirit that defies
convention with a combination of stylish design,
insightful and intuitive functionality as well as
spirited handling and driving performance. While
the ‘Zoom Zoom’ marketing campaign has always
been a bit lost in translation for me, the goals are
tangible with Skyactiv as Mazda aims to have
introduced the following by 2020: a battery-
powered electric drive Mazda2, plug-in hybrid and
petrol/diesel hybrids (P-HEV and HEV) in the
Mazda3, proactive safety and regenerative braking
(i-Eloop) in the next Mazda6 and idling stop-start
technology (i-Stop) in Mazda3. While autonomy and
safety will be prioritised, I was relieved to hear
Kanai say that unlike the direction taken by some
manufacturers, the driver will always be part of the
driving process. ‘Drivers will not be extracted from
the process at the touch of button. We will not
follow or copy what others are doing’, says Kanai.
Economies of scale across platforms and
commonality are important to any future business
but Kanai adds that Mazda’s ability to optimise
design and flexibility is what will drive the
company’s market attraction into the future.
Compared with other Japanese automakers
Mazda’s production footprint is far smaller but this
also means that it is far more flexible when
implementing changes to global demand.
Rotary engines are a large part of the brand’s
history and best demonstrate the Mazda’s
tendency to defy convention. The passion for rotary
is evident in every Mazda employee, including
Kanai. When Ford canned Mazda’s rotary
development program in the 1990s due to
emission laws, the team moved the rotary project
to an engineer’s flat. They met every night after
work to continue developing the technology. Once
the team had both optimised performance and met
the required CO2 standard, they presented their
solution to Ford, and the RX-8 was born. Kanai
conceded that research into rotary technology is
‘ongoing’, while alluding to the brand’s desire to
return to Le Mans, ‘I like Le Mans and we are
passionate about it, but we have no solution
(product) at present.’ Let’s hope the next RX-8
provides this means to a Mazda return at Le Mans.
‘Wewillnotfolloworcopywhat
othersaredoing’
Mazda2 cabin’s premium
materials, tactile sense
of quality, stylish design
and impeccable build
easily a match for the
class-leading VW Polo
Mazda’s DNA is centred around rotary powertrains and its exploits at the Le Mans
24hrs. What the 787Bs lacked in a single-lap pace against the likes of Mercedes-Benz,
Jaguar, and Porsche, the Mazdas made up for in reliability which allowed them to take
victory in the 1991 edition of Le Mans at the hands of Johnny Herbert, Volker Weidler, and
Bertrand Gachot. This remains the only victory by a Japanese marque to date
The range-topping
Akera-spec CX-5 we
sampled was packed
with features such as
lane departure warning,
adaptive front lighting
and blindspot monitoring.
The CX-5 Active spec for
R80k less does without
these but still boasts
a competitive level of
features compared to
its rivals and may well
provide the best value in
the SUV segment
Mazda exhibited this
lounge chair, created using
the brand’s Kodo design
language, at the Milan
Design week in 2013
NEED TO KNOW
MAZDA CX-5 2.2L DE
AKERA AWD
PRICE R456 100
ENGINE2 191cc, In-line 4cyl 16V
DOHC, intercooled turbo diesel
129kW @ 4 500rpm, 420Nm @
2000rpm
TRANSMISSIONSix-speed auto,
all-wheel drive
SUSPENSIONMacPherson strut
front, multi-link rear
LENGTH/WIDTH/HEIGHT
4 555/1 840/1 670mm
PERFORMANCE9.4sec
0-100kph , 204kph,
5.9ℓ/100km, 155g/km
WEIGHT1 672kg
ON SALENow
NEED TO KNOW
MAZDA2 1.5 DE
(JAPANESE SPEC)
PRICE Not yet
ENGINE1 497cc, in-line 4cyl
DOHC turbodiesel
77kW @ 4 000rpm, 250Nm @
1 500-2 500rpm
TRANSMISSIONSix-speed auto,
front-wheel drive
SUSPENSIONMacPherson strut
front, torsion beam rear
LENGTH/WIDTH/HEIGHT
4 060/1 695/1 500mm
PERFORMANCENot available
WEIGHT1 239kg
ON SALEQ1 2015

3. F E AT U R E
Mazda: Past, present and future
NOVEMBER 2014 I TOPCAR.CO.ZA 105104 TOPCAR.CO.ZA I NOVEMBER 2014
NEED TO KNOW
MAZDA6 2.5 DYNAMIC
AUTO
PRICE R373 000
ENGINE2 488cc, in-line 4cyl 16v
DOHC petrol
138kW @ 5 700rpm, 250Nm @
3 250rpm
TRANSMISSIONSix-speed auto,
front-wheel drive
SUSPENSIONMacPherson strut
front, multi-link rear
LENGTH/WIDTH/HEIGHT
4 865/2 113/1 450mm
PERFORMANCE
7.8sec 0-100kph , 223kph,
6.6ℓ/100km, 153g/km
WEIGHT1 444kg
ON SALENow
Skyactiv technology also extends to the all-new
Mazda2 which is poised to challenge the likes of
the Volkswagen Polo and Ford Fiesta in terms of
build quality, driving appeal, specification (and
possibly sales) when it arrives in the first quarter of
2015 in both hatch and sedan bodystyles. Looking
ahead, the exciting new MX-5 (see page 10) lands
here in the third quarter of next year, while a new
B-segment compact SUV crossover (built off the
new Mazda2 platform and likely to be badged
CX-3) goes on sale mid-year.
The day after our arrival, we perused the
impressively efficient production lines of the new
Mazda3 and CX-5 at the Hiroshima plant where
one vehicle is produced every 53 seconds. We
then spent time with Yasushi Nakamuta, one of
Mazda’s chief designers and the man largely
responsible for the Kodo (soul of motion) design
language which debuted in the Shinari concept car
in 2010. He talked us through the evolution of
Mazda’s design language from the R350 coupe in
1959 to the first-generation RX-7 in the late
1980s and how the Nagare design philosophy
(meaning nature and design flow) had shaped cars
such as the first Mazda2 (2007) before evolving
into the current Kodo language as evidenced on
the latest Mazda3, CX-5 and the new Mazda2. For
these models the ‘soul of motion’ was inspired by
the movement and poise of a cheetah. The
designers were also tasked with creating a
signature wing-shaped grille and headlights that
were easily identifiable across each model face.
Nakamuta believes Japanese design is more
simple (less busy) but just as strong as leading
European and Korean brands. When developing
Kodo he also took inspiration from older race cars
(Ferrari GTO, Ford GT40 and Jaguar D-Type),
watches (Panerai and U-Boat) and classic cameras.
For the new Mazda3, Nakamuta and his team
wanted a long, sloping bonnet with a cab-rear look
that still retained a sense of overall dynamism. This
presented a packaging challenge to engineers, but
such is the respect for design within Mazda, that
the wheelbase was duly extended and the
overhangs shortened to still allow for the targeted
boot space and rear seat accommodation.
The following day offered a chance to study the
new Mazda3 in greater detail as well as drive it at
the Miyoshi Proving Grounds. The test facility is
about the combined size of 75 football stadiums and
is hidden away in the mountains roughly 160km
from Hiroshima. Deputy program manager for the
Mazda3, Kengo Fukushima, explained that Mazda’s
dynamic character is defined by the principle of
Jinba ittai, referring to a deep communication
between car and driver. The pedal position and
touch points of the Mazda3, for instance, were all
optimised by moving the axle forward by 50mm to
ensure sufficient foot space and perfectly
positioned pedals. His division studies each critical
communication point of the car’s dynamic character
to assess levels of feedback and feel through the
steering wheel and seat while refining both roll
behaviour and steering balance. Mazda strives for a
linear steering response and an ease of control to
the accelerator inputs at low rpms. For this the
muscle tension in a driver’s neck is measured
between two- and three tenths of a second after
acceleration to ensure the driver’ s head doesn’t jerk
back and forth between throttle responses.
With this in mind it was time to get behind the
wheel and personally assess each steed. First up
was a Mazda2 hatch in Japanese specification as
SA-spec variants are only earmarked for
production later this year. A heightened sense of
quality in the interior materials and trim is
immediately apparent. There’s also a deeper level
of quality and strength in the chassis without
compromising weight or the nimble agility and
fun-to-drive nature of its predecessor. The 1.5-litre
turbodiesel offered great in-gear acceleration with
no noticeable lag or delay in response. With 77kW
and 250Nm of torque under foot, transitions
through the six-speed automatic box were
seamless and intuitive although I would have
preferred greater steering feel off centre and
reduced body roll on turn-in. (SA models will
apparently offer greater steering response.)
Next up was a CX-5 featuring an impressive
2.2-litre turbodiesel good for 129kW and 420Nm.
The SA-spec 4WD test unit offered excellent
steering feel, body control and balance on turn-in
with great ride comfort and dampening over
undulations. Quality is excellent and interior space
is generous, but if I had to nit-pick, perhaps the flat
front seats could be more cosseting.
Given the global praise it has already received, I
was really looking forward to driving the Mazda3. I
wasn’t disappointed. It exhibits a flat, dynamic
chassis response mid-corner with a refined
disposition that is both composed and balanced
through turns, offering loads of lateral traction. In a
nutshell, it too is hard to fault and should give the
likes of the Golf, A-Class and Focus a hard time.
Our test unit featured the new 2.0-litre petrol
engine with 121kW and 210Nm of torque mated to
a smooth-shifting and refined six-speed automatic
transmission. While mid-range grunt might seem a
bit thin at the reef, the Mazda3 is class-leading in a
number of respects and should be on the radar of
any potential premium hatch buyer.
Last up was the underrated Mazda6. While it is
the ‘oldest’ of the new breed in terms of cabin
design, the third-gen Mazda6 still presents
excellent refinement, comfort, luxury and
specification levels. It too is composed and
balanced through turns with excellent weight
transfer and nicely weighted steering. As in the
other models the 2.0-litre engine revs freely and
the six-speed automatic remains smooth,
responsive and intuitive with little apparent dive
under braking and great feel and feedback
through the steering.
As we bid Hiroshima farewell and started our
journey back to the southern tip of Africa, it was
very clear from the level of quality and the dynamic
appeal of Mazda’s latest product offerings that the
The Mazda3 is available
in both hatch and sedan
bodystyles and ranges in
price from R232 900 for the
1.6 Original through to the
range-topping 2.0 Astina
we drove at R326 300
JUJIRO MATSUDA
‘Mazda’s founder’
NEED TO KNOW
MAZDA3 HATCH 2.0
ASTINA AUTO
PRICE R326 300
ENGINE1 998cc, In-line 4cyl 16v
DOHC petrol
121kW @ 6 000rpm,
210Nm @ 4 000rpm
TRANSMISSIONSix-speed auto,
front-wheel drive
SUSPENSIONMacPherson strut
front, Multi-link rear
LENGTH/WIDTH/HEIGHT
4 460/1 795/1 450mm
PERFORMANCE
8.5sec 0-100kph (est)
205kph(est),
5.8ℓ/100km, 139g/km
WEIGHT1 359kg
ON SALENow
brand is starting off on the right foot. If it can
actively deliver on the vehicles’ promise at a dealer
level locally, build a loyal customer base and
market the brand so that it is more visible to the
consumer, I see no reason why it shouldn’t at the
very least achieve its modest sales targets in the
coming years. tc
Engineers working on Rotary powertrains... we’re
guessing there was a sale on white shirts that week