Mazda 3 is a familiar face, so that it is the best-selling passenger car in Australia not too long ago, but times have changed, it has no coveted title any more.
Yes, when the new generation Toyota Corolla was launched, it focused on the performance and efficiency of series parallel hybrid. It soared as buyers looked forward to the benefits of low emission vehicles.
So it makes sense that Mazda will respond with an electrified version of "3". It has either. Look, Mazda has been spending precious research and development time and money to develop a gasoline engine. Its performance is just like that of a diesel engine, and its hybrid is very good.
Of course, this raises the question of whether Mazda's efforts on the so-called "skyactiv-x" power system have been misguided or gifted. As always, there's only one way to find out, so please keep reading our comments on the new X20 Astina flagship of the Mazda 3 sedan.
Is there anything interesting about its design?
The Mazda 3 sedan is a multifaceted gimmick, especially in the X20 form.
From the front, the "3" car is obviously a Mazda, and the familiar family face of the brand is proud to show in front of people, as evidenced by the large grille connected with the adaptive LED headlamp of X20 Astana and the daytime running lights decorated with thick chrome.
This smooth front fascia leads to almost as pleasant side of the Mazda 3 sedan, which is a simple lesson. The roof line, in particular, looks sporty but doesn't buy the fastback fashion. The X20 Astana's 18 inch alloy wheels and 215 / 45 tires also look great.
In the rear, the Mazda 3 sedan can be said to be the best, again looking simple but purposeful. The LED taillights are attractive, as are the dual tailpipes. Which posture is the most attractive is no longer a foregone conclusion. Don't worry, hatchback.
That is to say, its internal Mazda 3 sedan blew away the competition. It's easy to mistake it for a Mercedes C-class or a BMW 3-Series. Hell, it might even be confused with the E-Class or 5-series, which is a premium... No, luxury.
The seat, steering wheel, door bezel, center armrest and middle dashboard of X20 Astana are decorated with soft leather, while the door shoulder and upper dashboard are decorated with soft plastic. But that's not half the story
For example, all the switchgears feel great, and the handle of the steering wheel is beautifully damped. Then there are two rows of wide armrests.
Yes, we can keep talking about how luxurious the interior is - it's worth it.
Even better, the driving position is on the spot, and a 7.0-inch multi-function display between the tachometer and speedometer is a popular included, although its functionality is quite limited when compared to most digital dashboards.
On the left, however, is a "floating" 8.8-inch display powered by Mazda's latest multimedia system, with a clear set of graphics but no touch input.
Yes, Mazda has doubled the rotation controller (with shortcut keys), its only previous champion. Although a little controversial, but from a security point of view, this is the right move, adhere to a row of physical climate control is also right.
However, the wide screen format of the central panel it operates on is not so clear, and it looks particularly thin when using X20 Astana's built-in satellite navigation or smartphone image (wired apple Carplay and Android auto).
Similarly, the x20astina's windshield projection head up display is almost too small to recognize, which is frustrating because of its location otherwise good.
How practical is the space inside?
Mazda 3's body length is 4660mm (wheelbase is 2725mm), width is 1795mm and height is 1440mm. For a small car, Mazda 3's body is too large, which is good news for practicality.
Although a solid 444l carrying capacity is offered (149l above the hatchback), if the 60 / 40 split folds down after the bench, even more space is created next to a small hump on the floor. But the central seat belt can't be undone. It's annoying.
That is to say, the sedan's configuration is impractical because of its hatchback brother when it comes to aperture (it's wide but short), while it also has a significant load lip to contend with. These two disadvantages make loading / unloading larger items more challenging.
The trunk also has no tie down points and bag hooks, which means loose cargo can fly more easily. That is to say, manual release of the rear seat lock in hand is great But they still need to be pushed down and there is no ski port.
Although the second row of the Mazda 3 is a little tight, it is definitely more spacious than the hatchback. Especially in terms of clearance, thanks to its traditional three compartment design, the skylight of X20 Astina has about 1cm space in place.