Mazda 3 Diesel 2014 Review

Australia's top-selling car, the Mazda 3, is about to be given a boost with the return of a diesel version.  It will be available with automatic transmission for the first time, but the price is expected to be close to $40,000, making it one of the dearer models in the new Mazda3 line-up and up to $10,000 more than it was previously.
 
The Mazda3 is in a tight battle for sales leadership against the Toyota Corolla. But the arrival of a diesel alternative in September will give the Mazda3 an even bigger edge over the Toyota when it comes to engine options.

The previous Mazda3 diesel only accounted for 1 per cent of sales of the model range, but the automatic transmission opens it up to the majority of the market.  "We were hamstrung with the last model by only having a manual transmission," said Mazda Australia's Steve Maciver.  "About 75 per cent of the small-car market favours automatic transmission so there's definitely potential for a sales boost now that we will have the option of a diesel automatic."

ENGINE / TRANSMISSION
 
The Mazda3 is already available with a choice of 2.0-litre or 2.5-litre petrol power and will soon have a 2.2-litre diesel in its portfolio.  The Toyota Corolla, meanwhile, is only available with a 1.8-litre petrol engine, although a hybrid option using Prius technology is believed to be under consideration.
 
The diesel alternative with automatic transmission will broaden the Mazda3's appeal; about 12 per cent of Volkswagen Golf sales are of the diesel variant.

A super-efficient Mazda3 diesel in Europe sips just 3.3L/100km using a less powerful version of the same engine. But the diesel Mazda3 due in Australia, which has an average consumption rating of 5.0L/100km. That's 12 per cent better than before, although not as frugal as the 4.9L/100km achieved in the latest Volkswagen Golf hatch diesel because the Mazda has been tuned for performance. "With a class-leading 420Nm of torque we see this car as a performance variant," said Maciver. 
 
The 2.2-litre diesel engine is the same one used in the Mazda CX-5 SUV and Mazda6 mid-size sedan and has 129kW of power and 420Nm of torque. The previous 2.2-litre diesel had 120kW and 360Nm.

DRIVING
 
There are no visible cues that distinguish diesel versions of the new Mazda3 -- not even a badge -- but the cars sampled had a subtle colour accenting on the chrome grille frame.
 
On a brief preview drive in Japan last week the Mazda3 diesel impressed with its quietness and broad power range. Customarily, diesel engines have a noticeable delay in power delivery when moving from slow speeds, the Mazda3 diesel felt more like a petrol-powered car, with plenty of oomph.
 
Sampling it on a race track underlined Mazda's intention for its new diesel variant to not be a fuel economy leader, rather it is intended to deliver driving enjoyment.
 
The manual version tested on the track was a smooth operator. An automatic version tested at low speeds on a road course also showed no obvious flaws.
 
However, for all the improvements of the new Mazda3 diesel, this fuel type still makes more sense for drivers who travel long distances on open roads. Although we did not do any city driving to test the real-world economy of this car, diesel engines typically aren't that much more efficient than petrol engines around town, especially in small cars. 
  
Mazda is yet to release pricing of the new diesel Mazda3 but it is expected to priced close to $40,000 given it will come only in one grade: the "Astina" luxury model, and as a hatch only.
 
Meanwhile, Mazda Australia has so far ruled out plans for the hybrid version of the Mazda3 (available as a sedan in its home market in Japan) because it doesn't make financial sense to import it.