Mazda is Giving Its Entire Line-Up the 100th Anniversary Treatment

With Mazda celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, everyone was waiting as to what special edition model the carmaker would come out with. Well, we know that right now. And in a (pleasant but unexpected plot twist), the entire line-up is getting the treatment.

Available for pre-orders now in Japan, but to be rolled out globally (the photos reflect left-hand drive models, actually), the 100th Anniversary Special Edition series encompasses the Mazda2, Mazda3, Mazda6, CX-3, CX-30, CX-5, CX-8, MX-5, and MX-5 RF.

It’s purely an aesthetics package that hark back to Mazda’s first passenger car, the R360 Coupe. With that, it adopts a two-tone interior color scheme in white and burgundy. Moreover, it has various components such as the headrests, floor mats, key fob, wheel center caps, and special exterior emblems all emblazoned with the special 100th Anniversary logo. The sole color is the Snow Flake White Pearl.

In Japan, the 100th Anniversary Special Edition Mazda2, Mazda3, and CX-3 go on sale first with a target date of June, followed by the CX-30, CX-5, CX-8, MX-5, and MX-5 RF in July, and finally the Mazda6 in September.

With Mazda already confirming global availability of these models, it’s highly likely that Philippine distributor Bermaz Auto Philippines would be bringing in a handful as well. That said, it’s likely they’ll concentrate on the likes of the MX-5 and MX-5 RF, though enthusiasts will surely like to see them give the 100th anniversary treatment to more mainstream models.

No Fog Lights? No Worries. Mazda Cited for Good Headlights as 5 Models End Up as Top Safety Picks

When Mazda first came out with the all-new Mazda3 and refreshed Mazda6, one of the complaints lashed out on these two vehicles is the lack of front fog lights. Though engineers did manage to tuck the function into the headlights, it still was a concern for those who’re used to seeing additional set of driving lights mounted closer to the ground.

Well, worry no more, because the U.S.-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) confirmed what Mazda was telling everyone all along: their headlights are okay. True enough, the 2020 Mazda3, Mazda6, and even the CX-3, and CX-5 were awarded with the highest Top Safety Pick+ award. Meanwhile, the Mazda’s CX-9 earns an additional Top Safety Pick for 2020 (when equipped with the ALH headlights).

This means Mazda earned more awards than any other automaker from IIHS, beating even the likes of safety-minded Subaru and Volvo.

To qualify for the 2020 Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards, Mazda vehicles earned good ratings in each of the IIHS’s six crashworthiness evaluations: moderate overlap front, driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, side, roof strength, and head restraints & seats. Mazda vehicles also earned advanced or superior ratings for front crash prevention in both vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluations. Additionally, Mazda achieved good or acceptable headlight ratings, with the “plus” awarded to its models that come exclusively with good or acceptable rated headlights (this discounts the locally-speced 2020 CX-3 which comes with just halogen headlights).

Also helping Mazda achieve this high safety rating is its umbrella of advanced driver assist technologies that make use of milliwave radars and cameras. Called i-Activsense, it’s available in certain Mazda3, CX-30, and CX-8 models in the Philippines.

They include active safety technologies that support safer driving by helping the driver to recognize potential hazards, and pre-crash safety technologies which help to avert collisions or reduce their severity in situations where they cannot be avoided. These technologies include Smart City Brake Support, Smart Brake Support with Collision Warning, Mazda Radar Cruise Control, Blind Spot Monitoring with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning System with Lane-Keep Assist, Driver Attention Alert, High Beam Control, and Adaptive Front-Lighting System.

With the Pricing of the Mazda CX-30 Revealed, It Might Mean the End of the CX-3

With the launch of the Mazda CX-30, there’s been a lot of confusion as to its positioning: will it or won’t it replace the CX-3? Though officially, the CX-3 lives on for now, we may have a clearer picture now for smaller markets such as the Philippines given that Mazda has finally revealed the prices of the CX-30 in its home market of Japan. And quite frankly, things don’t look so good for the CX-3.

Before that though, it’s time for a bit of CX-30 refresher.

Launched at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, the CX-30 represents Mazda’s move to add more crossovers to their line-up simply because there’s an insatiable demand for them globally. However, in typical Mazda fashion, the CX-30 plays by its own rules and with that, is more of a design-centric crossover than a utilitarian one.

Like the all-new Mazda3 on which the CX-30 is based on, it embodies the KODO design, only here designers were inspired by a single calligraphy stroke that results in the speedy arc from the front fender to the rear tire. It also plays with light forming an S-shaped curve as the car moves. And like the Mazda3, it comes with the newly-developed Polymetal Gray Metallic along with the Soul Red Crystal and Machine Gray.

Underpinned by the Skyactiv-Vehicle Architecture, the CX-30 takes advantage of human-centric design to realize a comfortable ride and stable handling by tapping into innate human senses thereby reducing discomfort or stress while driving. Like the Mazda3, it uses a front MacPherson Strut and rear Torsion Beam suspension.

Unlike the Mazda3 though, the CX-30 gains a more generous 175 mm of ground clearance (higher than the CX-3) while also adding a new Off-Road Traction Assist for vehicles equipped with all-wheel drive. With this, Mazda says the AWD system and traction control system will cooperate to maximize the transmission of force to the wheels with the most traction available.

Dimensionally, the CX-30 is longer (4,395 mm versus 4,275 mm) and wider (1,795 mm versus 1,765 mm) than the current CX-3. It keeps the same overall height (1,540 mm) though. Interestingly, the wheelbase, 2,655 mm approaches levels close to the CX-5’s 2,700 mm. All in all, it results in larger rear accommodations and bigger cargo room. In fact, Mazda proudly states that the CX-30’s cargo opening is at 1,020 mm—enabling it to fit baby strollers and travel bags at the same time. Oh, and power tailgate is standard on most variants.

With all these advancements, it’s quite surprising that the CX-30 and the current CX-3 don’t differ too much from pricing. In Japan at least, the CX-3 and CX-30 are not more than 12 percent apart. In fact, on higher-end variants, the difference is as little as 8 percent! This makes the CX-30 a more value-for-money choice than the CX-3 (see table below).

Projecting how Mazda Philippines prices the lone CX-3 variant at P 1,300,000, it’s about 16 percent more expensive to its Japanese counterpart. With that in mind, the CX-30 may enter the Philippine market anywhere between P 1.330 million to P 1.687 million for variants equipped with the 2.0-liter Skyactiv-G, enabling Mazda to better compete against both the Honda HR-V and Subaru XV. And this move is entirely possible given their move to reduce the CX-3 to a single variant for 2020 and that the entry-level CX-5 stands at P 1.680 million.

There's Only One Variant for the Mazda CX-3 in 2020 and It's Now Priced at P 1.3M (w/ Specs)

An eagle-eyed reader spotted that aside from the Mazda3 hatchback missing from Mazda Philippines’s vehicle line-up (it’s actually called a Sportback now), the CX-3 was also MIA. Well, we reached out to Steven Tan, the President of Bermaz Auto Philippines, the exclusive distributor of Mazda in the country to get the scoop on the brand’s sub-compact crossover.

According to Mr. Tan, the CX-3 is still alive and well for the Philippine market. However, for the 2020 model year, they’ve reduced the number of variants from three to one. Previously, the CX-3 was available in Pro 2WD, Sport 2WD, and Activ AWD; now, it’s only available in the base Pro 2WD trim.

For those keeping track, the Philippine market 2020 CX-3 is actually the very same one that made its global debut way back in March of 2018. Aesthetically, the changes are quite subtle, limited only to the new horizontal grille slats—similar to what you see in the CX-9 and the rear lamps which get a new cylindrical-like detail. Being the Pro 2WD model, it (sadly) gets only halogen headlights and 16-inch alloy wheels. LED fog lights are standard, though.

Like the exterior, the CX-3’s interior sees only minor tweaks for 2020. For the first time ever, the Mazda’s smallest crossover gets a front arm rest that doubles as lidded storage and a rear center armrest with cup holders. The mechanical parking brake has also been swapped for an electric parking brake with auto brake hold. Now because this is the Pro 2WD, luxury features are slim pickings. The seats are covered in fabric and the air conditioning’s manual. However, you do get a leather steering wheel, a 7-inch MZD Connect infotainment (no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto), and push-start/stop for the engine.

Mechanically though, the 2020 CX-3 does see a power bump compared to its predecessor. Its 2.0-liter Skyactiv-G engine is now rated at 150 horsepower and 195 Nm of torque. The transmission remains a 6-speed automatic, but now come with paddle shifters.

It continues to ride on the very same suspension setup as before, but enhancements have been made to improve the shock and bump absorption. The steering system has also been retuned for better accuracy. Finally, thicker door panels, rear-door glass, headliner, and upgraded door seams additionally help provide a quieter and more refined cabin.

The 2020 Mazda CX-3 comes in four colors: Ceramic, Eternal Blue, Machine Gray, and Soul Red Crystal at a price of P 1,300,000 (that’s a P 20,000 price bump compared to before).