SA Road Tests

Welcome

This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Most, but not all, the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.

My most recent drive is on the home page. Archived reviews and opinion pieces are in the active menu down the left side. Hover your cursor over a heading or manufacturer's name and follow the drop-down.


Value added: 2017 Mazda CX-3, 2.0 Individual Plus

Share the magic

Posted: 27 August 2017

The numbers
Price: R380 600
Engine: Mazda SkyActiv-G 1998 cc, DOHC, 16-valve, inline four cylinder
Power: 115 kW at 6000 rpm
Torque: 204 Nm at 2800 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 9.5 seconds
Maximum speed: 192 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 7.1 l/100 km
Tank: 48 litres
Luggage: 264 – 1174 litres
Ground clearance: 155 – 160 mm
Warranty, roadside assistance and service plan: 3 years / unlimited km, with servicing at     15 000 km intervals

You might assume, if you hadn’t done your homework, that Mazda’s CX-3 crossover is based on its 3-series sedan and hatch models. You would be wrong, of course, because it actually stems from Mazda2. It’s built on the DE platform rather than the bigger car’s SkyActiv chassis. That makes the crossover 190 mm shorter than a Mazda3 hatch on a wheelbase reduced by 130 mm and slightly narrower (-30mm), although it is taller (+100mm) - as one would expect.

Further, although Mazda2, Mazda3 and CX-3 share interiors and some features, there are differences. Take its 2.0-litre SkyActiv-G motor for example. Mazda3 uses the 121 kW and 210 Nm version of the engine while CX-3 makes do with 115 kW and 204 Nm. That is mostly because the compression ratio is reduced from 14:1 to 13:1.

But, being the new top-of-range Individual Plus, our test car shares magic with the premium models from Mazda Two and Three. First, to enhance Jinba-Ittai, Mazda’s conception of Zen-like oneness between show rider and horse or, hopefully, between driver and car, the company introduced SkyActiv-vehicle dynamics. They are motion control technologies designed to integrate engine, transmission, chassis and body.

Triggered by steering and acceleration inputs, G-Vectoring controls engine torque to provide improved handling from the driver’s viewpoint and better ride quality for passengers. Read more about it in our 2017 Mazda3 Astina Plus review.

The second step adds safety features: Smart City Brake Support, Adaptive LED Headlights, Lane Departure Warning, Driver Attention Alert and Blind Spot Monitoring. External clues are chromed door garnishes on Individual and Individual Plus as well as two dedicated body colours: Eternal Blue Mica and Machine Grey Metallic.

Notably absent, by comparison with the Two- and Three- Plus models, are automated locking, both on the move and when walking away and shift paddles. Last year's equivalently sized spare wheel has made way for a spacesaver.

After driving an almost identical car (just without GVC and the “Plus” model’s added safety features) last year, we found that the SkyActiv six-speed autobox behaves much better now – finally doing exactly what it says on the label. We also tested the standard sunroof this time around and found it like most others; quite good fun at low speeds but noisy above about 80 km/h. And it steals rear seat headroom. Marketing people insist that they are popular options, but we wouldn’t bother.

We also did what we usually do with vehicles described as SUVs or crossovers and drove it along a fairly rough dirt road in our neighbourhood. It survived the high frequency corrugations but wasn’t happy with them. Accept that it‘s a city car and treat it as one.
 
In its natural environment the CX-3 is an mid-sized family car that goes well, steers and parks easily, has decent brakes and does what is expected of it. A Sport switch, also found on the Twos and Threes, holds lower gears for longer when you’re in teenage hellion mode but doesn’t do much else. Rather use the manual override function and enjoy the car properly.

Luggage space behind the rear seat is smaller than in some other little SUVs (MINI Countryman, Opel Mokka, Renault Captur or Kadjar, Toyota C-HR and VW Tiguan) and it suffers from the same outward view restrictions as its donor car. It beats most of them on standard- and safety features however.

Test car from Mazda SA press fleet.

Save

What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.

Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.

I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material.

If ever I place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with a very similar vehicle already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.

Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. There are no advertisers and no “editorial policy” rules. I add bylines to acknowledge sponsored launch functions and the manufacturers or dealerships that provide the test vehicles.  And, as quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so you can see I do actually exist.

Comments?
Want to ask a question, comment or just tell me you completely disagree with what I say? If you want advice or have a genuine concern, I will be happy to hear from you. All I ask is that you write something in the subject line so I know which vehicle you're talking about.