Mazda3 SP20 SKYACTIV 2012 Review

Price Guide (recommended price before statutory and delivery charges): $27,990
Options fitted (not included in above price): Nil
Crash rating: Five-star (ANCAP)
Fuel: 91 RON ULP
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 6.1
CO2 emissions (g/km): 145
Also consider: Ford Focus Duratec 2.0 (from $21,990); Holden Cruze 1.4 iTi (from $21,490); Subaru Impreza 2.0i (from $23,990); Volkswagen Golf 118 TSI (from $21,990)

With a focus on cosmetics, and the desire to implant its Zoom-Zoom philosophy firmly into the minds of buyers, Mazda has demonstrated remarkable prowess in getting its message across to Australian new-car buyers. Securing the number-one monthly sales spot regularly with its Mazda3 eloquently proves a point: Get your brand image, product range and pricing strategies sorted and you would need to be silly to go wrong.

Mazda is clearly not silly, but it has not always got everything right: In terms of engine and driveline technologies, it would have to plead guilty of lagging behind the field in recent years.

Mazda powerplants have tended to become less impressive with the continuing evolvement of its competitors. Small-capacity turbos, super-efficient conventional engines and ever-advancing transmission designs have given many of Mazda’s rivals a convincing technological head start.

SKYACTIV, Mazda’s new-generation range of drivetrains including engines and transmissions, couldn’t come soon enough.

As adopted for starters in the Mazda3 SP20 SKYACTIV sedan and hatch (now in the CX-5 SUV also), the company is right back into the fray with levels of efficiency, power output, economy and emissions that compare with the very best.

Squeezing a creditable 113kW and 194Nm out of 2.0 litres, the SKYACTIV-G (for Gasoline) powerplant is punchier than the older-generation 2.0-litre (still current, and producing 108kW/182Nm), significantly more economical and a lot cleaner in terms of CO2 emissions.

On top of that, the Mazda3 SKYACTIV models also come exclusively with an all-new six-speed SKYACTIV-Drive automatic transmission that is claimed by Mazda to combine the best of a conventional auto, CVT and a dual-clutch automated manual.

Extracting the most out of all that is the adoption of i-stop, Mazda’s take on idle start-stop technology. It brings a bit more refinement to a technology that is becoming more familiar on our congested streets.

Looking at the SKYACTIV-G 2.0-litre as fitted to the Mazda3 reveals a few elements not unfamiliar in new-generation engine designs: It has a higher than usual compression ratio -- made possible by indenting the tops of the pistons to help eliminate “knocking” -- direct fuel injection, variable valve timing (on the intake side only), a long stroke configuration to assist development of torque, and a general working-over to reduce weight and mechanical friction.

As well, it utilises elements of hybrid thinking not just with i-stop, but also with a high-power alternator/battery system that recovers power when decelerating and is claimed to hold enough charge for continued operation of the electrical systems for some time after i-stop becomes active.

So in one fell swoop Mazda has brought itself once again to the front row of the grid where it lines up with the likes of Ford Focus Duratec, Volkswagen Golf 118 TSI and Holden Cruze 1.4 iTi.

In automatic form, and judged on fuel economy and emissions (6.1L/100km combined and 145g/km for the hatch), it is probably closest to the efficient, 118kW/240Nm 1.4-litre turbo used in the Golf which, with dual-clutch transmission, claims 6.2L/100km and 144g/km. In terms of power extraction SKYACTIV sits a fair bit behind the normally aspirated 125kW/202Nm 2.0-litre GDI Duratec engine used in the Ford Focus -- although with 6.6L/100km and 154g/km the also dual-clutch Ford doesn’t quite match it in fuel efficiency or emissions.

The bottom line is that Mazda has caught up with, but not surpassed the best of its rivals. SKYACTIV probably has more tricks up its sleeve in the future, but then again the same could equally apply to the others.

In real life, Mazda3 SKYACTIV models are clearly the most advanced technically in the current Mazda3 line-up that still includes previous-generation 2.0-litre and 2.5-litre (122kW/227Nm) engines.

The evidence is there right from the moment SKYACTIV is fired up: There’s a decidedly pleasant crackle from the exhaust that Mazda spent some time achieving, and a glance at the tachometer shows there’s as much as 6500rpm to dip into should the occasion arise.

First impressions though are of a slight tardiness in initial step-off, which is a bit surprising given the long-stroke, torque-friendly configuration, but is partly explained by the highish 4100rpm at which the maximum 194Nm is developed.

That said, the SKYACTIV engine is not at all “peaky” in terms of power delivery. Once that slight initial reluctance passes, it pulls steadily, strongly and eagerly right through to redline. Mazda’s work on tuning-in a pleasing engine note, in which engineers struck a neat balance between low and high frequency noise levels, has paid off nicely.

In concert with what is clearly an equally efficient transmission, the Mazda3 SKYACTIV is a worthy recipient of the sporty SP title. It is a quite different drive experience to the larger capacity, torquier SP25 but, arguably, is a bit more pleasing with its melodious, rev-happy character.

The SKYACTIV-Drive auto transmission, with lock-up in all gears activated by a new, compact multi-plate clutch and what Mazda calls a “mechatronics module” overseeing the entire system, feels crisp in the way it operates and well suits the zippy nature of the engine. Its effectiveness is attested to in the SKYACTIV’s on-road performance.

The i-stop system is a little different to your regular start-stop arrangement too. With the help of retained combustion within the engine, the SKYACTIV engine definitely fires up quicker and more smoothly than many idle stop-start systems, but is not as unobtrusive as a full-hybrid re-start.

With assistance like this, the promised fuel economy payoff more or less eventuates. Our test SKYACTIV hatch recorded 6.5L/100km on a fully-loaded long distance drive, although the average urban figure prior to that was 7.0L/100km. The fact that Mazda doesn’t stipulate high octane unleaded as a necessity helps here, as does the SKYACTIV’s E10 fuel compatibility. Touring range should be comfortably more than 700 kilometres, which is not bad for a petrol-engined car with a 55-litre fuel tank.

In terms of ride-handling compromise, the Mazda3 SKYACTIV runs happily with the pack even if it is not best in class -- that honour belongs to close cousin Ford Focus, followed by Renault’s new Megane.

With its recently revised steering, the Mazda turns in well, with decent weighting at the wheel and a nice feeling of security when being wielded with some forcefulness. The ride, in typical Zoom-Zoom style, leans towards the firmer end of the scale but is not going to upset passengers by transmitting undue levels of harshness.

The only notable deficit is the amount of road noise experienced in the cabin -- this has been the subject of some attention in the latest 3, but remains a characteristic not unfamiliar in current Mazda hatchbacks, and is noticeably present when cruising on anything but super-smooth hotmix. This becomes more imposing on a long trip and can, at times, compromise the car’s decent six-speaker sound system.

As far as providing stretching space for a full passenger load, the Mazda is middle of the road. Not up there with the best, but comparable with the likes of Focus and Megane.

A tall rear-seat passenger sitting behind an equally-tall front seat occupant will not be happy over a long distance, even though the seats themselves are well-enough shaped and padded. If you need more passenger space, Kia’s latest Cerato, which in this respect tops the current small-car crop, might be worth a look.

Boot space in the Mazda3 hatch, at 300 litres for the regular SP20 and just 276 litres for the Luxury version, is not worth e-mailing home about, although the split-fold backrests flip out of the way neatly and quickly, which is not always the case in this class.

Other than the road noise and tight back seat, we really have no beefs with what the Mazda3 SKYACTIV offers.

The interior remains the same well presented place as other 3 variants: Swoopy, but ergonomically correct design that shows the maturity of today’s Japanese car-makers with nicely tactile controls, easy-read instruments (blue-lit in SKYACTIV), a gated sequential gearshift selector where the SKYACTIV’s shift knob is located slightly forward for easier operation than other variants, and good-quality trim that includes such niceties as a largely soft-touch dash.

SKYACTIV is available in standard or Luxury form: For three grand more than the regular model’s pre on-roads price of $27,990, the latter brings things like leather trim, bi-Xenon headlights and a 242-Watt 10-speaker Bose sound system.

Mazda has needed to update its drivetrains for some time. SKYACTIV does that. It is now competitively efficient, in terms of fuel consumption and exhaust emissions, yet is not in any way hobbled where performance delivery or driving pleasure are concerned.

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