Upmarket push for Mazda's top-selling car brings massive price hikes

When the fourth-generation Mazda3 hatch launches in Australia in April (the 2019 sedan will follow in June), it will cost between $3500 and $4500 more than its predecessor.

Pricing starts at $24,990 plus on-road costs for the newly-named Mazda3 G20 Pure entry variant — up from $20,490 for the outgoing Mazda3 Neo Maxx and matching the cheapest Volkswagen Golf.

Marking a significant shift upmarket for what was once Australia’s top-selling vehicle, the big price increases for the all-new Mazda3 are accompanied by a range of new high-tech features.

While the European price positioning dominated the ‘soft launch’ of the 2019 Mazda3 in Melbourne this week, Mazda Australia insists it is countered by around $4000 worth of extra equipment across the range.

The brand is also promising improved driving dynamics and greater levels of refinement via an all-new platform, new designs inside and out, higher-quality materials and better technology and safety levels.

Standard features across the range appear to be class-leading, including an 8.8-inch widescreen infotainment display, radar cruise control with traffic sign (speed limit) recognition, rear parking sensors and camera, head-up display, seven airbags, active lane keep assist and push-button engine start.

All models come standard with a six-speed manual transmission which will account for just one out of every 10 Mazda3 sales. A six-speed automatic adds only another $1000.

The entry-level Mazda3 G20 Pure comes with 16-inch alloy wheels, an eight-speaker stereo with regular and digital radio tuner, 7.0-inch digital instrument display, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, LED headlights, electronic park brake with auto-hold, sat-nav and auto high-beam headlights. All models are fitted with a temporary (space-saver) spare tyre.

See below for full 2019 Mazda3 pricing and equipment details.

Two engines will be available from the get-go, both of them carryover units from the previous Mazda3. That means a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine (114kW/200Nm) and larger 2.5-litre version offering 139kW/252Nm, both driving the front wheels.

All-wheel drive models are available in colder countries but will not be offered in Australia.

Fuel consumption ranges between 6.1L and 6.6L/100km depending on the body style, gearbox and engine. Both engine types have an engine idle-stop system to save fuel and will operate with regular unleaded fuel (91RON). The 2.5-litre engine has a cylinder deactivation system to reduce fuel consumption.

Low-emissions SKYACTIV-X engines will be introduced later in 2019 on top-spec Mazda3 model variants but are expected to add another price hike.

The new 2019 Mazda3 range consists of six model grades starting with the Mazda3 G20 Pure ($24,990). The G20 Evolve ($26,990) adds dual-zone climate control, rear air-vents, a leather-clad steering wheel with paddle shifters and 18-inch alloy wheels.

Pure and Evolve models are expected to account for 60 per cent of total Aussie Mazda3 sales in 2019, making the 2.0-litre engine more popular.

The G20 Touring ($28,990) gets keyless entry and black leather seat upholstery with 10-way powered driver’s seat adjustment, while the G25 Evolve ($29,490) gets the same equipment as the G20 Touring only without the leather upholstery. G25 denotes its more powerful engine.

The G25 GT ($33,490) adds heated mirrors, front seats and steering wheel, a 12-speaker Bose stereo and black leather upholstery.

The range-topping G25 Astina ($36,990) comes everything mentioned previously plus black 18-inch alloy wheel (grey on the sedan), a 360-degree parking monitor, adaptive LED headlights, sunroof and the option of red leather in the hatch or white leather in the sedan.

Significant price rises will cross off the Mazda3 from many new car buyers’ shopping lists, because the $24,990 price makes Australia’s fourth best-selling vehicle considerably more expensive than rivals such as the Hyundai i30 (from $19,990) and Toyota Corolla (from $22,870).

Why did Mazda jack up the price?

“The answer is because it’s what our customers asked for,” stated Alastair Doak, Mazda Australia’s marketing director.

“Over the last five years we’ve seen Mazda3 buyers move away from the entry grades,” he said, observing that the Mazda3’s primary buyers are private, not fleet (read: rental car companies or government departments), the latter typically purchasing the cheapest models in bulk.

Improved safety levels are also high on the agenda for the new car, with Mazda Australia execs saying a five-star NCAP safety rating is expected.

“We’ve dropped the Neo Sport and Maxx Sport entry grades because they simply no longer align with the new standard set by the next-gen Mazda3,” explained the Mazda marketing boss.

Every model in the new Mazda3 range comes with the same levels of safety equipment as standard, most of which is listed above, along with blind spot detection, tyre-pressure monitoring, high- and low-speed autonomous emergency braking, Driver Attention Alert and rear cross traffic alert.

Only the range-topping Mazda3 G25 Astina ($36,990) gains more safety equipment with the addition of adaptive front headlights, a 360-degree parking monitor, traffic-jam assistant, front cross traffic alert and an infra-red facial tracking system that works day or night and forms part of a driver attention alert system.

That said, these extras can be added to any model grade in the Mazda3 range for an extra $1500.

The only other option is metallic paint, at $495 for Soul Red, Machine Grey or Polymetal Grey. There are eight colours available in total, including Titanium Flash Mica, Deep Crystal Blue Mica, Snowflake White Pearl Mica, Sonic Silver Metallic and Jet Black Mica.

Service intervals remain at 10,000km or 12 months, whichever occurs first, and capped-price servicing is still a dirty phrase at Mazda. The importer says it will outline all service prices closer to the car’s April launch via its website.

All models come with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.

“For Mazda this is a significant step change in the [small car] offering, as opposed to trying to fall into the traditional strategy of having a model for everyone,” Vinesh Bhindi, Mazda Australia managing director told carsales.com.au.

“We’ve honed in on what our core buyers want.”

How much is the 2019 Mazda3?

G20 Pure — $24,990 (+$4500)

G20 Evolve — $26,690 (+$4200)

G20 Touring — $28,990 (+$4500)

G25 Evolve — $29,490 (+$4500)

G25 GT — $33,490 (+$3500)

G25 Astina — $36,990 (+$3500)

Automatic gearbox adds $1000

Excluding on-road costs

Mazda3 standard equipment:

Mazda3 G20

2.0-litre SKYACTIV-G petrol engine

16-inch alloy wheels (silver finish)

7.0-inch TFT LCD multi-information meter display

8.8-inch widescreen colour display

ABS, EBA and EBD

Active Driving Display (windscreen projected)

Advanced keyless push-button engine start

Airbags SRS: front (driver and passenger), side (front), knee (driver) and curtain (front and rear)

Air-conditioning

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

Audio system with: AM/FM tuner, DAB+ Digital Radio and eight speakers

Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM)

Bluetooth (hands-free compatible)

Bluetooth audio (MP3 compatible)

Driver Attention Alert (DAA)

Electric parking brake with Auto Hold

Emergency Stop Signal (ESS)

Forward Obstruction Warning (FOW)

Headlamps (LED) with auto on/off function

High Beam Control (HBC)

Hill Launch Assist (HLA)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Lane-keep Assist System (LAS)

Mazda Radar Cruise Control (MRCC) with Stop & Go

Multi-function commander control dial

Parking sensors (rear)

Power mirrors (body coloured, auto folding)

Power windows with auto up/down (all windows)

Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)

Rear spoiler (hatch only)

Reverse camera

Satellite navigation

Seat trim: Black cloth

Seat (driver) with cushion tilt adjustment

Seats (rear) with 60/40 split-fold backrest

Smart Brake Support (SBS)

Smart Brake Support – [Rear] (SBS R)

Speed sensing door locks

Tilt and telescopic adjustable steering wheel extended to 70mm

Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR)

Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)

USB input (iPod compatible)

Wiper (rear) with intermittent function (hatch only)

Wipers (front) 2-speed with rain-sensing function

Mazda3 G20 Evolve

As above, plus:

18-inch alloy wheels

Air-conditioning (dual-zone climate control) with rear vents

Auto dimming interior rear-view mirror

Leather-wrapped gear shift knob and steering wheel

Paddle shift gear control (auto only)

Seats (rear) with centre fold down armrest

Mazda3 G25 Evolve

As above, plus:

2.5-litre SKYACTIV-G petrol engine

Advanced keyless entry

Seat (driver) with 10-way power adjustment, lumbar adjustment and auto slide function

Mazda3 G20 Touring

As above, plus:

Advanced keyless entry

Auto dimming exterior rear-view mirror (driver side)

Overhead sunglass storage box

Seat trim: Black leather

Vanity mirrors (front) with illumination

Seat (driver) with 10-way power adjustment, lumbar adjustment and auto slide function

Seat (driver) and rear-view mirrors with two-position memory function

Mazda3 G25 GT

As above, plus:

Auto dimming exterior rear-view mirror (driver side)

Front seats with heating function

Overhead sunglass storage box

Power mirrors (heated)

Premium Bose amplifier and 12 speakers

Seat trim: Black leather

Steering wheel with heating function

Vanity mirrors (front) with illumination

Mazda3 G25 Astina

As above, plus:

18-inch alloy wheels (hatch: black finish, sedan: bright finish)

360-degree View Monitor

Adaptive LED Headlights (ALH)

Cruising & Traffic Support (CTS)

Driver Monitoring

Front Cross Traffic Alert (FCTA)

Front parking sensors

Seat trim: Black leather or optional Pure white leather (sedan) or Burgundy leather (hatch)

Smart Brake Support [Rear Crossing] (SBS-RC)

Sunroof