2015 Mazda Cx-5 Touring on 2040-cars

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Premium design and diesels: Mazda may be the next VW

At the Chicago Auto Show, we had a chance to sit down with Jacob Brown, a Mazda PR representative, and Jacques Flynn, a lead exterior designer at the company, to talk about design and where the company is going. One of the themes of our discussion was the company's desire to move its lineup toward a more premium, upscale feel and image – both in terms of vehicle design and powertrains. We realized the company may be looking to take a page from Volkswagen's American playbook, positioning itself as a prime purveyor of affordable, upscale – and most importantly, fun to drive – automobiles. In the case of design, Flynn talked about how Mazda's KODO design language is going to evolve; that the goal is to simplify and refine the look. We discussed the CX-5 as an example of this evolution. Flynn pointed out that the goal was to add more refinement and simplicity, and showed how Mazda achieved this on the CX-5 by straightening the curves from the previous model to give it more visual length and a more taut shape. The grille also was given more depth and detailing, which isn't simplified per se, but does provide a more premium look. View 9 Photos Mazda's upcoming diesel engines are another piece to Mazda's premium puzzle. The company will finally offer a diesel on the CX-5. While Mazda planned not to use urea-injection, it finally resorted to the system so the engine could both meet performance benchmarks and emissions standards. In addition to the efficiency of the engine, Brown said that diesel engines have a premium nature for buyers. This is due in part to the luxury automakers that mainly offer them in the US, such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz, and to the fact that the technology will add some cost to the product. If all of this sounds familiar, it's because you know these characteristics used to describe Volkswagen: a company known for upscale, affordable cars, providing great driving dynamics – and formerly, for efficient and fun-to-drive TDI diesel engines. While we didn't touch on the driving experience of modern Mazdas in our interview, you can simply look at any of our reviews to see that we generally like what the company builds. The only downside is that we may have to wait a while for some models, and others may never show up here. Brown and Flynn both said that the Mazda2 is unlikely to be offered in the US as anything other than the Toyota Yaris iA, since it's hard to convince people that a subcompact is premium. No surprise there.

Junkyard Gem: 1992 Mazda MX-3

Back in the early 1990s, American car shoppers could choose from an extravaganza of sporty-looking front-wheel-drive coupes. The Geo Storm GSi may have offered the most performance per dollar, but the early Mazda MX-3 made a lot of sense as a reasonably fun commuter car. The MX-3, based on the 323/Protege chassis (and thus a close cousin to the Ford Escort of the same era) could be purchased in the United States for the 1992 through 1996 model years, and junkyard examples have become very hard to find. Here's a '92 in a Colorado Springs yard. MX-3 buyers could get a 1.8-liter V6 with 130 horsepower in 1992, but this is the SOHC 1.6-liter four with just 88 horses. Dual-overhead-cam versions of this engine went into the Miata and most members of the 323/Escort family. With an automatic transmission, you had a sedate, sensible commuter appliance that looked fairly sharp in the business-park lot. With the DOHC 1.6-liter engine (available for the last few years of MX-3 sales here), these cars were quick. In the early days of the 24 Hours of Lemons, a team with a pair of MX-3s dominated the Southern races for several years. They didn't have much power, but reliability and predictable handling wins endurance races. Not very close to the magical 200,000-mile mark. Another in my series of Junkyard Car With Pikes Peak photographs. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Such an adventurous car. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The small-displacement V6 was a big selling point in Japan. Related Video:

Takata air bag recall list

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration confirmed yesterday that 33.8 million vehicles with Takata airbags are going to be recalled. It's the largest recall in automotive history. The already record-breaking rate of automotive recalls this year shows no signs of slowing down, especially since millions of cars with defective airbags made by global supplier Takata are under ongoing scrutiny. The federal government is warning owners that inflator mechanisms in the air bags can rupture, causing metal fragments to fly out when the bags are deployed. The faulty air bags have already been blamed for multiple deaths. How do you know if your vehicle is safe? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released an updated list of vehicles under recall. Sometimes however, the government's website will crash and the list may not be complete. Check your VIN at the NHTSA website to make sure. The list of cars affected by the recall has not been released, but seem to span multiple models over the years for many of the automakers.