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2015 will be the biggest year ever for cars at CES

Like the SEMA Show, major automakers are paying increasing attention to the CES, with 2015 expected to be one of the most auto focused yet. Ford, Volkswagen, Toyota, General Motors, Hyundai, Mazda, Audi, BMW and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will all be in attendance when CES 2015 kicks off next week, taking up a record-breaking 165,000 square feet of space at the Las Vegas Convention Center. "We've come a long way from a single car on a carpet," Ford's Alan Hall told Bloomberg. Unlike SEMA, or a more traditional auto show, like the upcoming festivities in Detroit, CES doesn't necessarily focus on entire cars or the way they perform, but on the way our technology will interact with vehicles, and in how those vehicles will deliver information to drivers. "CES has become a major launch point for a lot of the big automakers," IHS tech analyst Mark Boyadjis told Bloomberg. "CES is a way for them to get on a global stage for technology." As for what kind of wares automakers will trot out in Las Vegas, we already know that BMW will show off an autonomous i3 electric car that can navigate its way through a multistory car park and can be hailed via a smartwatch app. According to Bloomberg, Hyundai will show off its own smartwatch app for the Genesis sedan, while Audi and Mercedes-Benz will show off autonomous vehicles next week. Automakers won't be the only companies looking to capitalize on CES. Tech firms, like chipmaker Nvidia, are becoming increasingly involved in the automotive game and will be in town showing their wares off to OEMs. "Two years ago, our booth would have been filled with PCs and people playing video games," Danny Shapiro, Nvidia's senior director for automotive business, told Bloomberg. "This year we made a strategic decision to shift the focus of the booth on automotive and de-prioritize some of the other things." Needless to say, you can expect to see a lot of news out of Las Vegas come next week. Stay tuned. News Source: BloombergImage Credit: Julie Jacobson / AP CES Audi BMW Chrysler Fiat Ford GM Hyundai Mazda Toyota Volkswagen Technology CES 2015

2021 Mazda CX-3 gets a few more features, costs same as in 2020

The Mazda CX-3 is still down there at the foot of the Mazda lineup, chugging into 2021 and its seventh year on sale. The subcompact hatchback hasn't been overhauled since its debut and in 2020 had its three trims rationalized to one trim, so it gets denied the attentions paid to the Mazda3 and the CX-30. Those with an eye on the CX-3, however, will pay the same amount in 2021 as buyers did in 2020. Mazda announced a base price of $20,640 for the sole CX-3 Sport model, for a total of $21,740 after the $1,100 destination charge. Going from a Sport FWD to the Sport AWD adds $1,400, coming out to $23,140. Mazda's littlest crossover is powered by a Skyactiv-G 2.0-liter four-cylinder producing 148 horsepower and 146 pound-feet of torque, shifting through a six-speed automatic. The nicer, newer, larger CX-30 is powered by a Skyactiv-G 2.5-liter inline-four that it shares with the Mazda3, producing 186 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque and mated to a six-speed auto. The front-wheel drive CX-30 starts at $23,000 after destination, $1,260 above the CX-3, the AWD CX-30 maintaining the same price gap at $24,400.    Related: Least expensive vehicles to insure in America   New for the 2021 CX-3, the i-Activsense suite has been updated with night pedestrian detection for the low-speed forward collision alert and avoidance system, and the LED headlights are self-leveling with enhanced auto on/off activation. The standard driver safety systems also include adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning with rear cross-traffic alert, and lane departure warning. There's a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Mazda Connect, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay, and remote keyless illuminated entry thrown in, too. The Sport trim goes with a louver-styled grille, roof spoiler, and 16-inch alloys. In fact, other than the cost-extra colors Machine Gray Metallic, Snowflake White Pearl Mica, and Soul Red Crystal Metallic on the eight-strong exterior palette, and some minor cosmetic options, the basic CX-3 is the only CX-3. It will reach dealer lots next month. Related Video:

Mazda has right mix to chase 120,000 more US sales

The Mazda MX-5 Miata was named to Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list for the eighth year in a row and for the fourteenth time overall. The CX-5 tops or comes in as runner-up on every AOL Autos staff poll we take on compact crossovers. The Mazda3 is a perennial favorite among auto critics. That's three clear, unquestioned winners in the Mazda showroom. So, why does Mazda seem to struggle sometimes for recognition and clarity in the marketplace?
For that, I chatted with Mazda North American Operations President, Jim O'Sullivan, who has run the outfit since 2003. O'Sullivan, a former Ford sales and marketing executive who came to Mazda from Dearborn, MI when Ford owned a controlling stake in Mazda, is one of the quieter, but very menchy, leaders in the industry whose longevity in the job speaks to the stability of Mazda.