2021 Mazda Cx-5 Touring on 2040-cars

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Mazda CX-3 crossover coming to LA

The Mazda booth at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show will showcase some new crossovers. In addition to the refreshed CX-5 that we're expecting, the Japanese automaker has announced plans to unveil its new CX-3 compact crossover.
According to Mazda, the brand's entry into the compact CUV market will feature "the full range of SKYACTIV technology and KODO - Soul of Motion design." We take that to mean lightweight chassis and body architectures along with fuel-sipping gasoline and, perhaps, diesel engines.
The CX-3 will have to take on a slew of upcoming competitors, including the Honda HR-V, Chevrolet Trax and Jeep Renegade, and reports indicate it will share a platform with the Mazda2, which is just starting production in Mexico. We don't yet know if it will be front-wheel drive only or if all-wheel drive will be optional. The CUV is also likely to share the Mazda2's engine, which isn't yet revealed for the North American market. Japan gets the 2 with either a 1.3-liter gasoline engine or a 1.5-liter diesel.

Las Vegas reporter makes literal street food

A reporter in the American Southwest did a test to see just how hot it was this week, and received her just deserts. With a promised high of 115 degrees in the Las Vegas Valley on June 20, Caitlin Lilly and Kira Terry of the Las Vegas Review-Journal decided to find out if they could bake cookies and cook breakfast using just the ambient heat of the day and some handy flat surfaces. First, the pair attempted to bake a couple dozen pre-mixed cookies on the dashboard of a Mazda. Starting around 1:00 pm, they left the cookies on a sheet tray propped up beneath the car's un-tinted windows. By 5:00 pm the cookies were done and, according to various R-J staffers, quite delicious. While the cookies were baking, they decided to make themselves something a little more substantial, something to justify the desert they had baking in the Mazda. They found a nice patch of parking lot and tried to fry an egg, some bacon, and a handful of shrimp. The shrimp cooked quickly, as shrimp are wont to do, but after 20 minutes the bacon only browned at the edges while staying raw in the middle. The egg remained uncooked, unfortunately, since even the hottest asphalt isn't hot enough to actually fry an egg. Record high temperatures are baking the American Southwest and Southern California as the region suffers the effects of a weather phenomenon called a " heat dome." Highs of over 100 degrees were reported throughout SoCal, Arizona, and Nevada, which is surprising for mid-June. The threat of wildfires is already astronomical, and people are suffering from heat-related illnesses. Recent Video:

Toyota, Honda, Mazda and Nissan recall 3.4 million vehicles for faulty airbags

Most vehicle recalls that take place these days are a result of some problem that happens during the manufacturing process by the automaker, but as we see here, parts suppliers can also factor in to problematic safety issues. Automotive News is reporting that a total of 3.4 million vehicles produced by Japanese automakers between 2000 and 2004 are being recalled globally due to faulty airbags produced by an outside supplier, Takata Corp.
According to the report, vehicles from Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Mazda are being recalled because of passenger front airbags that do not inflate properly. Globally, Toyota is said to be recalling around 1.73 million cars including 510,000 in the US composed of Toyota Corolla, Matrix, Sequoia and Tundra as well as the Lexus SC430 for the 2001 through 2003 model years; this is the second time this year the 2003 Corolla and Matrix have been recalled for an airbag problem. Honda is recalling 1.14 million models, Nissan another 480,000 and Mazda 45,463. The article says that Takata supplied faulty airbags to non-Japanese automakers, but it did not specify which ones.
Honda and Toyota have released information on their own websites about the recall, while Nissan and Mazda have not yet commented. Read official press releases from Honda and Toyota, below, and look for updates as we have word from the others.