Mazda 3 - Silver, 4 Door, Manual on 2040-cars

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2020 Toyota Yaris hatchback could return as a Mazda2 clone

Less than a week ago we got the news that Toyota killed the 2019 Yaris Liftback in the U.S., instead choosing to sell the remaining inventory from 2018. There should be plenty of stock left, too: Car and Driver reports that Toyota sold 1,940 of the tiny hatches last year. The automaker said it would have an announcement about the Yaris at this year's New York Auto Show in April, telling Automobile, " We're working on something new for MY2020." C/D thinks it already knows what's coming, writing, "We assume ... that the new Yaris hatchback ... will be a rebadged Mazda2, like the current Yaris sedan that Mazda builds for Toyota in Mexico." Toyota and Mazda formed a development- and technology-sharing partnership in 2015. As part of the collaboration, we got the Scion iA in 2016, based on the Mazda2 sedan. That four-door became the Toyota Yaris iA when the Scion brand got put in the ground, and then became just the Yaris for 2019. In spite of Americans' well-publicized aversion to sedans, the trunked Yaris sold 25,269 units last year. Meanwhile, the Yaris hatch, built at a Toyota factory in France, has carried on basically untouched since 2013 — with a four-speed automatic, even — helping to explain its slow take-rate. If the Yaris five-door moves to the Mazda2 platform, we expect it to follow the same formula as the sedan. That means a 1.5-liter Skyactiv-G four-cylinder with 106 horsepower and 103 pound-feet of torque. That's the same output as the Toyota NR engine in the current hatch, but from a better, more modern engine. Transmission options would include a six-speed manual as standard on the L and LE trims. For 2019, Toyota added an XLE trim to the sedan that comes with a six-speed automatic. Assuming all comes to pass, the new Yaris five-door would be built at Mazda's Mexico plant alongside the sedan. But we'll have to wait until New York to know for sure. Related Video:

Mazda expands scope of vehicles affected by Takata airbag recall to 330k

Earlier this week a Reuters report indicated that Mazda was considering a nationwide expansion of its recall for vehicles equipped with Takata airbag inflators. The company has now confirmed said expansion, with the vehicle count jumping from 86,770 to 330,000 affected in the US. As before, the affected vehicles are Mazda6 and RX-8 cars from the 2004 to 2008 model years. Mazda reports that Takata has tested a "large number of inflators removed from Mazda vehicles" and not found any to be "non-compliant" as of yet. With that said, the company also reports in its statement that one 2005 Mazda6, located in Florida, has been identified as having had an "abnormal" deployment of the driver's side airbag. For what it's worth, though the company's statement references the Takata inflator issue as a proper recall, it is calling its own program of notification a "Safety Improvement Campaign" for the moment. Find the full, if brief, Mazda press release in the form below. UPDATED MAZDA STATEMENT REGARDING TAKATA AIRBAGS Dec 11, 2014 WASHINGTON, DC (December 11, 2014) – In addition to the actions announced on December 4, 2014, as discussed in a separate document, Mazda today announced the following steps in the Takata recall: Mazda will institute a nationwide Safety Improvement Campaign of 2004-2008 model-year Mazda6 and RX-8 models equipped with certain Takata airbag inflators. The nationwide Safety Improvement Campaign will cover the driver's-side airbag inflator, as Mazda has not made a safety defect determination at this time. This action will support us to gather additional parts for examination and to promote customer satisfaction and safety. There are approximately 330,000 vehicles included in this Safety Improvement Campaign in the United States So far, Takata has tested a large number of inflators removed from Mazda vehicles, and NONE have been found to be non-compliant at this time One vehicle – a 2005 Mazda6 located in Florida – has been identified as having experienced an abnormal driver's-side airbag deployment. Mazda has worked closely with NHTSA on this situation Mazda will participate in the independent, industry-wide joint testing program for Takata airbag inflators For history, on December 4, 2014, Mazda announced: It would expand the area of the high-temperature, high-humidity region recall to include the Gulf Coast states.

Junkyard Gem: 2004 Mazda RX-8

You know when a type of vehicle has reached its value tipping point (where it's not worth fixing up a broken or crashed one) when examples of it begin showing up in the big American self-service wrecking yards. During 2016, the BMW Z3 and Mazda RX-8 reached that point and began to appear, just one at a time, here and there, but obviously they were the advance scouts for many to follow. Such cars usually get picked over in a hurry ... at first. Here's a well-stripped example of a first-year RX-8 I found earlier this year in a Denver yard. Some RX-7 owner probably nabbed the Renesis engine right away, and then the guys who grab late-model parts to flog on eBay were next. Still, plenty of interesting components remained on this car when I photographed it, and RX-8s that end up here in a year or two won't get swarmed by the vultures anywhere near as quickly. Does that mean that RX-8s are now cheap enough to race in the 24 Hours of LeMons? Could be! Related Video: Featured Gallery Junked 2004 Mazda RX-8 View 11 Photos Auto News Design/Style Mazda mazda rx-8