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2021 Mazda3 Turbo First Drive | A fun luxury alternative

After seven years and an entire generation, there is finally another turbocharged Mazda3. But Mazda will be the first to tell you that it’s not, by any means, a successor to the rambunctious Mazdaspeed3, hence the lack of the name. Having driven it, weÂ’ll be the second to tell you the same: this is definitely not a Mazdaspeed3. ItÂ’s an altogether different beast, but itÂ’s still a good drive, and helps make the 3 a credible, budget alternative to an entry-level Audi or Mercedes. The turbocharged 2.5-liter engine is mostly the same one that Mazda has used in the CX-9 and turbocharged CX-5. It makes the same 227 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque on regular fuel (or 250 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque on 93 octane), but it's been tweaked to fit in the Mazda3Â’s smaller engine bay. The biggest change is the use of an air-to-water intercooler integrated with the intake manifold that reduces the amount of plumbing. As a bonus to helping the engine fit, Mazda notes that the overall intake piping length is shortened, which should improve responsiveness. While we canÂ’t speak to the improvement, the engine's response and power delivery is incredibly smooth. It feels about as close as a turbo engine can get to being like a supercharged or naturally aspirated engine. ItÂ’s easy to dial in exactly how much power you want, and thereÂ’s never an unexpected rush of turbo boost. All that torque is available low in the rev band, too, so it provides effortless acceleration, especially considering how much less mass the 3 has compared with its turbocharged crossover siblings. The smooth, relaxed acceleration is in keeping with the upmarket aim of the Mazda3 Turbo, and even compares favorably with powerplants from Audi and Mercedes. Those engines are similarly responsive, but deliver their torque in a fast rush, rather than the more gentle deployment of the Mazda. The turbo engine doesnÂ’t lose much in efficiency, either. Overall fuel economy drops by just 1 mpg from the naturally aspirated all-wheel-drive Mazda3s. The sedan gets 27 mpg overall and the hatchback gets 26. The engineÂ’s only real downside is that itÂ’s a little noisy under acceleration, emitting a low growl. Arguably the smooth power delivery takes away some excitement often associated with small, turbo cars, but as we said before, this isnÂ’t meant to be a Mazdaspeed successor. Like the engine, the drivetrain is closely related to other existing Mazdas.

Mazda still really wants to bring diesels to America

Mazda's Skyactiv program has delivered much of what it promised for the brand's latest crop of products, namely great fuel economy and excellent driving dynamics. However, the Skyactiv diesel engine has yet to reach our shores. It's been promised ever since the new Mazda6 showed up here for the 2014 model year. According to a new report from Automotive News, Mazda's CEO Masamichi Kogai said that the Mazda Skyactiv D diesel powertrain is still set to make an American appearance. He told Automotive News that there is an internal timeline to get it to the States, and while he didn't reveal the timeline, he said he wants it to come here before he steps down as CEO. The powertrain is offered elsewhere, so it fits in the company's current vehicles, but the US has specific regulatory hurdles, and the engine's extra cost has to make sense from a sales and volume perspective. We doubt VW's diesel scandal helped the engine's sales pitch, either. Automotive News also reports that the next generation of Skyactiv designs and engines are also on their way and will advance and improve on the current generation's strengths. Engineers revealed to Automotive News that they expect a 30 percent improvement in efficiency and are developing an engine with the sky-high compression ratio of 18:1. This impressive ratio could be a further indication of Mazda's pursuit of homogenous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engines. Mazda has had plenty of success with its strategy of making very efficient internal-combustion engines, but there are some concerns that the company can only improve so much. The main worry comes from the company's lack of investment in hybrid and electric powertrains. Even Mazda's North American CEO Masahiro Moro expressed concern about meeting a 54.5 mpg mandate for 2025. That mandate will no longer take effect, but increasing fuel economy requirements will always be an issue. Related Video:

Wards names its 2015 10 Best Interiors list

Wards Automotive has named the winners of its 10 Best Interior awards, covering a wide but affordable array of vehicles. Where last year's list contained two six-figure vehicles, including the $372,800 Rolls-Royce Wraith, this year's is, well, a whole lot more reasonable. The publication lists the Mercedes-Benz C400 at $65,000 (which seems off), making it the most expensive vehicle here. That said, we'd argue that the entire C-Class line deserves to make this year's list, owing to its varied and high-quality selection of materials. The other vehicle to break the $60,000 mark, meanwhile, is the $60,675 Ford F-150 King Ranch, which has 327,000 pounds of leather lining its interior. Only one other German car, the BMW i3, and one other pickup truck, the GMC Canyon, managed to make this year's list. Here's the full list of this year's winners: 2014 BMW i3 ($52,550) 2015 Chrysler 300C Platinum ($51,175) 2015 Ford F-150 King Ranch ($60,675) 2015 GMC Canyon SLT ($40,465) 2015 Honda Fit EX-L ($21,590) 2015 Jeep Renegade Limited ($33,205) 2015 Kia Sedona SXL ($43,295) 2016 Mazda6 Grand Touring ($33,395) 2015 Mercedes C400 ($65,000) 2015 Nissan Murano SL ($41,905) See what we mean about the mainstream vehicles? Not only is there a distinct lack of luxury brands, it's the price of some of the vehicles that surprise. The Honda Fit, Jeep Renegade and Mazda6 are very reasonably priced, especially when you compare Wards price with the starting price. The Renegade Limited starts at less than $25,000, the Mazda at less than $22K and the Fit at under $16,000. Head over to Wards for a more detailed explanation of why each vehicle won. Featured Gallery 2015 Ward's Automotive 10 Best Interiors View 10 Photos News Source: Wards Automotive BMW Chrysler Ford GMC Honda Jeep Kia Mazda Mercedes-Benz Nissan Truck Crossover Hatchback Sedan nissan murano gmc canyon Interior jeep renegade WardsAuto kia sedona wards 10 best interiors mercedes c400