Mazda Rx-7 Coupe on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Kiwi seniors accidentally lock themselves in Mazda3 for 13 hours, nearly die

It's an over-played trope that senior citizens are bad with technology. Its regular use as a comedic device, though, overshadows a more dire circumstance that comes when elderly citizens are paired with gizmos and gadgets they don't fully understand. A couple from New Zealand spent the night in their new, smart-key-equipped Mazda3 after thinking they'd locked themselves in, in what The Otago Daily Times called "a series of 'Murphy's Law' events." The two thought the car wouldn't function without the key fob, which had accidentally been left outside of the car, along with the owner's manual. That, along with the combination of stress, darkness and a lack of overall information about the car nearly killed Mollieanne and Brian Smith. After thinking they'd become trapped, the Smiths, 65 and 68, respectively, tried honking the horn to alert neighbors – it was Guy Fawkes Night, so the sound was drowned out by fireworks – and even took the Mazda's jack to a window in their attempt to escape. When they were discovered and freed 13 hours later, Mrs. Smith was unconscious and Mr. Smith was having trouble breathing, with emergency crews telling the couple another half hour in the car would have killed them. Mr. Smith later told The Otago Daily Times he was "very methodical," but couldn't figure out how to unlock the car. "Once I found out how simple it was to unlock it I kicked myself that I did not find the way out," the 68-year-old told The Times. "I had this mind-set that I did not have the transponder [so I could not get out]." Mazda New Zealand pointed out that is not the case. "It's not a design flaw with the car," Mazda New Zealand General Manager Glenn Harris told The Times. "What we have said to the [dealership] network is, with new technologies, don't forget to show customers how to use them in their entirety [and] how to override them. There is always a manual process to override them." Featured Gallery 2014 Mazda3 Hatchback View 9 Photos News Source: Otago Daily TimesImage Credit: Mazda Auto News Mazda Safety Hatchback Economy Cars mazda mazda3

Mazda helps coronavirus fight with free oil changes for all healthcare workers

During the hard times caused by the coronavirus pandemic, automakers are helping any way they can, big or small. Mazda is one of those offering support specifically for the nation's healthcare workers who are risking their own lives in order to save others. Mazda calls it the Essential Car Care Program (ECCP), and it offers free upkeep to any healthcare workers with a car, not just a Mazda. Through the ECCP,  Mazda is offering healthcare workers free oil changes and "enhanced cleaning services." The program begins April 16, 2020, and will run through select participating dealerships. To repeat, this is not only for people who drive Mazdas, it's for anybody working in healthcare. Mazda says it is "available for most makes and models from other manufacturers," excluding exotics, classic cars, off-road vehicles, and vehicles that take more than eight quarts of oil. The offer is available for service on one car per program period. The program, for which Mazda will donate a minimum of $5 million, was inspired by Mazda dealerships that independently offered similar perks to local healthcare workers. Those eligible for free services include anybody who works at the following facilities:   Hospitals, urgent care, surgical centers, birth centers Healthcare providers, doctor offices, medical clinics, medical offices, medical centers, medical facilities, health systems Mental health providers, addiction treatment centers Assisted living, long-term care facilities, nursing homes, hospice homes, adult care homes, home health agencies Public health agencies Medical laboratory and research centers Medical equipment providers Orthopedic and other rehabilitation centers including physical therapy and chiropractic Blood banks Telehealth providers All workers need to do is show proof of occupation, and they're in. In addition to the oil change, the enhanced vehicle cleaning will use EPA-approved cleansers on high-touch interior surfaces, as well as exterior surfaces.  The ECCP runs through May 4, 2020. Read full details on the ECCP fact sheet. Related Video:

2020 Mazda CX-5 diesel is still, and perhaps forever, MIA

Halfway through 2020, the most recent Mazda CX-5 diesel you can find anywhere in the U.S. is a 2019 model year — the only one offered so far. With automaker factories beginning their model-year turnovers shortly, CarsDirect did some poking around as to the fate of an oil-burning 2020 CX-5. The outlet couldn't get definitive answers, but a host of secondary evidence suggests the diesel crossover will skip this year, naturally leading to the question of whether the model will skip this market from now on.  Asked in April about the crossover's fate or its arrival, Mazda would only say that "with the current state of the world, many things are tentative." The following month, the automaker's early fleet ordering guide pegged this month as marking the end of CX-5 production, 2021MY crossovers starting down lines in August. Mazda had nothing to say about that information, either. When CarsDirect got in touch again for this latest report, Mazda professed the delay has nothing to do with emissions certification. Then the wall went up again, the only other comment being, "We cannot confirm any details for the CX-5 Diesel at this time."    We're speculating, but at this point, even if Mazda could get 2020MY CX-5 diesels on the lot, why should the automaker bother? The challenges for diesel in general, and this expression of diesel particularly, are clear to everyone; our last post on the CUV, six months ago, was about the five-figure discounts dealers were offering. A quick check on Autotrader at the time of writing shows 45 examples of the 2019 CX-5 diesel available nationwide, plenty of them still priced in the low- to mid-thirties. On Autotrader Canada, which specifies vehicle availability beyond the "1,000+ Results" on the American site, there are 6,135 CX-5s listed nationwide, only 58 of them diesel. Canadian outlet Motor Illustrated wrote, "Mazda recently told us they had a lot of Mercedes-Benz GLE diesel owners and other diesel fans with upscale models trade for a CX-5 diesel." Apparently luxury diesel crossover conquest buyers aren't numerous enough to support a model line. The gasoline versions of the 2020 Mazda CX-5 launched in November last year. It shouldn't take that long for us to find out about the fate of the 2020 CX-5 diesel, or if there will be a 2021 model. Related Video: