It’s always pleasant to watch a car grow and develop into its best form over the cycle of its lifetime, and the Mazda CX-3 is no exception to this rule. It started out as an ‘okay-ish’ car but it has grown up pretty quickly and, thanks to a few tweaks here and there, brings a competitive offering to its market in 2019.
Let’s talk about pricing first. The Mazda CX-3 range consists of four derivatives. The entry level Active model starts at R302 400, and is equipped with air conditioning, electric windows, radio with CD, AUX, and USB support, a multi-function steering wheel and an Electronic Park Brake (EPB) as standard. Further up the model line-up is the Dynamic model, starting from R329 600. This model includes alloy wheels and a better sound system as standard over the Active model.
The sporty Individual model starts at R393 300 and benefits from its sportier, more premium design. Tinted front and rear windows come standard, along with LED daytime running lights, full leather seats and a 7-speaker Bose sound system. The flagship model is the Individual Plus model, which will set you back a minimum of R408 200, featuring sporty alloy wheels, front and side door chrome trim, Blind Spot Monitoring, Smart City Brake Support with Driver Attention Alert and premium full leather seats.
All models are powered by a 2.0-litre, four cylinder petrol engine which produces a maximum of 115kW of power and 206Nm of torque. The Active and Dynamic models are available in either manual and automatic transmission, while the Individual and Individual Plus models are available exclusively with a six-speed automatic transmission.
Driving the Mazda CX-3 was not difficult. In fact, the interior proved to be rather comfortable and spacious which is important for the people who will be buying this car. There is ample room to seat four adults and a large boot to store luggage and groceries. A standout feature on our test unit was the BOSE Sound system which offered premium German-car levels of audio. A price tag of over R400 000 is not exactly cheap, but living with the CX-3 for a few days really makes it easy to justify. It’s definitely worth checking out.
PRICING
Mazda CX-3 Active Manual - R302 400
Mazda CX-3 Active Auto - R320 100
Mazda CX-3 Dynamic Manual - R 329,600
Mazda CX-3 Dynamic Auto - R 341,900
Mazda CX-3 Individual Auto - R393 300
Mazda CX-3 Individual Plus Auto - R408 200
