Highly rigid body
The basic development concept for the body shell of the all-new Mazda 3 was to improve the overall balance of the body's rigidity and ensure it firmly absorbs the reaction force of the dampers. To this end, particular attention went to reinforcing the area around the front and rear suspension mounts and the joint sections in each corner, which are subject to greater stress. Structural adhesive was used to strengthen the joints for the front and rear suspension towers, and spot welding was added to reinforce the joints of the door openings. The result is a substantial improvement in rigidity and body hysteresis (the degree of car body deformation due to repeated applications of torsional load).
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The Drive
The Mazda5's 2.3-liter four-cylinder has to rev pretty high to get the car
moving quickly. Our car had the optional five-speed automatic transmission,
which adds $1,440. The five-speed manual migh ...
Interior design - sophisticated, sporty, and high quality
Inside the all-new Mazda 3 is a sporty yet highly refined cabin. The
dashboard sweeps out from the center toward both sides with dynamic flair as
though it is flexing powerful muscles. The large c ...
Concentrated
Mazda pursued a concentrated, taut form for the body as a virtue in itself, not to simply reduce the car's body size. This creative background was advantageous in efforts to achieve maximum dynamic ...