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2010 Mazda 3 PR: Quieter Ride, Sportier Handling

Posted on 19. Nov, 2008 by DeuxEx3 in Mazda3 Guide, What's Hot

The following is from the 2010 Mazda 3 press release from Mazda released on November 19th, 2008.

SOUND FOUNDATION

INCREASED STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY AND REDUCED AERODYNAMIC DRAG CONTRIBUTE TO MAZDA3′S POISE AND PERFORMANCE

The 2009 MAZDA6 offers one of the stiffest unibody structures on any Mazda vehicle.  Lessons learned in developing that car provided major strides in structural stiffness in the new MAZDA3.  A stiff unibody provides a smoother ride, more confident handling, and improved agility with virtually no increase in unibody weight.

Reengineered unibody joints and increased metal gauges in key areas help diminish the transmission of road and powertrain noise into the passenger cabin. Suspension anchor points are more substantial to provide the solid foundation needed to absorb steering and suspension forces. In addition to welded attachments, suspension towers are bonded to the surrounding unibody areas with structural adhesives. A combination of welding and adhesives – also borrowed from the 2009 MAZDA6 – is also used to increase the rigidity and collision deformation resistance at door opening locations. The stiffer door design also improves the effectiveness of weather seals that block moisture and noise from the interior.

A Mazda engineering approach called Aero Flow Management was used to optimize the flow of air around and through MAZDA3 body openings.  Even though the front grille appears larger than before, it’s actually 20-percent smaller to ingest only the amount of air needed for combustion and cooling. An air guide attached to the front bumper directs the flow through the radiator where it’s most useful. At high speeds, a bypass flap opens to minimize cooling fan drag.

Air flow along the MAZDA3’s body sides was improved during wind tunnel testing by placing deflectors near the tires and by carefully tuning the upper-forward corners of the cabin. Subtle refinements in the shape of the A-pillars, exterior mirrors, windshield wipers, and taillamps also contributed to the six-percent reduction in wind noise levels. The 0.29 drag coefficient (Cd) achieved by Mazda engineers is one of the lowest available in the compact class and highly beneficial to highway fuel economy.

CLASS-LEADING CHASSIS DESIGN

SUBTLE YET COMPREHENSIVE REFINEMENTS ADVANCE THE COMPACT CLASS’S SPORTIEST MODEL TO NEW HEIGHTS OF DRIVING FUN AND FUNCTION

There was no need to reinvent the MAZDA3’s chassis design because the first generation achieved distinction as the best available in the compact class in terms of driving enjoyment, handling, and all around poise. Subtle and tuning changes were the order of the day.

A rubber-isolated subframe in front supports the entire powertrain, the rack-and-pinion steering system, and the lower attachments of the coil spring MacPherson strut suspension. The independent multi-link rear suspension also uses coil springs with one trailing arm, two lateral links, and one toe-control link per side. Four-wheel power disc brakes with vented rotors in front and solid rotors in back are standard equipment. Dynamic Stability Control and Traction Control are available on all MAZDA3s, standard on some trim levels.

To improve steering feel, the electro-hydraulic-assist rack-and-pinion steering gear is now secured at three instead of two attachment locations. The additional mounting point allowed a reduction in the stiffness of the bushings that support the steering gear to diminish the vibration transmitted over rough pavement.

Resistance to body roll has been increased by recalibrating the monotube rear dampers for tighter control and by switching to a new more substantial mounting arrangement for the front and rear anti-roll bars. At the front of the new MAZDA3, lower control arms, the subframe, and mount bushings are all stiffer to improve both steering response and cornering grip at the adhesion limit.  A redesigned rear suspension crossmember is both lighter and significantly stiffer, also for improved handling.

The most notable change to the braking system is a new vacuum booster that provides a more reassuring response to light pedal efforts without disturbing the highly direct and linear feel inherited from the first-generation MAZDA3. Adjustments to the electronic brake force distribution programming enhance vehicle stability during mixed braking and cornering maneuvers. Structural changes to the unibody mentioned above help improve not only the rigidity of the brakes but also their linearity during high-g stops.

The MAZDA3 i is equipped with 10.9-inch diameter front rotors and 10.4-inch diameter rear rotors while the more powerful MAZDA3 s is fitted with 11.8-inch front and 11.0-inch rear rotors.

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