Mazda3 gets FTA price drop

MAZDA has passed on Australia-Japan free-trade agreement savings for its top-selling Mazda3 small car, with price cuts ranging from $600 to $1150, as well as some additions to specification.

The base Neo hatch and sedan remains at $20,490, plus on-road costs, but gain 16-inch alloy wheels – replacing the steel units – and rear parking sensors as standard, which Mazda says adds up to $1200 of value.

The price of the mid-spec Maxx, which makes up 32 per cent of Mazda3 volume, has been cut $600 to $22,390 for the manual and $24,390 for the six-speed auto.

Touring and SP25 variants are $700 cheaper, at $24,790 and $25,190 respectively. The SP25 GT price drops $800 to start at $29,790.

Both Maxx and Touring grades now feature front fog-lights, differentiating them from the base Neo.

The up-spec SP25 Astina is down $1150 to $35,040, while the range-topping XD Astina diesel warm hatch is now $940 cheaper at $39,290.

Mazda confirmed in January that it would pass on the full five per cent reduction of the FTA to all of its Japanese sourced models that includes the 3, Mazda6, CX-5 and CX-9 SUVs.

The Mazda2 hatch and BT-50 ute are built in Thailand and have duty-free pricing from the Australia-Thailand FTA.

The Japanese car-maker's Australian arm will promote the added value to the range via a pair of television commercials designed to connect potential buyers with the short history of the model.

Speaking with journalists at the Mazda3 pricing announcement in Melbourne, Mazda Australia managing director Martin Benders said the price adjustment was not a grab for sales in a bid to ensure market leadership over its Toyota Corolla rival in 2015.

“Not at all,” he said. “While we missed by 400 units (in 2014), if you back out the rental and government and large fleet stuff, we smashed them.

“So the in real buyers, we did very well. Am I go and going to do rental business or government business to beat Toyota Corolla? No.”

Toyota's Corolla pipped the Mazda3 for top spot on the sales podium last year for the second year in a row, 43,735 sales compared with 43,313, after the Mazda enjoyed the two previous years as Australia's most popular car.

Mr Benders said the facelifted CX-5 SUV and Mazda6 mid-sizer that were launched in January and February respectively carry the savings from the FTA.

He added that the larger CX-9 SUV had benefited not only from an FTA-related price drop but also retail discounting that has brought the entry price down from $44,525, plus on-roads late last year to $39,990 driveaway for a limited time.

While the Mazda3 now features rear parking sensors as standard on all variants, Mr Benders said there were no immediate plans to offer the system as standard fare on the smaller Mazda2 hatch, despite key competitors carrying the tech as standard.

“The light car segment becomes another value equation but it's something we need to look at because we know what the competition has done,” he said.

“What we did with that was we offered rear parking sensors at a very attractive price ... so it's not a big-cost option for a light-car buyer.”

When the Mazda2 was launched late last year, Mazda was criticised by some media outlets for offering rear parking sensors as a $399 option.

2015 Mazda3 pricing*

2.0L petrol
Neo	$20,490
Neo (a)	$22,490
Neo Safety	$21,990
Neo Safety (a)	$23,990
Maxx	$22,390 (-$600)
Maxx (a)	$24,390 (-$600)
Maxx Safety	$23,890 (-$600)
Maxx Safety (a)	$25,890 (-$600)
Touring	$24,790 (-$700)
Touring (a)	$26,790 (-$700)
Touring Safety	$26,290 (-$700)
Touring Safety (a)	$28,290 (-$700)
2.5L Petrol
SP25	$25,190 (-$700)
SP25 (a)	$27,190 (-$700)
SP25 Safety	$26,690 (-$700)
SP25 Safety (a)	$28,690 (-$700)
SP25 GT	$29,790 (-$800)
SP25 GT (a)	$31,790 (-$800)
SP25 GT Safety	$31,090 (-$800)
SP25 GT Safety (a)	$33,090 (-$800)
SP25 GT Safety Sunroof	$32,690 (-$800)
SP25 GT Safety Sunroof (a)	$34,690 (-$800)
SP25 Astina	$35,040 (-$1150)
SP25 Astina (a)	$37,040 (-$1150)
2.2L diesel
XD Astina	$39,290 (-$940)
XDAstina (a)	$41,290 (-$940)

*Excludes on-road costs