The first Australian-spec, right-hand drive All-New Mazda3 has arrived in the country and is undergoing final local testing before production for the Australian market starts in the coming months.

Keen-eyed motorists around Melbourne may have seen the 2.5 litre SKYACTIV-G petrol engine equipped, high-grade All-New Mazda3 sedan in Soul Red being put through its paces over the past week.

The early arrival of the Soul Red All-New Mazda3 prototype sedan, ahead of its early 2014 launch, has been warmly welcomed by Mazda Australia and it will be involved in a number of pre-launch activities in the coming months including ongoing test- drives and accessories planning.

While the All-New Mazda3 hatch was involved in first-drive media events staged in Europe and the USA recently, the Australian-spec car sedan has made its Australian debut driving in and around Melbourne testing some of the new technology to be made available in Mazda's latest car.

It will also feature in a range of marketing and promotional initiatives ahead of its official domestic release and star in a new television commercial.

The Mazda3's sales success here in Australia has not gone unnoticed by Mazda's engineering team in Japan with Kenichiro Saruwatari, All-New Mazda3 Program Manager, previously spending time here in order to experience local road conditions.

Mazda Australia has worked closely with Mazda head office in Hiroshima throughout the development of All-New Mazda3 to deliver a vehicle that is expected to remain one of the country's most popular.

Launched globally in late-June, Australia was one of the first countries to unveil the All-New Mazda3, revealing a prototype American-spec left-hand drive hatch at a stylish media event held in Melbourne's Docklands precinct.

The All-New Mazda3 range incorporates Mazda's stunning 'KODO - Soul of Motion' design language, comes with the full suite of SKYACTIV Technologies and will be available with a number of i-ACTIVSENSE inclusions like Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) and Smart City Brake Support (SCBS).

All-New Mazda3 features an updated Human Machine Interface (HMI) which includes Mazda's first ever heads-up Active Driving Display, a new connectivity system that offers improved phone, navigation, audio and social navigation and access to thousands of digital radio stations via Pandora® and Aha®.

The safety features available on All-New Mazda3 make it one of the safest small cars on the market, but it is also one of the most technologically advanced Mazdas ever produced.

All-New Mazda3 will be available in early 2014.

For more information contact:

Steve Maciver
Public Relations Manager
(03) 8540 1961
0437 125 589
smaciver@mazda.com.au

Tony Mee
Public Relations Specialist
+61 (0)3 8540 1962
+ 61 (0)439 347 658
tmee@mazda.com.au