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).
See also:
Exterior
The 2007 redesign was as substantial as the 1999 reworking, which did away
with the pop-up headlights in favor of fixed units and a more curvaceous body.
The current generation retains the fixed h ...
Six-Speed Automatic Transmission
The MZR 2.0-litre engine is now available with a six-speed automatic
transmission for the first time in Europe. It includes a direct Activematic
(DAM) function that allows manual gear shifts using ...
New Five-Speed Automatic Transmission
A new five-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode is introduced
for the MZR 2.0-litre petrol engine, a first for the Mazda 5 line-up. It has a new
torque converter that achieves an op ...