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:
Cargo
Fold all the passenger seats down, and the Mazda5 has a clear advantage over
competitors, with 89.3 cubic feet of cargo volume. The seven-seat Rondo and RAV4
have 73.6 cubic feet and 73.0 cubic fe ...
Exterior
The outside of the Tribute didn't get as dramatic a face-lift as the Escape
did for 2008. The grille lost its crossbar and the Mazda logo was moved up.
* Standard 16-inch aluminum-alloy wheels
* ...
Exterior
For 2009, designers ditched the previous design for what Mazda calls a
"Japanese aesthetic" in the current car. The vehicle sports a long hood with
pronounced front fender flares that fl ...


