The 2014 Mazda 3 sedan and hatch has ticked all the boxes to earn the top Australasian New Car Assessment Programme (ANCAP) safety rating, but there is still room for improvement.
 
AA Motoring Services general manager Stella Stocks says the new Mazda 3 will add to the growing number of affordable vehicles with exceptional safety ratings and acceptable pedestrian protection.
 
“We’re always looking at manufacturers to continually improve on their work and Mazda have done this with the latest Mazda 3. However, there’s always room to improve.”
 
Stella says that while the Mazda 3 ticks all the boxes to earn a five-star safety rating in New Zealand, United Kingdom models include autonomous emergency braking (AEB) as standard on all models.
 
“In New Zealand and Australia AEB is an optional extra, but it is very pleasing to see Mazda including Safety Assist Technologies (SATs) that were once the domain of luxury vehicles on board more affordable options.”
 
Dual frontal, side chest and curtain airbags are standard on the new Mazda 3 along with antilock brakes (ABS), electronic brake distribution (EBD) and electronic stability control (ESC).
 
NZTA spokesman Andy Knackstedt says the presence of another 5-star car in the New Zealand market is good news for Kiwi drivers.
 
“Five star vehicles earn that rating because they give drivers and passengers the best chance of walking away from a crash, or of avoiding the crash altogether with active safety features like ESC and ABS.
 
“We’re making good progress in reducing deaths and serious injuries on New Zealand roads, but we need to keep improving the safety of all parts of our transport system to save more lives and prevent more serious injuries. That means creating safer roads and roadsides, encouraging safer road use and safer travel speeds, and getting more people into safer vehicles.”
 
ANCAP is supported by all Australian and New Zealand motoring clubs, the Australian Government, the New Zealand Government, Australian state and territory governments, the Victorian Transport Accident Commission, NRMA Insurance and the FIA Foundation.
 
The full list of ANCAP’s vehicle safety ratings, other vehicle safety information and the specifications of the rated vehicles are available online at aa.co.nz or rightcar.govt.nz.