It shouldn’t really come as a surprise to anyone that NZ Company Vehicle should select the Mazda3 as the overall winner for its Car of the Year award. 

The Mazda3 has an extensive history in the fleet sector and with good reason, since it follows in the footsteps of its bigger brother, the Mazda6.  

As a slightly more affordable version, the Mazda3 has been adopted by many companies as the fleet runabout of choice and in recent times has found favour with the private sector, many as ex-lease vehicles. 

Well, it seems Mazda is back on track with its all new Mazda3, a car we believe has the chops to get itself back into favour with the fleet buyer – and all its going to take is ten minutes behind the wheel. 

It won’t matter if you drive the hatchback or the sedan, the Mazda3 delivers excellence in either case. 

Furthermore, it doesn’t matter if you look at GSX, GTX or Limited models – any one will work for your fleet, its just a question of working through the right dollars and making your choices.

At the launch, Mazda’s managing director asked the assembled motoring press to not write about the facts and figures which could be found on the Mazda website; he asked us to write about how driving the Mazda3 made us feel.

The reason – after we had all absorbed the facts and figures, which are worth reading to examine what sets the Mazda3 apart from the competition by the way – became abundantly clear on a prolonged drive. 

Mazda’s latest SKY-ACTIV hero is such a cohesive package across its engine and transmission, its chassis and body design and its revolutionary suspension setup, that firstly, it rekindles the joy of motoring and secondly, it has the potential to improve a driver’s native abilities. 

From a fleet buyer’s perspective, the Mazda3 is a shrewd investment. Both of the above characteristics, while being valid considerations for the fleet buyer, are also valid considerations which will appeal to the second owner of a Mazda3 – thereby making the Mazda3 an investment with a great potential on return. 

Mazdas have always held strong residuals, and this tradition looks set to continue with the Mazda3 – the 2019 New
Zealand Company Vehicle Overall winner and Car of the Year.