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A sporty new visage
Mazda knows steering wheels
Fancy roof spoiler and 16" mags
The 2.0-litre powerplant
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Mazda has been rather busy of late, what with a whole slew
of new models hitting the market.
The new Tribute four-wheel-drive recreational vehicle, for
instance, is looking very impressive. Then there is the spacious
Premacy runabout and, of course, the RX-8 spinning the rumour
mills. The company is even testing a new prototype energy-cell
vehicle on Japanese roads, to rival Honda's Insight.
Add to this list of new models a revised 323 for 2001 and
it would appear that Mazda really seems to be pushing forward
this year.
Even more impressive is the new sports-styled SP20, taking
the Astina hatch to new markets with plenty of eye-candy and
a reworked powerplant.
From the front, the new SP20 looks a little like the up-market
Lexus IS200 - especially with the suave front skirt and twin
lower lamps.
The styling is very likeable, from the vehicle's low stance,
complete with custom-styled matching skirts all-round, to
the revised grille. The prominent wheel arches add much to
the SP20's appeal and surround the five-spoke 16" alloys
nicely.
An elevated rear-spoiler adds flair to the tail-end of the
vehicle and the special SP20 badging differentiates this car
from everyday commuters.
The striking sunburst yellow colour, seen pictured, is the
official launch colour, but 10 other colour selections will
be available in the near future.
Weighing in at just over 1200kg, the SP20 is 140kg lighter
than the Lexus IS200. Hauling the fairly light hatch in are
ventilated disc brakes at the front and solid disc brakes
at the rear with ABS ensuring safe, skid-free deceleration.
Add to this, driver's and passenger's SRS airbags and you'll
see that the SP20 doesn't neglect safety in the pursuit of
good looks.
Inside the specialised Astina is a sporty dash complemented
by a neat leather gear-shifter and a surprisingly good Mazda
sports steering wheel. A six-stacker CD-player pumps out music
through a four-speaker system, though it's a shame Mazda didn't
include a woofer too.
The SP20 has almost 400 more cubic centimetres of engine
than the stock 323. The new 2.0-litre, electronically fuel-injected,
inline-four cylinder mill also pumps out 20kW more than the
stock Astina.
The dual-overhead cam engine produces 98kW @6000 rpm and
torque figures come in at 174Nm @4500rpm. Not half-bad for
a hatch! The front-wheel-drive Mazda comes with either a five-speed
manual or four-speed auto transmission.
Obviously, such a model wouldn't have made it to market if
Mazda wasn't experiencing good sales with its sportier products,
such as the ripping RX-7 and the popular MX-5.
As it stands, the new SP20 is looking very good as the new
'hot-hatch' on the block. For $28,045 for the 5-speed manual
and $29,995 for the 4-speed automatic, it's pretty good value
too.
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