Car
April 14, 2015
MAZDA DEMIO | Part 13 (First Half) | "I Fell in Love with the Demio"
13th Mazda Demio (Part 1)
“I Fell in Love with the Demio”
The everyday car of the masses has suddenly become sophisticated and stylish! Mazda's compact car, the "Demio," evolved into its third generation in July 2007.
Yasushi Shimono, who tests dozens of new models each year, picks his "Top Car of 2007." What happened behind this bold image change?
By Yasushi ShimonoPhotos by Mazda
The "MZR 1.3L with Miller Cycle Engine," revived for fuel efficiency.
Paired with the equally fuel-efficient "CVT" transmission, the "13C-V" grade (¥1.31 million) achieves a fuel economy of 23.0 km/liter under the 10-15 mode test.
Rarely encounter such a car
Of the new cars released in 2007, my favorite was the Mazda Demio.
The first one I drove was the model equipped with the 1.3-liter Miller cycle engine.
While the term "Miller cycle" might sound intimidating, it's essentially a fuel-efficient engine that employs a high-efficiency combustion system devised by an American engineer named Miller. It's also paired with a fuel-saving CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission).
The moment I started driving the "13C-V," I fell in love with the Demio. I thought, "This is good." It was a car that "clicked" with me.
Even in this line of work, I rarely encounter such a car. When I do, it's usually a small car from Italy or France.
The first time I drove the new Demio, it reminded me of the "Citroën AX 14TRS" from the late 1980s. I fell in love with it the moment I drove it for a test, and I bought one right away.
The 1.3L Manual is the Best!
The next Demio I drove was the 1.3-liter manual, not the Miller cycle version.
There's a famous editor named A at a certain automotive magazine. Years ago, he restored a rare car he bought himself from Mexico, an "Alpine A110," and still uses it as his daily driver.
He's dedicated to the "enthusiast's path" even without a wife, and he said, "The new Demio's 1.3L manual is the best!" So I tried it, and indeed, it was the best.
The Demio is not bad with the CVT or automatic, but the 5-speed manual itself is a joy to operate.
The crisp shift feel, so satisfying that you'll want to shift gears pointlessly in traffic jams, is even better than the 6-speed manuals in Mazda's own sports models, the "RX-8" and "Roadster." Like the aforementioned Editor A, I believe the 1.3-liter manual is the best Demio.
The next one I drove was the 1.5-liter "SPORT" model with a manual transmission. As the name suggests, it's the sportiest model in the series, but I wasn't impressed.
The suspension is too stiff, ruining its otherwise good qualities. The engine has power, but it's crude. The new Demio is best in the cheaper 1.3-liter models.