Mazda Official Makes Automatic Braking Standard on (Almost) All Its Vehicles
Back in March last year, news broke from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety that they had convinced 20 different automakers to make automatic braking systems standard on their new vehicles by 2022. That makes for 99% of all the new car market in the US.
Naturally, Mazda was one of these automakers. However, rather than waiting for 2022, it seems that Mazda is getting the jump on the curve, as every single one of its vehicles for the 2018 model year (minus one) will include forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking as standard safety features.
That means that in almost all of Mazda’s lineup will warn the driver if the vehicle is too close to an obstacle in front of them, and apply the brakes to prevent a collision. This will be at least low-speed automatic braking, which works up until 19 mph, though higher trims of some models will get highway-speed automatic braking standard, as well.
Of course, the question becomes “Which car is the odd one out, and why?”
The answer to that is the MX-5 Miata, and the answer to that question is almost certainly something to do with weight savings. The Miata makes its name on its fun driving dynamics, and delivers these largely by being lightweight (the MX-5 roadster tips the scales at just 2,332 pounds with a manual transmission, or 2,381 pounds with an automatic). Features like automatic braking and forward collision warning add weight.
News Sources: Consumer Reports, Torque News
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