2010 Mazda3 earns EPA smartway designation

The 2010 MAZDA3 has earned the coveted SmartWay designation from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), certifying it as one of the best environmental performers among light duty vehicles.

The EPA developed the SmartWay light duty program to give consumers the opportunity to identify and compare vehicles according to their environmental performance. Each vehicle receives two environmental scores, on a scale of 1-10: A Greenhouse Gas Score (reflects carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas emissions) and an Air Pollution Score (reflects vehicle tailpipe emissions that contribute to local and regional air pollution). The SmartWay certification mark is achieved if a vehicle receives a minimum of a 6 on both the Greenhouse Gas Score and the Air Pollution Score AND receives a combined score of 13 or higher.

Despite an increase in power and displacement, fuel efficiency ratings show no loss over the 2009 2.3-liter models, with EPA figures of 21 city and 29 highway with a manual transmission, 22 city and 29 highway with the new automatic.

Mazda Motor Corporation announced in 2008 that it will reduce the fuel consumption of Mazda vehicles sold globally by an average 30 percent by 2015 through the introduction of a new family of four-cylinder engines, improved aerodynamics and reduced weight and rolling resistance.