Drive across three Asean countries in Mazda’s SkyActiv vehicles

THREE countries, 1600 kilometers, 36 hours. This was the challenge of Mazda’s SkyActiv Asean Caravan. The route would stretch from Bangkok, through Laos, and onto Hanoi.

 

Normally a daunting task, the drive instantly seemed easier knowing that we would be behind the wheel of Mazda’s latest vehicles, from the subcompact Mazda2, to the CX-5 crossover.

And that we would be with a group of the Philippines’ most unflappable motoring writers.

 

The journey began in Bangkok, the automotive hub of Asean. The flag-off point for the assembled convoy was in the historic Royal Plaza, with the statue of Rama V, aka Thailand’s King Chulalongkorn, in the background.

 

At the center of the group was Mazda’s latest, the subcompact crossover CX-3. The Soul Red and blue CX-3 caught the first rays of sunlight and gleamed invitingly.

Another new

CX-5 color, the Ceramic White that first debuted on the MX-5 roadster, teased with its highly polished yet not-quite-white shade.

 

After some remarks from Mazda Thailand’s Hidesuke Takesue and Thailand’s Vice Minister for Tourism and Sports Associate Professor Chavanee Thongroach, the convoy rolled off with hardly a pause.

 

This was Bangkok on a Monday, and we had to escape the morning rush-hour traffic if we wanted to make good time.

 

We first boarded Mazda’s latest premium crossover, the CX-3.

 

Mazda Philippines hopes to launch the car in late 2016. The Mazda CX-3’s cabin is familiar, as the spunky crossover is based on the Mazda2.

 

The CX-3 features the same central tachometer with inset digital speedometer, central dash-mounted display screen, and rotary Mazda Connect controller just behind the gearshift.

 

No need to fear about that speed indication, as there’s a head-up display that pivots open, projecting a green digital indicator in front of the road.

 

Mazda once again shows its talent for interior design with this car, starting with the ergonomic controls.

 

The CX-3 is playful with its materials. It features leather and suede seats with red stitching, black and red trim on the doors, and satin metal on the doors, gearshift and steering wheel.

 

Some touches you don’t immediately notice but appreciate when you feel them, such as the red kneepads on the center console. Given that the CX-3 is more intimate than most crossovers, parts like this matter.

 

After squeezing through some traffic lights, the Mazda caravan ascended onto the elevated highway. The cars were able to stretch their legs here, speeding along towards Thailand’s northeast border.

 

The CX-3 with its 2-liter SkyActiv engine (165 ps and 210 Nm) was able to hum along at triple-digit speeds with ease. Skyscrapers and city bustle were soon replaced by fields and factory estates.

 

Thailand’s expressway is extensive, shortening the journey across the country. For long expressway driving, the CX-3 has Lane Keeping Assist. A camera keeps watch over the highway lanes and gives off a rumbling sound whenever we wandered over the line. As we were not used to driving on the right side of the car, this proved very helpful in maintaining the proper lane.

 

As the sun headed to the horizon, the road finally turned playful. For the last hundred kilometers, the road became an all-you-can-eat sampling of sweeping curves, switchbacks and hairpin turns.

 

The smooth tarmac and rapid ascents and descents call to mind our own Tanay-burgring. For this stretch, we were in the Mazda3, which felt right at home in the twisties.

 

The all-independent suspension proved its mettle here, giving the Mazda3 a secure, planted feel that’s rarely seen in a front-wheel drive compact.

 

After blitzing 750 km in just over 10 hours, we were at Thailand’s northeastern edge.

From the hotel, we could see the dark swath of the Mekong River; and across, the mountains of Laos beckoned. Time for men and machines to take a respite.

 

The next morning, the Mazda fleet headed toward the Thailand-Laos border. The crossing previously involved boarding a ferry, but now a bridge spans the Mekong River. In fact, the bridge at Nakhon Phanom is already the third Thai-Lao Friendship bridge. The fleet crossed the impressive 1.4-km span.

 

Through to Laos

Once through to Laos, the roads became noticeably rougher. The landscape, too, shifted to the dramatic.

 

Crossing to the Laos side meant that we had to switch to driving on the right side of the road. But we were still in the right-hand drive cars, so timely directions from the copilot were crucial for speedy overtaking.

 

It seemed that there were only two types of vehicles in Laos, luxury SUVs and heavy trucks. To overtake the latter, hauling tens of tons of rocks, needed the entire road, and then some.

 

The sheer cliffs, with long sections without any guardrails, increased the difficulty level. The CX-5’s compact frame and willing suspension proved able in these sections.

 

For a long span of mountain road, I slid the CX-5’s six-speed automatic into manual mode. Tipping the transmission forward and back allowed the engine to deliver extra power, and also some braking power for the downhill sections.

 

Then I heard a whisper, like Obi-Wan Kenobi during the Death Star trench run, “Leave it in D.”

 

The voice belonged to Mazda Philippines president Steven Tan, who seemed to be meditating in the CX-3’s tiny back seat. He would certainly know what he’s talking about.

 

So like Luke Skywalker, I simply let go. But instead of shutting down the technology, I let it take over by pushing the gear lever back into D.

 

Oh, that made the drive so much easier. The SkyActiv six-speed is indeed intuitive, knowing when to hold the gear for overtaking. It also downshifted promptly when going downhill. The transmission is probably the snappiest-shifting six-speed auto around, the tach needle indicating the quick shifts.

 

Crossing to Vietnam

Late afternoon saw us crossing into Vietnam. After descending some steep passes, we found ourselves on long, flat plains. Many highways were so new that they didn’t show up on the navigation system.

 

We spent the night at Vinh. If you want to go back in time and experience Luneta in the 1970s, or at least the Vietnamese facsimile of it, the lakeside park at Vinh hits the spot—especially with some thick-brewed local drip coffee, black.

 

From Vinh, we drove to Vietnam’s second-largest city, Hanoi. One moment we were practically alone on the long stretch of highway, with the Mazda2’s SkyActiv 1.3-liter gasoline engine up to the task of keeping up with the convoy.

 

The next minute, we were enveloped in the glorious chaos that is Hanoi. The capital city is home to 7.5 million people, and almost all of them are on motorbikes.

 

The Mazda2’s quick steering and its nimble nature are its best attributes. Navigating the swarm of scooters gave more of a rush than the blackest coffee. The convoy leader kept reminding to “use your klaxon.” As we didn’t have a full-blown air-raid siren or Starship Enterprise Red Alert button on hand, we figured out that he meant the horn.

 

No matter—everyone uses the horn in Hanoi, and no one really minds them.

 

The Asean caravan, driven by participants from five countries, finally arrived. We were none the worse for wear, and the Mazda SkyActiv vehicles proved to be ideal long-distance and city companions.