Mazda Promotion: How does the all-new Mazda3’s Active Driving Display work?

The all-new Mazda3's huge range of advanced on-board tech offers drivers a highly sophisticated ownership experience.

However, while it’s been raising the level of interactivity and connectivity in the small compact car segment to new heights, Mazda has never lost sight of the potential pitfalls such a wealth of technology can create. Information overload can be distracting, stressful and, if diverting your attention from the road ahead for more than a split second, downright dangerous. 

That's why the cockpit of the all-new Mazda3 features an innovative set of displays and controls that have been carefully crafted to help drivers easily digest this increased input – making the new technology as safe to use as possible.

One such example is the new Active Driving Display featured as standard on all Mazda3 Sport Nav models. It's one of the first vehicles in its segment to be equipped with a head-up system, which is perfect for ensuring the driver's eyes spend the maximum amount of time focused on the road.

Rising silently from the surface of the dashboard, the system's transparent screen provides drivers with real-time driving information. This includes vehicle speed; chosen cruise-control speed; information from the sat-nav system (including turn-by-turn directions, distance and lane guidance); as well as the operational status of the Mazda3's active safety systems such as Smart City Brake Support.

The Active Driving Display’s height can be adjusted via the vehicle's touch-screen or rotary dial-operated multimedia system, which means it projects information at a focal point around 1.5 metres ahead of the driver's eyes, minimising focal adjustment and eye movement between the display and the road ahead.

To avoid confusion, only three items of information appear simultaneously on the Active Driving Display at any time. The most important piece of data is always at the top, changing according to priority. For example, an urgent active safety warning will immediately displace current leading information, then change back again once the danger has passed.

Moreover, because no-one wants the distraction of a display brighter than the sun when driving at five o'clock on a February evening, the cool-blue display automatically adjusts to ambient light, or can be manually adjusted.

All other driver-related information can be found within the driver's instrument panel, which was completely redesigned for the all-new model and features a centred analogue tachometer with digital speedometer#. 

Mazda is offering zero deposit, 0% APR* Representative on Mazda Personal Contract Purchase for the all-new Mazda3. It’s available at participating dealers on vehicles registered between October 1st and December 31st, 2014, and you can pay the amount off over 24, 30, 36 or 42 months.