Haima M3

Haima M3 at a glance

The M3 marked a turning point for Haima, whose earlier saloons were based on Mazda models. It was aimed at buyers of affordable compact saloons who want a modern design and good standard equipment. Haima's story, from the Hainan Mazda joint venture to its own models, is told in the history of Haima. Its other models, such as the Haima 7 and Haima S5, are in the Haima catalogue.

Design and body

The M3's styling by IDEA gives it smooth, harmonious lines, a large lower air intake with fog lights, a wedge-shaped profile and modern headlights with daytime running lights. The rear is more conservative. Haima quoted a drag coefficient of 0.27, a good figure for a compact saloon of its time. The body uses high-strength steel for more than half of its parts and laser welding, and Haima claimed it was about 19% stronger than comparable cars in its class. Ground clearance is 130 mm, which is modest for poor roads.

Interior and boot

The cabin is well laid out, with clear controls and a comfortable steering wheel. The instruments sit in two cowls and are easy to read, although sunlight can cause glare. The climate control works well. Testers noted the use of hard plastics and blue screen lighting, and the front seats have limited side support. The steering wheel rim is shaped for a comfortable grip. The rear bench offers enough knee room for adults. The 450-litre boot has a neat finish and a spare wheel under the floor. The rear seat backs fold for longer loads, and the boot lid can be opened with the key or from inside the car.

Engine and transmission

Later Philippine data list the CVT as a six-step unit, and some sources quote up to 119 hp for later engines. The engine has an electronic throttle.

Dimensions and weight

Safety

The M3 has Bosch ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution, front airbags for the driver and passenger and, on the Elite trim, side airbags. Child-seat mountings, front seat-belt pretensioners, three-point belts for all rear seats, a collapsible steering column and a seat-belt warning are standard. So are automatic door locking once the car moves and child locks on the rear doors. The passive safety structure includes a 1.8 mm steel B-pillar, side-impact beams in the doors, a strong cross-member in the engine bay. Rear rails are designed to protect the boot area in a rear collision. Front brakes are discs and rear brakes drums.

Trims and equipment

History and later versions

The M3 was first shown as the Haima V30 in Guangzhou in November 2012 and went on sale in China at the time of the Shanghai show in April 2013. It joined the M5, M6 and M8 saloons in Haima's range, which shifted from Mazda-based cars to its own designs in the early 2010s. Production continued until 2019. In its final years the M3 was also sold in export markets. In the Philippines, for example, the 2019 line-up consisted of the 1.5 Comfort with a manual gearbox and the 1.5 Flagship with the CVT. The M3 was not replaced by a direct successor, as Haima concentrated on crossovers and MPVs.

Rivals: how the Haima M3 compares

The M3 competed with budget saloons such as the Lifan Cebrium and other Chinese compact saloons, while in Haima's own range it sat above the smaller Haima 2 hatchback. Its strengths are an attractive design, good aerodynamics, a solid body structure, a large boot and rich standard equipment. Its weaknesses are hard interior plastics, dashboard glare, weak seat side support and modest ground clearance.