Are you the next Mazda3?

Jeffrey N. Ross — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Hatchback, Mazda, Design/Style

The next-generation Mazda3 is expected next year, but aside from renderings and our own imagination about a compact economy car sporting Mazda's new Kodo design language, we really have no clue what this design will actually look like. Auto Express has gotten a hold of some shots it believes are official digital images from Mazda that could be a very good indication of what the Japanese automaker has in store for its top-selling car, but it's important to note the images could also be of an upcoming concept vehicle or just a design proposal.

Production or not, these renderings show the possibility for the 2014 Mazda3 that finds itself competing in a much more interesting class of cars than what was available back in 2009. The image of the Mazda3 5-door hatchback design shows a sloped rear D-pillar that gives it a strong family kinship with the new CX-5 and Mazda2, while the sedan has a sleek and sporty roofline along the lines of what we've recently seen on the new Mazda6.

We reached out to Mazda for comment on these images, and Jeremy Barnes, Mazda's director of public relations, had this to say: "Any speculation about a next-generation Mazda3 is just that - speculation. And, as a policy, we do not comment on future product speculation."

Are you the next Mazda3? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Oct 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2014 Mazda3 to shed hundreds of pounds; diesel, Mazdaspeed variants possible

Steven J. Ewing — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Hatchback, Mazda, Diesel

According to Car and Driver, the next-generation Mazda3 is set to undergo an extensive overhaul, similar to what the Japanese automaker has done with its larger Mazda6 sedan.

On the powertrain front, expect the still-new 155-horsepower 2.0-liter Skyactiv four-cylinder to carry over. But since the next Mazda3 will likely shed hundreds of pounds thanks to the company's lighter Skyactiv-tuned platform (a good chunk of which will be shared with the CX-5), the 2.0-liter engine should return improved fuel economy and performance since there won't be so much heft to cart around. Currently, the 2.0-liter Mazda3 returns up to 40 miles per gallon on the highway.

C/D also states that a diesel-powered version of the compact Mazda3 is under consideration, as is a new version of the turbocharged Mazdaspeed3.

Visually, expect the new Mazda3 to receive the full brunt of the automaker's new Kodo styling language. That isn't a bad thing, though - both the new CX-5 and Mazda6 are handsome vehicles, and we think the aggressive headlamps and upright grille will translate nicely to the smaller package. C/D has worked up a rendering of what the Mazda3 could look like in hatchback form with the new styling direction, so head over there to check it out.

2014 Mazda3 to shed hundreds of pounds; diesel, Mazdaspeed variants possible originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 01 Oct 2012 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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