Rendered Speculation: next-gen Mazda3

With the Mazda2 and Mazda6 selling successfully abroad, the Zoom-Zoom crowd is turning its attention to the Mazda3, with this rendering surfacing in good company of the wealth of RX-9 sketches that were popping up everywhere last month. The rendering borrows cues from its little and big brothers to forecast what the upcoming 3 could look like, while ostensibly reasonable predictions place four-cylinder engines underhood ranging from 1.5 to 2.5 liters, as well as the availability of four- and five-door variants like the current and previous models.

The current Mazda3, although facelifted just a couple of years ago, has been on the market for five years now, making it a prime candidate for a total redesign. Reports suggest that the new 3 could bow in Paris this September ahead of a spring 2009 market launch, so we'll keep an eye out for it when we land in the City of Lights.

[Source: Winding Road]