New 2014 Mazda 3 adds spice to already hot compact class

By John LeBlanc Japan’s Mazda unveiled the hatchback version of its Mazda 3 this week in New York. A perennial best seller, the compact is the most important model in the automaker’s lineup. And if first appearances are correct, Mazda has not held back on any front to make the new 2014 a class-leader. The new 2014 Mazda 3 is the third model in the Japanese automaker’s new generation of products that adopt both its so-called Kodo “Soul of Motion” design language and fuel-efficient SkyActiv technologies.  While we’re still awaiting the more popular four-door sedan version, the third-generation 2014 Mazda 3 four-door hatchback is lower, wider, gets a longer wheelbase but is shorter in length than the outgoing 2013 model. Although there had been rumours that the smaller 3 would get a diesel engine like its big brother Mazda 6 mid-size sedan, when it goes in on-sale in Canada this fall, a pair of SkyActiv-G (for “Gas”) four-cylinder engines will power the front-wheel-drive 3. Although Canadian-market specs have not been confirmed, we expect there will be a 2.0-litre making 155 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque and 2.5 L unit with 184 hp and 185 lb-ft. will be an option. Both fours will be available with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission. Mazda’s i-Eloop brake energy regeneration system will be employed as well. From these first images released by Mazda, the 3 looks like its adopted the look of this year’s all-new Mazda 6 sedan. Inside, the cockpit seems just as stylish, highlighted by an iPad-like touchscreen that sits atop the centre dash. In a segment already filled with good looking and fun-to-drive compacts like the Ford Focus, Kia Forte5 and Volkswagen Golf, the new 2014 Mazda 3 hatch certainly adds some mature and attractive styling to the segment. The outgoing Mazda 3 was already a class-leader when it came to driving dynamics. And we expect the new 2014 version to improve in this area as well. The Japanese automaker has a lot riding on its new compact. Mazda Canada says since the launch of the first generation in 2003, more than over 430,000 have been sold here. It is the best-selling model in the Mazda line-up and accounts for a third of the company’s annual global sales.  And even though the second-generation 2013 model had been on the market since 2009, it was still the ninth-best selling new vehicle in Canada last year, In fact, sales grew from 37,224 units in 2011 to 39,295 in 2012. What do you think? Do you like the new 2014 Mazda 3’s new clothes? Do you think the Japanese automaker is making a mistake not being the diesel engine into Canada? Source: Mazda Canada

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