This Is the Next Mazda 3… 's Silhouette

Timothy Cain
by Timothy Cain

The 2019 Mazda 3 will be previewed by a concept at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show on October 24th. Realistic enough to represent an accurate vision of what the fourth-generation Mazda 3 will look like, but not so faithful to a production model that’s entirely realistic, the concept will potentially be more noteworthy due to the Skyactiv-X engine under the hood.

Skyactiv-X, long rumored, was announced more formally in August. A supercharged four-cylinder with sparkless compression ignition should result in substantially more torque and reductions in fuel consumption of more than 20 percent. That could make the next Mazda 3 a 43-mpg car on the EPA combined scale.

As far as the design, Mazda isn’t promising a revolution with the aptly titled Next-Generation Product Concept. In fact, what little Mazda is saying on the subject is tied largely to the high-tech powertrain.

It is, after all, difficult to imagine the current-generation of the Mazda 3 is struggling in the U.S. marketplace because of its exterior design. Like it or not, it’s surely not as divisive as the design of, say, the Honda Civic, currently America’s best-selling car. Cars that stir up great loathing in the minds of TTAC’s commentariat aren’t immune to popularity, as the general public doesn’t necessarily buy cars based purely on exterior styling. Otherwise we’d all be driving Jaguar XK-E coupes and Lancia Fulvias.

But could the Mazda 3, seemingly overnight, become a compact car that offers far superior power and fuel economy? With an attractive body? And “human-centered design philosophy for optimal functionality,” whatever that is? And if all of that did quickly become true, could the Mazda 3’s steady decline on America’s passenger car sales charts be quickly turned around?

Through the first three-quarters of 2017, the Mazda 3 has reported a 19-percent year-over-year U.S. sales decline in a compact category that’s down just 4 percent. That places the Mazda tenth in the category with fewer than 6,700 monthly sales. The 3’s share of the compact market now stands at 3.9 percent, a far cry from the 6.1 percent slice of the pie the Mazda 3 enjoyed in 2012. Sales of the Mazda 3 have fallen 37 percent since 2012. 3 sales are on track this year to fall to a 13-year low.

On a more design-led front, the Next-Generation Product Concept that previews the next Mazda 3 will be accompanied in Tokyo by the “Next-Generation Design Vision.” Mazda claims that car will result “in a more profound expression of the globally-acclaimed KODO design language Mazda debuted on the Mazda CX-5 in 2012.”

[Images: Mazda]

Timothy Cain is a contributing analyst at The Truth About Cars and Autofocus.ca and the founder and former editor of GoodCarBadCar.net. Follow on Twitter @timcaincars and Instagram.

Timothy Cain
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  • Conundrum Conundrum on Oct 10, 2017

    I'm really beginning to wonder about this place. If Cain is an expert, I'm an iguana lizard. How many times does this place have to be told that the new SkyActiv-X engine DOES USE spark plugs? I mean, come on. Read Car and Driver's description of the engine, and their drive of a prototype. Been out for over a month online. But no, nobody here can get that news through their thick heads. It's called an SPCCI engine, SPARK PLUG CONTROLLED COMPRESSION IGNITION. https://blog.caranddriver.com/mazdas-gasoline-skyactiv-x-spcci-engine-explained/ The truth about cars written by people without much of a clue. Next we'll have Cain telling us the new Audi A8 reminds him of the Dodge Dart.

  • Rengaw Rengaw on Oct 10, 2017

    My experience has been that Mazda dealerships have been sub-par and few and far between. Mazda, from what I have read, plans to make an effort to improve their dealerships. Unless a consumer follows car reviews, such as TTAC, Car and Driver, Motorweek, Consumer Reports, and others, they are usually not exposed to Mazda’s virtues and go with other more prominent brands they see locally. I think Mazda has made tremendous strides in building quality attractive vehicles since their split from Ford, but can’t get the presentation to consumers right. Subaru has figured out how to create brand identity with a strong image of what a Subaru owner is. Mazda tried Zoom Zoom but dropped that. I am rooting for Mazda as their vehicles and innovation deserve a healthier more active spot in the market place.

  • CanadaCraig You can just imagine how quickly the tires are going to wear out on a 5,800 lbs AWD 2024 Dodge Charger.
  • Luke42 I tried FSD for a month in December 2022 on my Model Y and wasn’t impressed.The building-blocks were amazing but sum of the all of those amazing parts was about as useful as Honda Sensing in terms of reducing the driver’s workload.I have a list of fixes I need to see in Autopilot before I blow another $200 renting FSD. But I will try it for free for a month.I would love it if FSD v12 lived up to the hype and my mind were changed. But I have no reason to believe I might be wrong at this point, based on the reviews I’ve read so far. [shrug]. I’m sure I’ll have more to say about it once I get to test it.
  • FormerFF We bought three new and one used car last year, so we won't be visiting any showrooms this year unless a meteor hits one of them. Sorry to hear that Mini has terminated the manual transmission, a Mini could be a fun car to drive with a stick.It appears that 2025 is going to see a significant decrease in the number of models that can be had with a stick. The used car we bought is a Mk 7 GTI with a six speed manual, and my younger daughter and I are enjoying it quite a lot. We'll be hanging on to it for many years.
  • Oberkanone Where is the value here? Magna is assembling the vehicles. The IP is not novel. Just buy the IP at bankruptcy stage for next to nothing.
  • Jalop1991 what, no Turbo trim?
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