Newly Potent Mazda 3's Power Specs Revealed

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

Mazda fans wanted more power, and that wish will soon be granted. As we learned via dealership codes last month, the 2021 Mazda 3 will give buyers the option of boosting their car’s output via a new turbocharged engine.

As this month is all about vehicle debuts, there isn’t long to wait before the newly potent 3 gets its own public unveiling. And thanks to a Mexican ad, the model’s power levels are already no longer a mystery.

Spotted by Road & Track, the ad uploaded to YouTube by Mazda México details the North American-market entry for 2021. Joining the existing 2.5-liter four-cylinder for the coming model year is a turbocharged variant of said engine found in the CX-5 compact crossover and 6 sedan.

An uplevel offering, the engine’s output doesn’t surprise. Making a familiar 227 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque, the engine bound for the compact sedan and hatch will arrive with standard all-wheel drive in tow, as well as a six-speed automatic. The ad seems to confirm what the dealership model codes already did, which is that there’ll be no six-speed manual with which to manage that newfound power. Bummer for those people who’d be willing to order a manual version of an uplevel mainstream car, however few they may be.

It seems buyers of the 2.5T will enjoy standard blacked-out 18-inch wheels, which comes as no surprise, as all but the very base 2020 models come with some form of 18-inch hoops.

What’s left to learn is exactly how pricey this upgrade will be. It would be in Mazda’s best interests to make the turbo engine available to as many would-be buyers as possible, not just buyers of the top-flight premium package.

Indeed, Mazda needs some way of arresting the 3’s downward slide in the U.S. market. After seeing volume plunge in 2019 despite the model’s new sheet metal and available AWD, Mazda messed around with content and pricing for 2020, only to be hit with a pandemic — during which compact mainstream cars suffered more than any other segment. Sales of the 3 fell 46.6 percent, year over year, in the first quarter of 2020.

While a slow recovery commenced after March and April’s carnage, Mazda’s June sales figures show the 3 down 18.5 percent, year over bad year.

[Image: Mazda]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • Flipper35 Flipper35 on Jul 07, 2020

    Too bad it is standard AWD. I know it is the trendy thing these days, but it isn't needed the majority of the time.

    • See 3 previous
    • Flipper35 Flipper35 on Jul 08, 2020

      @FreedMike As I said, you don't really need it the majority of the time. It is just extra weight and complexity that drags fuel economy down for all those drives where there isn't 6" of snow on the ground or you are doing full bore standing starts.

  • Jkross22 Jkross22 on Jul 07, 2020

    If Mazda put this engine in the CX-30, they could revive the Mazdaspeed name and get some legacy MS owners in the showroom, along with those wanting something bigger than a GTI but with some fun.

    • Slavuta Slavuta on Jul 07, 2020

      Don't jump too high. I've done my sitting in this. I think, Mazda3 rear seat is slightly more tilted and hence more comfortable that cx30. I don't know if GTI is smaller.

  • 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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