With the current-generation Mazda3 still being quite a fresh entrant with only about four years having passed since its launch in 2013, the popular model isn’t exactly itching to be replaced. Despite this, that’s exactly what we expect to see at the end of this month as the doors open to the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show.
With the preview of the new 3 on the horizon, Mazda is also keen to package it together with the first real-world glimpse we’ll have of the company’s new engines, called SkyActiv-X, that uses cylinder compression to ignite the air-fuel mixture, negating the need for spark plugs and resulting improved fuel efficiency as well as reduced emissions. Additionally, the engine(s) could be supplemented with a supercharger to boost low-end torque, and an accompanying hybrid system is also possible.
We’ve known for some time now that Mazda intends to have the SkyActiv-X premiere in the next-generation Mazda3, and this unveil in Tokyo perfectly lines up with the projected arrival to market of both in 2019. Upon that, Mazda will be the first manufacturer to ever offer a gasoline engine to use compression ignition.
It would only be natural to assume that the new engine will have a significant role to play in how the all-new Mazda3 will be shaped, engineered, and marketed. The Hiroshima-based automaker wishes to emphasise it being the intersection of next-generation technology with a human-centred design philosophy.
However, many indications point to the car itself not being a huge departure from the present-day Mazda3 but instead being a more evolutionary step forward, with the gains in occupant experience and that brand new powertrain being the recipient of much of the team’s efforts. In terms of design, this is corroborated by the familiar silhouette teased here.
We expect the new 3, at least in concept form, to occupy a very similar footprint on the ground without changing much by way of interior layout and packaging either. Their Kodo visual philosophy will still be evident, but refined over the current model.
Masamichi Kogai, Mazda’s Representative Director, President and CEO. “Our stand this year marks the beginning of a new era for Mazda. We will showcase a concept model with the design and technologies that will define a whole new generation of Mazda cars. Among them is SKYACTIV-X, a gasoline engine that realises a long-held dream of the global automotive industry.”
For more on Mazda cars, check out our Showroom.
