Mazda has released images of its new ‘3’, which will be officially unveiled at the LA Motor Show later this month. Mazda has clearly tried to move its small saloon upmarket, giving it the sleek look of its Mazda6 big brother.
It’s been designed to fit in with Mazda’s latest ‘Zoom-Zoom’ design language, and we’ve noticed a few similarities with some of Mazda’s other cars. The trapezoidal air dam looks a bit RX-8-ish and there is something about the new MX-5 in those vents either side of the dam. It may look like the lovechild of Mazda’s other models but the new ‘3’ manages to be a bit of a looker, with gently sculpted lines and creases.
Mazda says it has designed the car with a ‘more refined, sporty ride, top class fuel economy and quietness’, which reflects the more grown-up approach. We know that there will be a hatchback variant (which is likely to be the bigger seller in the UK) and the car is scheduled for launch in the first half of next year.
It is likely an MPS version will be added soon after the launch, and if the last one was anything to go by we should be in for a treat.