New Mazda3 to Debut This Year With Kai Concept Inspiration
The next-generation Mazda3 will debut in Los Angeles later this year and will be heavily inspired by the Mazda Kai concept.
According to AutoExpress, the new Mazda3 will debut at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show in November. It will borrow design cues from the Kai concept that was first shown at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show, with Mazda Europe’s design director, Kevin Rice, saying the company explored real-world manufacturing procedures with the design study.
“We have a recent history of not just producing concepts for concepts’ sake,” Rice told AE. “So yes, manufacturing tolerances and techniques have been incorporated into this project since the very beginning.”
SEE ALSO: We Explain Mazda’s Fancy New SkyActiv-X Engine Tech in Layman’s Terms
The new Mazda3 will feature the automaker’s innovative new 2.0-liter SkyactivX four-cylinder engine, which is the first production gasoline engine to feature Spark Controlled Compression Ignition. The compression ignition system produces a lean fuel burn, resulting in a highly efficient engine that doesn’t sacrifice much performance in the name of fuel economy. Mazda is aiming for the supercharged four-pot to make around 189 hp and 170 lb-ft of torque. A cheaper, less powerful version of the compression ignition Skyactiv engine is also expected to be offered on lesser trim levels of the new Mazda3.
More information on the next-generation Mazda3 should become available as its November debut date nears.
[Source: AutoExpress]
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Sam McEachern holds a diploma in journalism from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, and has been covering the automotive industry for over 5 years. He conducts reviews and writes AutoGuide's news content. He's a die-hard motorsports fan with a passion for performance cars of all sorts.
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May I assume there will be a sedan model later? With less of a thick C pillar, I hope.
The design is nice, but the new engine gives me pause.