Well, that was fast. Less than a month after Mazda afforded us our very first official look at its promising next generation compact hatch with the release of photos, and the first video reviews have started popping up on the web.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that if you don’t speak or understand Spanish, you’ll have to be content with the visuals and the sounds of this video review from Spanish magazine Autopista that took the 2014 Mazda3 hatchback for a quick spin during the European presentation.
Redesigned from the ground up, the new “3” blends Mazda’s frugal SkyActiv engine and chassis technologies with a sharper styling inside and out. Aside from the five-door hatchback, Mazda has also presented a sedan version.
North American consumers will have an initial choice of two gasoline powerplants, a 2.0-liter delivering 155hp and a larger 2.5-liter unit with 184hp. Depending on how well the diesel-powered Mazda6 is received, the Japanese automaker may also offer the same unit on the ‘3’.
In Europe, the engine lineup includes the 99hp (100PS) 1.5-liter, 118hp (120PS) 2.0-liter and 163hp (165PS) 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrols, and the 148hp (150PS) 2.2-liter turbocharged diesel.
Sales start in the U.S. in September, with other countries to follow later in the fall.
Thanks to Laurence H. for the video tip!
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