Mazda is not supposed to officially reveal the 2021 Mazda3 Turbo until Wednesday, July 8, but the carmaker’s local subsidiary in Mexico couldn’t wait any longer.
In an official video on its Youtube channel, Mazda de Mexico announced the specification for the local market, including the 2.5-liter engine’s power and torque figures. As everyone expected, the 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline unit delivers the same power and torque as in the Mazda6: 227 HP and 310 lb-ft (420 Nm).
These figures are valid for the Mazda6 when fueled with 87 octane gas; on 93 octane, the maximum power reaches 250 HP. Whether that’s the same in the Mazda3 Turbo, remains to be seen. While the automaker will not apply Mazdaspeed or MPS badges to the 2021 Mazda3 Turbo, its torque figure alone would certainly make it worthy of the moniker.
See Also: Hear The Turbocharged 2021 Mazda3 Before Its July 8 Launch
That’s because this turbocharged hatchback actually has more torque than proper hot hatches like the Hyundai i30 N (260 lb-ft / 353 Nm) or Golf GTI Mk7.5 (273 lb-ft / 370 Nm). In fact, the Mazda3 Turbo will likely produce more torque than Toyota’s upcoming GR Corolla, which is expected to deliver 265 lb-ft (360 Nm) from the same 1.6-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine as the GR Yaris.
The 2021 Mazda3 Turbo will feature a Skyactiv-Drive six-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters and AWD as standard, which should make it pretty quick off the line. It will also make the Mazdaspeed 3’s chronic torque steer a thing of the past.
According to Mazda Mexico’s video, the Mazda3 Turbo will ride on blacked-out 18-inch alloys and feature black mirror caps, and a black grille surround. It will sit atop the 2021 Mazda3 lineup and offer standard features such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, automatic LED headlights, power sunroof, rear parking sensors, backup camera, blind spot monitoring system, 12-speaker Bose audio system, and more. Pre-orders in Mexico open on July 20.
https://youtu.be/7hCKznkRJCo?t=288