2020 Mazda 3 Explained - Everything You Need To Know

2020 Mazda 3 Explained - Everything You Need To Know https://goo.gl/venNLp

The 2020 Mazda3 is a gamble, and while it may look seductive with its newest iteration of Mazda’s Kodo design language, the big risk is under the hood. Mazda has focused on its strengths – style, driving engagement, and being just plain different from Ford, Kia, Hyundai, and others – but it’s what the Mazda3 isn’t that may decide its fate.
It’s certainly a handsome car. Mazda is insistent that its two body styles – hatchback and sedan – target very different types of customers, but they’re effectively the same until you get back to the C-pillar. Then you get to choose between the more flexible cargo space – but vision-impairing tiny rear window – of the hatch, or the more traditional shape of the sedan.
Inside, too, Mazda has put in the effort. Like the refreshed Mazda6, there’s a noticeable uptick in both design and the quality of the materials. Switchgear looks and feels better, while the general aesthetic is that of a car in a more premium tier. An 8.8-inch infotainment screen will be standard.
When it arrives on US dealership forecourts in early 2019, the 2020 Mazda3 will have the Skyactiv-G 2.5-liter engine. That’s a four-cylinder gas engine, and it’ll be paired with either a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic. Power and performance for the car haven’t been confirmed yet, though it’s worth noting that Mazda’s current 2.5-liter engine will get you 184 hp and 185 lb-ft of torque.

Late in the year, however, there’ll be a second, far more interesting engine option. That’s the Mazda Skyactiv-X with M Hybrid system, and it’s something the automaker has been working on for a while. It’s not, after all, what you’d normally assume from a hybrid.