A new version of the Mazda 3 with a turbocharged engine and all-wheel drive is headed to dealers in late 2020.
It's called the Mazda 3 2.5 Turbo, and it will be available at launch in both sedan and hatchback body styles. This should help differentiate it from the redesigned 2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI and a new hot hatch from Toyota (most likely based on the Corolla), neither of which will spawn sedan variants.
As the name suggests, the Mazda 3 2.5 Turbo is powered by a 2.5-liter turbocharged engine. The engine is the same 4-cylinder unit found in the Mazda 6 sedan and CX-5 and CX-9 crossover SUVs, and just like in those models it delivers up to 250 horsepower in this latest application. That comes close to matching the 263 hp of the former—and much loved—Mazdaspeed 3.
2021 Mazda 3 2.5 Turbo
Note, the 250-hp rating is with 93-octane fuel. The figure drops to 227 hp when using 87-octane fuel. Peak torque comes in at 320 pound-feet with the 93-octane fuel and 310 lb-ft with the 87-octane fuel. Those outputs, coupled with a standard all-wheel-drive system, should make for a winning combination. The only transmission announced so far is a 6-speed automatic, and we hear a manual isn't in the cards.
Some of the available features on the car include 18-inch wheels, black exterior accents, and a lip spoiler for the sedan and roof spoiler for the hatchback.
You might be wondering why Mazda didn't use the Mazdaspeed 3 name. As CEO Akira Marumoto said in a 2018 interview, Mazda is no longer keen on the Mazdaspeed name as it doesn't fit the more premium image the brand seeks.
