It seems our friends in the UK got the jump on us this time around. Rightfully so, given they're five hours ahead of us on ET.
Anyhow, the 2014 Mazda 3 we've been waiting for has been completely unveiled for the first time. According to other reports Mazda is expected to make an unveil tonight via XBOX Live at 8:45 p.m. ET but I think the cat's well out of the bag, now.
No official US-specific details yet but read below and click through to see ALL the info streaming from the UK.
More details to follow tonight after the XBOX reveal.
With C-segment cars accounting for a quarter of the European passenger car market – a total of about three million vehicles per year – the Mazda 3 is regarded as a particularly significant vehicle for the Japanese manufacturer....
...The boot’s capacity is slightly improved too, at 350 litres with the rear seats in place compared to the old car’s 340 litres.
The Mazda 3 will initially be offered with a choice of three high-compression SkyActiv petrol variants and one diesel. The brand new 1.5-litre petrol produces 99bhp at 6000rpm and 111bhp at 4000rpm. Equipped with a six-speed manual gearbox, it can accelerate from 0-62mph in 10.8sec on its way to a top speed of 113mph...
...There is also a 2.0-litre petrol that will be available in two states of tune. The lower-powered version produces 118bhp at 6000rpm and 155lb ft at 4000rpm, reaching 62mph from a standstill in 8.9sec and topping out at 121mph.
The best-performing petrol variant in the range has the same amount of torque as the lower-powered version, but can call upon 162bhp at 6000rpm to cover the 0-62mph sprint in 8.2sec and hit a maximum speed of 130mph.
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