The Mazda 3 is now readily available in borderline incredibly hot hatch guise with a turbocharged petrol engine producing 250bhp – but only in North America.
This additional powerful variation of the Mazda 3, badged Mazda 3 Turbo, is powered by a turbocharged 2.5-litre 4-cylinder Skyactiv-G petrol engine producing 250bhp and 434Nm of torque. The powertrain is by now used in the North American and Australian-shipped variations of the Mazda 6 saloon and CX-5 SUV – both equally of which share their system with the Mazda 3 hatchback.
As is readily available on the 2.-litre 177bhp Skyactiv-X-engined hatchback, this new engine is mated to a 4- wheel-travel process as typical – whilst Mazda has swapped out the 6-velocity guide gearbox for a new 6-velocity automated, which is also observed in the US Mazda 6 and CX-5.
There’s no formal term still on the engine’s functionality specs or gasoline overall economy figures but, provided that this new powertrain has close to 70bhp additional than the Mazda 3’s existing 177bhp 2.-litre petrol engine, the hatchback’s 0–62mph should dip to less than 7 seconds.
North American customers will also get a very little additional products for their funds, with this new, more rapidly Mazda 3 getting a set of eighteen-inch gloss black alloy wheels, bigger twin exhaust suggestions and a subtly additional intense styling offer, with a deeper front splitter, broader aspect skirts, a new rear diffuser and a black tailgate spoiler.
Within is a pair of heated leather-based sporting activities seats, 12-speaker Bose quality audio process and an eight.eight-inch infotainment process with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s a pair of swish usefulness functions, much too, like a frameless auto-dimming rear-perspective mirror, a roaming WiFi hotspot and adaptive cruise control.
It is on sale in the United States now, priced from $thirty,900 (around £23,600) for the hatchback, creating it close to $7,000 (or £5,three hundred) additional high-priced than the entry-level Skyactiv-G product in the US industry.
Check out out our extensive term report of our Mazda 3 listed here…