2012 Mazda 3

A scant two years after its redesign, Mazda is updating its 3 sedan and hatchback with revised styling and a new engine offering. The company unveiled this freshened compact-car line at the 2011 New York Auto Show.

The Mazda 3 is a holdover from when Ford held a stake in both the Japanese firm as well as Swedish manufacturer Volvo. The 3 borrows elements of its basic design from the premium-compact Volvo S40. It comes in hatchback and sedan body styles. As part of its model-year 2010 redesign, the 3 continued to earn praise for its excellent driving dynamics. It drew criticism for its “smiley face” styling. The look is toned down a bit on the 2012 model.

With the styling update comes a new engine. Mazda’s SKYACTIV-G is a fancy way of saying high-pressure gasoline direct injection. The 2.0-liter unit produces 155 horsepower and pairs with a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission. Mazda is projecting fuel economy of 28 mpg city/40 mpg highway with SKYACTIV and the automatic transmission. This engine will be available on the sedan and hatchback.

Returning for 2012 are sedans with a 148-horsepower 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine as well as sedans and hatchbacks with a 167-horsepower 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine. Both these powertrains offer the choice of a manual or automatic transmission. The high-performance MazdaSpeed 3 is back, too. It retains its 263-horsepower turbocharged 2.3-liter 4-cylinder engine and mandatory 6-speed manual transmission.

Other changes for the 2012 Mazda 3 include a more-rigid body structure designed to improve handling and ride comfort. Available features, depending on trim level, include leather upholstery, heated front seats, navigation system, and steering-linked xenon headlights.

The 2012 Mazda 3 goes on sale later this year. Pricing will be announced closer to the time it reaches dealers. We expect a modest increase on the $15,450-$23,695 starting prices for the 2011 lineup.

CG Says:

The styling is certainly an improvement, and we’re glad to see Mazda’s new fuel-efficient engines starting to make their way into the product lineup. We think it’s a bit odd that the company will continue to offer the less-frugal powertrains. We honestly expected all versions to come with SKYACTIV. Base models would have the 2.0-liter unit. Uplevel trims would use a 2.3-2.5-liter engine that would produce more than the current 2.5-liter’s 167-horsepower. Hopefully this will be the case come calendar 2012.

For more inside information on hundreds of new cars of today and tomorrow, check out:

• 2011 New York Auto Show Home Page
• 2011 Auto Shows: We've got all the news and pictures from the year's biggest auto shows. 
• 2011 Consumer Guide Best Buy and Recommended Award Winners: Check out which cars and trucks made the cut this year. 
• Future Cars: Step into the automotive showroom of tomorrow with analysis, pictures, and prices of vehicles that will be on sale next year and beyond.