After almost six years on the market, the current-generation Mazda3 will retire to make way for a redesigned model. The Japanese firm confirmed the new Mazda3 will make its global debut at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show and released a new teaser of the car.

Actually, Mazda previewed two vehicles, as the photo includes images of both the sedan and hatchback versions. Not much can be seen in the photo, but it gives us a glimpse of the sedan's roof and the hatchback's rear end.

The Design

Note: 2017 Mazda Kai concept pictured here.


The four-door model will continue to feature a coupe-style roof and a rather short deck lid, typical to notchback cars. Mazda made some changes to the rear window, which no longer includes a small quarter window toward the rear frame. It also seems to have a simpler, cleaner, and more elegant beltline.

As for the hatchback, the rear end sports a more aggressive design. The tailgate has a heavily raked rear window and a bigger spoiler, while the taillights are thinner. No shots of the front fascia yet, but it should borrow some cues from the Kai concept car. The rear end actually looks pretty close to the show car, so don't be surprised is the Mazda3 shows up with an aggressive front end.

New SkyActiv-X Technology

Note: 2018 Mazda3 pictured here.


Arguably the biggest highlight is Mazda's new SkyActiv-X engine, which promises diesel-like fuel economy with the cleaner emissions of gasoline units. It uses very high compression to ignite a mixture of fuel and air, just like in a diesel, instead of a spark plug. However, the engine is equipped with a spark plug and will use it to ignite if ambient temperatures are too low and the unit is subject to a cold start.

When the car is cruising or during low-load situations in busy traffic, the SkyActiv-X will act like a diesel. Mazda claims that cars equipped with this mill will be 20 to 30 percent more efficient, while pre-production testing revealed a combined fuel economy of almost 40 mpg (with an automatic transmission). Unfortunately, Mazda hasn't released much info as of this writing.

The Mazda3 will be the first to feature this engine, but the four-cylinder will make it into other vehicles too in the near future.

Further Reading

Read our speculative review on the 2019 Mazda3.

Read our full review on the 2018 Mazda3.

Read our full review on the 2017 Mazda Kai concept.