2014 Mazda 3 Rendered, Detailed: What to Expect from the Next-Gen Compact

2014 Mazda 3 Rendered, Detailed: What to Expect from the Next-Gen Compact:

What It Is: The next generation of the compact Mazda 3. Shown here in hatchback form, the future 3 will be styled to resemble the new Mazda 6 and face-lifted CX-9, with aggressive headlights and a prominent black grille. The Cheshire-cat grin from the front fascia of the current car finally will be exorcised. Featuring Mazda’s latest Kodo design language, the sculpted sheetmetal will help with aerodynamics and sex appeal, but don’t expect anything too over the top: This is Mazda’s bread-and-butter model, and the company can’t risk polarizing buyers. We’re a little nervous that the new 3’s cabin may be less scintillating than its wrapper, as the CX-5’s—the most-recent new Mazda model we’ve evaluated—is somewhat bland albeit well-constructed. We have no anxiety, however, in confirming that the next 3 will join the new 6 in shedding hundreds of pounds of weight. READ MORE››

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