Bucket Seat: 2019 Mazda 3

With the Los Angeles Auto Show kicking off today, there are some much anticipated car unveils that most are looking forward to, one of which is the new Mazda 3. The completely redesigned Mazda 3 will be brought to global markets in early 2019 with South Africa getting the model in the second half of the year. The new design is nothing short of striking with a mixture of daring, following their Kodo design language quest, the 3 in both sedan and hatch guise sport a very sleek and edgy front end, similar to that of the CX5. Mazda say that the new 3 embodies the essence of Japanses aesthetics while the overall design presents a simple form, with subtle undulations bringing the styling to life. 

From the front end the revised grille is large and prominent, with the Mazda badge front and center, the lights extend out from the chamfer of the grille and extend like wings to form the side. It's all very edgy and cool and it's this sort of theme that flows through out the car but on the hatch, the rear smooths out perfectly, very similar to the concept that was shown earlier this year. I got to admit, it is quite an attractive feature of the car, of which we hardly see similar to that on the roads today. Mazda say the design of the hatchback is dynamic and the sedan if aiming at being elegant. 

The interior remains minimalistic but retains that classy and elegant look and feel. Everything is leveled relatively close to the height of the driver and almost gives a sports car, low center of gravity feel to it. From the pictures of the sedan's interior, looks like Mazda will be offering some lighter colours for the interior, which blend well with the black. 

Engine wise, the Mazda 3 will feature the latest powertrain lineup which compromises of the Skyactiv-X, Skyactiv-G and Skyactiv-D, each of which provides smooth, responsive throttle control in any driving situation. Having sampled this on both the CX5 and CX3, I still have some skepticism about it, mainly on the fuel economy side. The Mazda 3 is a big model for the manufacturer and one that they ear mark as a key seller globally. Mazda's representative Director, President and CEO Akira Marumoto had this to say at the unveiling today, "The all-new Mazda3 we unveil today begins a new era for Mazda. The next generation of Mazda cars will enhance the value of the car-ownership experience. Through these products, we will further raise Mazda's brand value and work towards our goal of building ever strong bonds with customers all over the world"