2019 Mazda 3 First Look

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Compact cars have become surprisingly good in these modern times. They're safer, more spacious, better equipped and more fuel-efficient than ever. Among the lot, the Mazda 3 is one of our perennial favorite, largely for its engaging driving experience and thoughtful cabin design that looks like it should command a higher price tag.

But the current Mazda 3 has been around since 2014 and newer compact competitors, such as the Honda Civic and the Kia Forte, have been threatening to knock the little Mazda down a rung or two. All that could change with the all-new 2019 Mazda 3, which debuts this week at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show.

The Juiciest Highlights First
What's immediately apparent is the Mazda 3's taut new skin, showcasing what Mazda says is the latest interpretation of its "Kodo design language" from its Vision Coupe Concept shown in 2017. It looks good, sure, but more on that in a bit. What's slightly more newsworthy for this 3 is the availability of Mazda i-Activ all-wheel drive for the first time. (Front-wheel drive is still standard.)

All-wheel drive is somewhat rare in the current compact-car segment, which includes the Subaru Impreza, the Mini Clubman All4 and high-end performance models such as the Ford Focus RS and Volkswagen Golf R. Mazda's i-Activ all-wheel drive, which is featured on a number of its crossovers, is an on-demand system that transfers power to the rear wheels when additional traction is needed but defaults to front-wheel drive to save fuel when it isn't. It works in conjunction with a new G-Vectoring Control Plus (GVC Plus) that uses the brakes to assist turning (torque-vectoring by brake), which can aid handling and help maintain composure in emergency avoidance maneuvers.

When it first launches, the Mazda 3 will be powered by a 2.5-liter inline-four from the Skyactiv-G family of engines and a choice of a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission. Power numbers have yet to be announced, but we expect it'll match or come close to the current model's 184 horsepower and 185 pound-feet of torque.

Later in the year, Mazda's ground-breaking Skyactiv-X engine will finally become a production reality under the hood of the new Mazda 3. It'll come equipped with something Mazda is calling its M Hybrid system —likely mild hybridization at most.

Brother From Another Mother
The new Mazda 3, like the outgoing model, is offered as a sedan or hatchback. But unlike the twin models rolling around the streets today, Mazda wanted to give the new cars distinctly different styling personalities for 2019. The hatchback shrugs off its character lines for soft body contours and a bulbousness in back resembling a low-riding Mazda CX-5. The sedan adds more than 3 inches in length, but no doubt trades some utility for a sleeker and more elegant profile.

Both models are within 0.2 inch in height and ride on identical wheelbases, an inch longer than the previous generation, and longer than any other car in the segment. One of the few shortcomings of the Mazda 3 was a lack of rear passenger legroom, so we expect the stretched wheelbase will help address the issue.

One detail that we found particularly confounding, especially for a company such as Mazda that champions driving excitement, was the decision to replace its current independent rear suspension setup with a less sophisticated torsion beam. This cost-saving measure can be expected to sacrifice handling and ride comfort points.

It's What's Inside That Counts
The current Mazda 3 gets high points for its interior amenities, and the new model looks to extend that lead further. Correction: Mazda is gunning for total interior domination.

The driver-centric cockpit design is clean, with an upscale simplicity that would make some luxury brands blush. An 8.8-inch color display peeks out from behind a leather-wrapped dash that extends from instrument cluster to the passenger door. The Mazda Connect controller has evolved into a more polished version of itself and is hopefully just as easy to use, too.

But it's not all about looks either. The steering wheel gains an additional 0.4 inch of telescoping adjustment at either end of the travel to suit a broader range of positions, and the gearshift has been moved forward and up, reducing the distance the driver's hand has to travel from the steering wheel. Mazda says cabin noise has been decreased through a new "two-wall" approach that leaves space between the body panels and carpet to better insulate, working alongside the sound-absorbing headliner and floor mats.

Safety First. Er, Fourth
Active safety driving aids are the new luxury today, and the Mazda 3 has a few neat ones. Mazda's i-Activsense includes a new driver monitoring system that uses both an infrared camera and infrared LED to monitor the driver's condition. It can track whether your eyes are wide-open or closing, how many times you blink, and even the angle of your mouth to determine if you're drowsy or fatigued. It also looks at the line of sight and eye movement to determine attentiveness, and it will sound an alert if it senses risk.

Front cross-traffic alert is another available feature that uses radar to detect vehicles approaching from blind spots at the front, such as when you're inching out of an alleyway. And finally, there's Mazda's adaptive cruise, called Cruising & Traffic Support, that assists low-speed following and has a lane keeping function.

It's also worth mentioning that the 2019 Mazda 3 features a new driver's knee airbag, the first ever on a Mazda car.

When Can I Get One?
Mazda says the first batch of 2019 Mazda 3 cars will arrive early next year, all of them equipped with the 2.5-liter Skyactiv-G engines. The Skyactiv-X cars will follow later in 2019. Pricing has not been announced, but you'll know as soon as we do.