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New Mazda Concept.

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Mazda revealed this photo of a new concept a few days ago. With zero info about it. It already looks great, but what could it be?

At least it doesn’t look like another SUV. Mazda calls it a “Vision model”. Which is pretty vague. And most of the automotive press is wishing it to be the return of the RX-8. Which is probably not. And in my opinion, it shouldn’t be. A new RX-8 would sell very few units in today’s market and is really not what Mazda needs right now. Sales were down to under 800 units by 2011.

Even the new Nissan Z can barely sell over 3000 units a year.

I think the concept could be a preview of the next-generation Mazda 3. If the brand hasn’t given up on the compact car market, that is.

The teaser above reminds me of the 2017 Kai concept, which was a preview of the redesigned Mazda 3. And set the tone for many other designs. It looks like the new Concept could be doing the same thing by previewing the long-awaited next-generation Mazda 3 hatchback. Since it obviously has 4 doors.

Unless a new vehicle based on the CX-70/90 RWB platform is coming to replace the old Mazda 6. Some sort of fastback RWD sedan with a new design language.

Either way, the new concept already looks very interesting, and I cannot wait to see more.

Conversation 6 comments

  4. Lets hope and pray Mazda has another generation of the 3. Mazda still needs the vehicle in its lineup even though its sales have declined in the past years.

  5. Normal buyers don’t care how narrow the windows are or how sloped the roofline is, they just want a drivetrain option that can get over 40mpg, useful cargo space, and rear seats that don’t make you feel like you’re crammed into the back of a Camaro.

    The 3 will never gain a true foothold against competitors unless it can at least compete with the Civic Hatch on interior space, fuel economy, and cargo room, while also having some elements like better sound insulation, acoustic laminated windows, ventilated seats, etc that are expected from a niche offering from a Japanese brand going for a semi-premium image.

    You can’t just have the 3 be a sexy offering for the 1% of people who want unique styling until you make a practical use case for the 99% who want a few more inches of room in the back and a few more dollars in their wallet when they fill up the tank.

    The styling on an affordable car is just a bonus, not a selling point. It needs to have all the right boxes checked AND have the styling game down, not the other way around.

    The hatch needs to be slightly bigger (more like an Acura Integra) and at least 25% more fuel efficient in order to give people who don’t want a more expensive CX model a reason to consider a compact at all in the first place, or the 3 is going to go extinct and the CX-30 will be their only offering.

    None of this matters anyways if this new concept is just another in the long line of Mazda Vision showpieces to get people needlessly excited over something they won’t actually produce. The Mazda Vision moniker should just be renamed to Mazda Vaporware.

  6. Wow. I agree with a lot of what Anonymous 10/21 1:31 said, particularly about how the cabin felt REALLY cramped. When I looked at it, I didn’t even try to test out the back seat. Same for the CX-30. I just wasn’t going to fit. If it has 4 doors, I should at least be able to get into the backseat regardless of comfort.

    The other issue with the current Mazda 3- looks great, but people who ante up for the turbo power and AWD, want a turbo experience. It should be targeting a low end BMW in feel, and not the highway cruiser its become with that engineer-excuse-ridden rear trailing link suspension. Get it together Mazda. There was some laziness in the design of the 3/CX-30 and the CX-50.

    I don’t look at the 3 as the less expensive form of a CX-30. Its a choice to not have to be an SUV person. I enjoy the feel of a suspension that can be thrown into a turn more than most SUVs.

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