2019 Mazda 3 to be previewed at Tokyo Motor Show

MAZDA will debut two new concepts at this month’s Tokyo Motor show, previewing next-generation production vehicles.

The first, Mazda says “heralds the company’s next-generation products”, and is believed to be our first glimpse at a next-gen Mazda 3 hatch.

A pair of shadowy teaser images have been revealed, with the Japanese company claiming the hatchback concept “fuses next-generation technology and design”.

The current-gen Mazda 3 was launched in 2013. Assuming Mazda will stick to the industry’s usual cadence of six-year model lifespans, that means we can expect its replacement to arrive sometime in 2019.

And that meshes well with what we already know about the SkyActiv architecture and high-compression, ultra-efficient SkyActiv-X engine that’s expected to reside beneath the new Mazda 3’s taut sheetmetal. Both of those technologies are scheduled to enter production in 2019, meaning the Mazda 3 will be the first recipient of the Japanese carmaker’s cutting-edge tech.

Our sister site, Wheels, has tested a current-gen Mazda 3 fitted with a SkyActiv-X engine in Europe, and was impressed by the engine’s on road ability. As the first commercial petrol engine to use compression ignition, ditching the traditional use of sparkplugs, the Mazda 3’s new engine will be a ground-breaking piece of technology.
The second vehicle from Mazda to appear at Tokyo will be a design concept, which “embodies the concepts that will define the next generation of Mazda design”. Expect flowing, natural lines, as has become part of Mazda’s Kodo design language since the debut of the CX-5 in 2012.

The three-row Mazda CX-8 will also be on display at the Motor Show, along with a special edition MX-5 Red Top, which features a special cherry red canopy and auburn Nappa leather interior.

“Our stand this year marks the beginning of a new era for Mazda. We will showcase a concept model with the design and technologies that will define a whole new generation of Mazda cars. Among them is SKYACTIV-X, a gasoline engine that realizes a long-held dream of the global automotive industry,” Masamichi Kogai, Mazda’s Representative Director, President and CEO, said.