2019 Mazda 3 pricing and specification revealed

THE MAZDA 3 will be more expensive for 2019 as a new generation hatch and sedan arrives in Australia.

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Official pricing and specifications for Australia have been released, with a new naming convention and all variants accompanied by a bump in prices.

The increased entry cost isn’t a senseless cash grab, with Mazda offering more equipment as standard.

This new generation of Mazda 3 will go on-sale in Q2 this year, with the entry model Neo Sport and Maxx Sport models being replaced by Pure and Evolve badges respectively.

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Entry into the 2019 Mazda 3 range starts at $24,990 for the G20 Pure manual, with the flagship G25 Astina manual wearing a $37,990 sticker price.

We’ll rewind a little here because that G20 and G25 naming convention is also new. It denotes the capacity of the engine fitted to the car. Mazda has retained the 2.0-litre and 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated SkyActiv-G units from the previous generation 3, but with the mildest of tweaks. There’s no diesel option on offer.

Cars fitted with the 2.0, identified as G20, have 114kW and 200Nm, the same as the previous-gen vehicle.

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Those with a 2.5-litre under the bonnet – yep, identified by the G25 prefix – now make 139kW and 252Nm (an increase of 1kW/2Nm).

Each engine can be fitted with either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission, sending power to the front wheels.

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Mazda is yet to confirm when the ground-breaking SkyActiv-X compression ignition engine will be available locally, but assures us it is on its way before the end of the year.

The cost difference between manual and automatic variants has been trimmed to $1000, essentially lessening the blow the price-hike will have on sales, with just 10 percent of buyers projected to opt for a three-pedal variant.

Prices for the sedan and hatch will continue to be matched, however the booted Mazda3 isn’t due to arrive locally until later in the year.

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While some buyers will be deterred by the increase in price – as much as $4000 for some variants – Mazda has added new safety tech across the range, as well as additional features for each variant.

For this latest generation hatch and sedan, Mazda has made a number of active safety technologies standard across the range.

Intelligent speed assistance, blind-spot monitoring, traffic sign recognition, lane-keep assist, lane departure warning, driver attention alert, radar cruise control with idle stop, along with smart brake support front and rear are all fitted to the Mazda 3, regardless of variant.

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The entry-level G20 Pure has a 7-inch TFT LCD infotainment screen, heads-up display, keyless push start, Apple Carplay and Android Auto, automatic LED headlights, reversing camera, black cloth seats, 16-inch wheels, and tyre pressure monitoring system as standard.

The G20 Evolve, predicted to be the most popular model with 30 percent of sales in the first year, adds 18-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control with rear vents, an auto dimming rear view mirror, leather wrapped gear-shift and steering wheel, paddle shifters when fitted with an automatic transmission, and a fold down armrest for the rear seats.

Stepping up to a G25 Evolve adds keyless entry and power-adjustable driver’s seat compared to the 2.0-litre.

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G20 Touring owners add, auto dimming driver’s side rear-view mirror, black leather seat trim, and 10-way power adjustable seats for the driver.

G25 GT adds heated front seats, power mirrors, a premium 12-speaker bose sound system (instead of the standard 8-speaker set up), and a heated steering wheel.

The flagship G25 Astina adds a sunroof, as well as extra safety equipment that is optional on all other models as part of a $1500 Vision Technology pack.

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Ticking this box adds a 360-degree monitor, adaptive LED headlights, cruising and traffic support, driver monitoring, front cross traffic alert, and rear crossing smart braking.

No launch date has been confirmed, however Mazda is expected to have press vehicles available in early April – customers are likely to have vehicles available at a similar time.

2019 Mazda 3 price:

• G20 Pure Manual: $24,990
• G20 Pure Automatic: $25,990
• G20 Evolve Manual: $26,990
• G20 Evolve Automatic: $27,690
• G20 Touring Manual: $28,990
• G20 Touring Automatic: $29,990
• G25 Evolve Manual: $29,490
• G25 Evolve Automatic: $30,490
• G25 GT Manual: $33,490
• G25 GT Automatic: $34,490
• G25 Astina Manual: $36,490
• G25 Astina Automatic: $37,990