Here it is – the long-awaited and highly-rumoured turbocharged Mazda3 is now finally confirmed, thanks to a virtual launch video released on the Mazda Mexico YouTube channel.
Under the hood, the new forced induction Mazda3 will be equipped with a 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, good for 228 hp and 420 Nm of torque. Drive is transferred to all four wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission.
The numbers and drivetrain setup is identical to the turbocharged unit found in the Mazda CX-5 2.5T and CX-9, both of which have already been introduced here in Malaysia. Mazda did not reveal the performance figures for the new turbocharged Mazda3 just yet, but expect it to fare quite a bit better than the CX-5 2.5T thanks to its lower weight.
The new turbocharged engine also pushes the Mazda3 well into the hot hatch territory. While the horsepower figure is not exactly impressive compared to its peers in this arena, the 420 Nm torque figure is nearly best-in-class, beating out even the VW Golf R (350 Nm), Hyundai i30 N Performance (378 Nm with Overboost function), Megane R.S (390 Nm), and the Honda Civic Type R (400 Nm).
Based on the details revealed in the Mazda Mexico video, the new turbocharged Mazda3 will sit at the top of the line-up – as expected – fitted with the highest trim levels available in the country. There also doesn’t seem to be any visual enhancements to suggest the updated performance underneath, much like the turbocharged CX-5 which is only differentiated by a red ‘T’ badging at the rear.
Despite its performance, Mazda also doesn’t seem to be bringing back the MPS nameplate for the new turbocharged Mazda3. Mazdaspeed fans will just have to keep waiting, unfortunately – but at least we will have it in spirit, right?
