It happened with the 6, so might the 3 be the next Mazda which ends up becoming a classic? And the same can be said for the 2, by which I mean cars which remain in production way longer than had been originally intended.
The company has wisely channelled resources into greatly increasing the number of SUVs it offers and developing new lines of IC engines. Many thought this was bonkers behaviour, especially in the case of creating a straight six petrol turbo, not to mention a diesel with the same number of cylinders.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
Europe and China: each 150,000 Mazda deliveries per annum
There was a gamble, a vision, and then came luck. Suddenly, Mazda has exactly the right models for the USA. On course for some 410,000 sales in 2025, this has long been the company’s number one market.
Japan is strong too, at about 150,000/annum plus there is a years-long battle with Ford for second place in Australia. An impressive circa 90,000 vehicles should be retailed down under by the end of this month, while about the same number of locally made Mazdas will be delivered in China.
Older models sell especially well in Britain and Japan
Mazda Motor Europe is more of a big deal than many might realise, volume this year being on course to be at as high a level as the company’s home market. The model mix is surprisingly similar too, with the UK perhaps the best example. The CX-5 and 2 are good sellers for the brand in both Japan and Britain though the latter model is Toyota-sourced for Europe rather than the older, Mazda-made generation.
Then we come to the 3. Launched at the Los Angeles auto show in late 2018 and on sale from early 2019, the USA was always the place where Mazda thought the car would sell best. And that did prove to be true, the default body being a sedan. We have the saloon here too, though it’s now available in just the one trim. The hatchback, on the other hand, comes in a choice of 15 variants if we’re including manual and auto transmissions.
An interim era when long life cycles are normal
The Hiroshima-based OEM isn’t alone in keeping quite a few of its older models in production, as we know, and the 6 was still selling quite well in some countries when it went out of production in April 2024 four months shy of its twelfth birthday. While that was an extreme example, even the mighty TMC stated only weeks ago that it would be maintain nine-year life cycles for many models. Why?
Until car makers see constant, high volume demand for EVs, it’s risky to replace key vehicles with electric-only ones. So 2026-2030-ish will likely see lots of extended production runs the world over. The Toyota Camry (2017 Detroit auto show debut) and Hilux (2015) are two examples of high volume vehicles which have had multiple, sometimes major facelifts. In each of these two cases a true replacement isn’t due for a few years yet.
Americans especially love the Mazda3
As the likes of the 2 and 3 are still wanted by many customers, why shouldn’t they continue to be built? Even now, Mazda USA is on course to deliver some 30,000 units of the model in 2025. And this in a society near-obsessed with novelty and where sedans are supposedly long out of fashion. Toyota, Honda and Nissan would clearly disagree with the latter generalisation.
Mazda’s C segment hatchback still looks like no other car in its class, and that’s a very good thing. Has it even aged? If it has, then styling touches from the prior decade were good ones. I would also state that the inside of the 3 is way more appealing than that of so many alleged state of the art new vehicles.
Click, flick, roll – tactile delights aplenty
Even after a week the joy of having a lovely set of controls for the audio system down on the centre console never wore off. Yes they’re for the passenger but touching the tactile silver dial or pushing it left or right for track/radio station changes was a minor thrill every time. What a shame that Mazda’s newest vehicles are going buttons-less and everything-on-a screen (e.g. 6e and CX-5, each headed to the UK in 2026).
There is also a large click-turn wheel on the same console. Remember when we had these instead of prodding the screen? A satisfying sound, precise action, no fingermarks to wipe away and just as good, the screen itself isn’t huge. Mazda also gives you real gauges complete with needles, a gorgeous three-spoke steering wheel which is actually round, and yes, my favourites: more buttons for the HVAC system. It’s all so pleasing to the fingers and eyes and ears.
The test car came with a six-speed manual gearbox. These are becoming as rare as diesel engines or any vehicle which doesn’t need to have all manner of ADAS annoyances deactivated every time you start up. So many reasons I loved my days with this Mazda. And the gearchange is also close to perfect in this car.
When and how might the 3 be replaced?
Rumour has it that the 3 will become electric for its next generation, trademark filings for a 3e having been made in certain countries. This suggests another JV with Changan, or at least leveraging their alliance to use the Chinese OEM’s platform as Mazda does with the 6e.
Given ongoing trends, we might also get an EREV drive system in the next C segment hatchback and/or saloon. That would greatly help with sales when so many people are unable or unwilling to buy a car which is reliant on a battery and has no back-up IC propulsion system.
Will Mazda ditch its terrific dashboards then regret it just like VW?
Please could we have the fabulous tactility of older Mazdas’ dashboard controls too? Yes, so-called ‘clean’ design looks terrific but it should work as well as what went before. Also, not everybody enjoys an over-communicative car. As impressed as I was trying out the 6e a few months back – it’s gorgeous to look at and sit in – my heart sank when I noticed how few pieces of plastic I could press or turn or tilt.
As of now, we don’t actually know when or how the 3 will be replaced. The current car, which feels the very opposite of outdated, could well continue for quite a few years. Especially if the 3e becomes real and is manufactured solely in China: that would be a major issue for the US market.
One of the best things I have left mentioning until last: the new engine. Up 13 kW (18 PS) over its predecessor of the same capacity, the 103 kW (140 PS) 2.5-litre four-cylinder MHEV is both punchy and abstemious. Torque, formerly 213 Nm, is now 238 Nm. The 137 kW (186 PS) and 240 Nm e-Skyactiv-X engine, with its Spark Controlled Compression Ignition technology, remains in the range above the new e-Skyactiv G.
Summary
Once a mainstream model, the 3 is now approaching niche status in countries such as this one, where EVs continue to gain an ever larger following. And that’s great, different technologies working better for different buyers. Those who want a C segment car with a premium feel, thanks to a refreshingly analogue experience yet with high-tech mechanicals, need to take a look at this Mazda. It does not disappoint.
The revised Mazda3 is priced from GBP25,030.
