2010 Mazda3 Gets 167-Horsepower 2.5L Four

What's the hottest selling small car in the US? Well that depends on the month, but Mazda's ubiquitous 3 is normally in the top five,

and America's Mazda dealers are no doubt drooling in anticipation (not a particularly nice visual) of the new compact hitting their showroom floors.

Just the same, the current car is still selling quite well thanks to great design inside and out and higher than usual quality. The Japanese automaker got the 3 right when they launched it nearly five years ago, and it's been extremely effective at luring new customers away from the bigger players, like Toyota and Honda, not to mention the Big 3 domestics, and into the Mazda family.

The all-new 2010 Mazda3 will soon hit the motor show circuit, starting with its debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this week, but before it does a few extra notes about the car arrived in our inbox that we thought we'd share with you. First off, two engines will be offered initially, a 2.0-liter four-cylinder in base models and a new top-line four (expected Mazdaspeed3 model aside) displacing 2.5 liters. The larger engine will boost output by 11 horsepower, from the base engine's already robust 156-horsepower to a much more spirited 167.

Attitudes

towards the new model's overall design are mixed, with some liking its smiling grille while others are downright offended. Creating controversy seems to work well for celebrities so why not Mazda's star car? After all, a something for everyone approach to automotive design wouldn't suit Mazda's new performance-oriented character (let's not forget the ultra-bland final-generation 626 too soon or it may be repeated sometime in the future), and the new 3's bulging RX-8-style front fenders and rippling hood ridges certainly offer a unique visual statement the outgoing car, while attractive, didn't even attempt. The windswept look actually shows influence from Mazda's recent run of “wind” themed concepts, the most recent being the Kazamai, which means “swirling crosswinds” shown in Paris last month. Mazda also showed the Taiki earlier this year in Geneva, an evolution of a design language first expressed through the Nagare concept. Mazda will once again offer four- and five-door versions of the 3, with the four-door showing up at the LA show and the five-door to follow soon after.

Showing Mazda's desire to take the car upscale and compete head-on with compact models from premium brands, standard and optional features will include self leveling adaptive Bi-Xenon headlights, proximity sensing keyless entry and push-button start, a power driver seat with memory, a Multi-Information Display (MID) that shows important

driver information like audio settings, trip computer and navigation info, a 10-speaker BOSE Centerpoint surround-sound audio system and hands-free Bluetooth cell phone adaptability plus external audio player integration. Mazda also promises a class-leading 0.29 coefficient of drag that will help give the car the lowest levels of wind and road noise in its segment.

This will bode well for a new cabin that promises premium levels of refinement and sophistication, a move that Mazda is hoping will cause its upwardly mobile customers to stick with the brand as they increase earnings, rather than switch to a premium marque like Acura or BMW.

And Mazda has certainly claimed its fair share of customers with the new 3. Since its inception more than 1.8 million have been sold in over 100 countries (many under its Axela nameplate), plus it's accumulated more than 90 global automotive awards.

And how important is the 3 to Mazda's overall profitability? Consider that in North America alone the brand sells nine different models, not including unique variations (4-door, 5-door, Mazdaspeed, HEV, etc), and many more in its home market and elsewhere around the world, but the 3 accounts for 1 in 3 vehicles sold with the stylized “M” on the hood. No, the automaker couldn't have prophetically known this would have been the ratio when it dubbed its C-segment car with a “3”, but such is the case, making it the strongest selling model in its lineup.

The car will debut at the LA event later today, Wednesday, November 19th, at 12:20 pm, and more information will follow. And if you can't wait to hear all about it, go ahead and watch the reveal in real-time at http://www.mazda3reveal.com/.