Hear the 2021 Mazda3 Turbo Before We See It in July
But don’t call it a Mazdaspeed3.
The Mazda3 may be well-represented on the racetrack by the 350-horsepower TCR race car, but when it comes to a motorsport-flavored Mazda3 road car, Mazda's stance is a solid nay—officials even went as far as calling such a car "childish" in 2016. Maybe Mazda's heart has softened again over the years, as the Japanese automaker teased today what recent rumors indicate could be a turbocharged new Mazda3.
Mazda hauled out the video below in response to multiple requests on its Twitter feed for a faster Mazda3, specifically those calling for more power or a turbocharged road car. "Power comes to those who wait," quipped the Japanese automaker, alongside a video that consists of little more than a revving engine—seemingly taking a leaf from Ram's playbook.
This new, more powerful drivetrain for the Mazda3 was portended a few weeks back by documents allegedly leaked from a dealer, which specified the introduction of a turbo engine for the 2021 model year. The most likely candidate is Mazda's 2.5-liter Skyactiv-G engine from its larger crossovers, where it produces 250 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. These would be plenty for a front-drive car to reign in, though the aforementioned dealer documents suggest power could be split across four wheels via all-wheel drive. Mazda3 program manager Kota Beppu went on record last Spring stating that a more powerful Mazda3 could use such a system to eliminate torque steer, further pointing to AWD's availability on the turbo Mazda3.
As for whether these will transform the Mazda3 into the hot hatch it could be, there's no telling yet. Nothing indicates the turbo powertrain and AWD will be available with a manual transmission, though those dealer docs again offer a tiny glimmer of hope in the form of "PP" option. In all likelihood, that stands for the "Premium Package" already available, but we won't tell you not to dream of it meaning "Performance Package."
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