Newly Potent Mazda 3's Power Specs Revealed

Mazda fans wanted more power, and that wish will soon be granted. As we learned via dealership codes last month, the 2021 Mazda 3 will give buyers the option of boosting their car’s output via a new turbocharged engine.

As this month is all about vehicle debuts, there isn’t long to wait before the newly potent 3 gets its own public unveiling. And thanks to a Mexican ad, the model’s power levels are already no longer a mystery.

Spotted by Road & Track, the ad uploaded to YouTube by Mazda México details the North American-market entry for 2021. Joining the existing 2.5-liter four-cylinder for the coming model year is a turbocharged variant of said engine found in the CX-5 compact crossover and 6 sedan.

An uplevel offering, the engine’s output doesn’t surprise. Making a familiar 227 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque, the engine bound for the compact sedan and hatch will arrive with standard all-wheel drive in tow, as well as a six-speed automatic. The ad seems to confirm what the dealership model codes already did, which is that there’ll be no six-speed manual with which to manage that newfound power. Bummer for those people who’d be willing to order a manual version of an uplevel mainstream car, however few they may be.

It seems buyers of the 2.5T will enjoy standard blacked-out 18-inch wheels, which comes as no surprise, as all but the very base 2020 models come with some form of 18-inch hoops.

What’s left to learn is exactly how pricey this upgrade will be. It would be in Mazda’s best interests to make the turbo engine available to as many would-be buyers as possible, not just buyers of the top-flight premium package.

Indeed, Mazda needs some way of arresting the 3’s downward slide in the U.S. market. After seeing volume plunge in 2019 despite the model’s new sheet metal and available AWD, Mazda messed around with content and pricing for 2020, only to be hit with a pandemic — during which compact mainstream cars suffered more than any other segment. Sales of the 3 fell 46.6 percent, year over year, in the first quarter of 2020.

While a slow recovery commenced after March and April’s carnage, Mazda’s June sales figures show the 3 down 18.5 percent, year over bad year.

[Image: Mazda]