Live 2019 Mazda3 Reveal

The view out of the rear window of the hatchback is awful.

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What were they thinking?

-kp
 
Meh.

Mirrors, backup cameras, blind spot monitors... IMO too much being made of it.
 
The hatchback looks unusual because of smooth curves and lack of creases that so many new cars are ruined with. Therefore I find the design to be utterly futuristic and breathtaking. The sedan is almost boring in comparison.

The hatch volume and access are compromised for the sake of form, and I could live with that if I do not buy this as a family car. I am not bothered by the blind spot. It is only slightly worse than the current model.

The dashboard is unusual too so I would reserve the judgement until I see it in real life. The seats appear to be much improved. The paint looks as bad as the current model - you can clearly see swirl marks - on the show car!

The rear suspension setup worries me. We will have to wait for the actual driving feedback. It will probably not be much worse than the current model though. Both are no match for the old Protege in terms of agility.

New Skyactive engine with AWD, manual and GT trim for me, please.
 
To me, the sedan looks more expensive than the hatch. From a distance, it looks like it could be the latest BMW, whereas the hatch will never be mistaken for a luxury class vehicle. When I compared my sedan to the hatch version, I could see that the sedan trunk with fold down seats is plenty large enough for anything I'd have to throw in it. But as they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder......
 
To me, the sedan looks more expensive than the hatch. From a distance, it looks like it could be the latest BMW, whereas the hatch will never be mistaken for a luxury class vehicle. When I compared my sedan to the hatch version, I could see that the sedan trunk with fold down seats is plenty large enough for anything I'd have to throw in it. But as they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder......

I agree, I think I'd rather have the sedan over the hatch. The rear end still hasn't grown on me.

I'd like to see how the design philosophy influences the next 6 and the CX models.
 
I guess I have been driving conservatively shaped sedans for too long (18 years in fact) so I am ready for something with a more playful design.
 
personally, I wish they would have complimented the new Mazda3 with the Mazda6 Wagon that the rest of the world gets.

don't get me wrong, I like the new '3 hatch and it's on my short list, but so is the golf sport wagen/alltrack, '6 sport w/manual, and now the Subaru BRZ Premium [such a fun car to drive even though it isn't blazing fast]

if the US market is going to be flooded with puffed up wagons, aka CUVs, why not just bring actual wagons.

I would be happy if the '6 wagon was a limited run car of 5k-7k units.

The biggest foul up at Mazda dealers is the total lack of color because the color palette has not changed in 7+ years...
 
This news is glorious. I'm one year into a 3-year lease on a CX-5, which I only moved up to because I couldn't get AWD in a 3. I traded in a 3 GT hatch for this one, a I kinda miss the more compact package. I heard about the 2.5 turbo being available in the CX-5 and thought for sure that would be my next vehicle, until I just saw AWD coming in the 3. Pics of the hatchback have pretty much sealed it -- this car is my short list.
 
personally, I wish they would have complimented the new Mazda3 with the Mazda6 Wagon that the rest of the world gets.

don't get me wrong, I like the new '3 hatch and it's on my short list, but so is the golf sport wagen/alltrack, '6 sport w/manual, and now the Subaru BRZ Premium [such a fun car to drive even though it isn't blazing fast]

if the US market is going to be flooded with puffed up wagons, aka CUVs, why not just bring actual wagons.

I would be happy if the '6 wagon was a limited run car of 5k-7k units.

The biggest foul up at Mazda dealers is the total lack of color because the color palette has not changed in 7+ years...


Amen brother.

I was cross shopping the GSW and the 3 myself. I'd be driving the Golf right now if I didn't get a smoking deal on the 3 and save $7k over the VW. (No manual in the CX5 so it didn't make the cut).

If Mazda sold the 6 wagon here with a manual (and even better AWD) it would have been no contest. And Mazda could have sold me a higher margin car instead.
 
When I was in the Philippines, few years ago, I visited a Mazda showroom in Alabang. They had a 6 wagon, a truck and of course, the Mazda 2 sedan.

Other than halo vehicles (as the Viper was to Dodge), those types that have a history of poor sales in the US will not be sold here. This is why you don't see any RX7s, Supras, MR2s, Fieros, Subaru Bajas, etc. It's pretty much all about the money.
I rarely see Honda Civic type Rs in San Diego. Let's see how long that model lasts, although its benefit is that the less expensive versions of Civic sell well; maybe it will be around for awhile.
 
When I was in the Philippines, few years ago, I visited a Mazda showroom in Alabang. They had a 6 wagon, a truck and of course, the Mazda 2 sedan.

Other than halo vehicles (as the Viper was to Dodge), those types that have a history of poor sales in the US will not be sold here. This is why you don't see any RX7s, Supras, MR2s, Fieros, Subaru Bajas, etc. It's pretty much all about the money.
I rarely see Honda Civic type Rs in San Diego. Let's see how long that model lasts, although its benefit is that the less expensive versions of Civic sell well; maybe it will be around for awhile.

If they made an 'Outback'ed' or 'Alltracked' version of the 6 wagon available here, it would likely sell just as those models do.

I'd prefer a 'straight' wagon personally but if that's what it took to get a manual, AWD 6 wagon here...by all means jack up that extra 1" ground clearance and tack on the body moulding!

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https://www.autoblog.com/2018/03/06/mazda-cx-6-mazda6-wagon/


Mazda CX-6: How a wagon could sell better than the Mazda6

There is no Mazda CX-6. It doesn't exist, nor have we talked to anyone at Mazda about its existence.

However, let me now say that there SHOULD be a Mazda CX-6, or to put it another way, a Mazda6 Wagon that's been Allroad-ified with a modestly raised suspension, plastic body cladding and all-wheel drive. You know, the way Americans prefer their wagons.

During the Regal TourX launch, Buick's product planning folks pointed out that such a crossover wagon (let's go with that term for now) filled a market niche that's really not being satisfied. One that's more stylish and luxurious than a Subaru Outback, but more functional and less expensive than an Audi Allroad. It would cater to people who seek something different from the norm, both in terms of brand and body style. Sure, it's certainly not a big market niche, but it is seemingly growing.

Well, if Buick is indeed onto something and that growth continues, then Mazda could most definitely go after that same market niche. Sure, it's a small niche, but all three Mazda6 generations have sold in such minuscule numbers (33,402 in 2017), why not try something completely different? I could easily see a CX-6 outselling its sedan sibling. Such a Mazda crossover wagon would only have a Buick and Subaru as competition, as opposed to trying to draw customers away from the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and every other midsize sedan at a time when the entire segment is hemorrhaging sales. It would also nicely complement a lineup of crossovers that includes the CX-3, CX-5 and CX-9, providing yet another alternative to entice customers.

Let me also say that, having driven both the Regal TourX and a Mazda6, that the two could be cross-shopped. I'd argue the Mazda actually has a more luxurious cabin than the supposedly "premium" Regal, while Mazda's new turbocharged 2.5-liter (250 horsepower, 310 pound-feet of torque) outdoes the Buick's potent 2.0-liter. Meanwhile, the Mazda6's standard, naturally aspirated 2.5-liter (184 hp, 185 lb-ft) should offer comparable fuel economy as the Subaru Outback (28 mpg combined) without making you suffer through a CVT.

Now, as for adding all-wheel drive, the Japanese market version of both the sedan and wagon (known as the Atenza) can apparently be had with it. Can it be packaged with the turbocharged engine?

That's another question, but all the other pieces are seemingly in place to bring the Mazda6 wagon to the United States. It could even have a better chance of success than the sedan.
 
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If they made an 'Outback'ed' or 'Alltracked' version of the 6 wagon available here, it would likely sell just as those models do.
Somehow, I doubt that Mazda will simply take your advice and start redesigning the 6 wagon. Really, I'm sure they have had market research and historical data to justify their holdback of these vehicles.
I have often wondered why Toyota never made a Sienna hybrid van; heck, they make hybrid versions of almost everything else! (Corolla hybrid is coming soon.)
Yet, the hybrid van is not happening.
 
Somehow, I doubt that Mazda will simply take your advice and start redesigning the 6 wagon. Really, I'm sure they have had market research and historical data to justify their holdback of these vehicles.
I have often wondered why Toyota never made a Sienna hybrid van; heck, they make hybrid versions of almost everything else! (Corolla hybrid is coming soon.)
Yet, the hybrid van is not happening.

It's not really a re-design. You add some suspension travel and some cladding and voila, you have a vehicle for North American tastes.

I have no idea what they're market research states but other companies obviously see an open market there as they introduced vehicles in that demographic (Buick and VW) to add to Subaru and Audi.
 
It could be that they fear sales of such a vehicle would cannibalize sales of the CX5.
 
It could be that they fear sales of such a vehicle would cannibalize sales of the CX5.

Could be. But it doesn't seem to be cannibalizing sales of their competition's CUV's. IMO they're likely to be mostly separate markets with some crossover. Offering additional options would more likely drive extra sales overall even if it did cannibalize some small amount of CX5 sales. And it sure wouldn't hurt in boosting the 6's dismal numbers.
 
It's not really a re-design. You add some suspension travel and some cladding and voila, you have a vehicle for North American tastes.

I have no idea what they're market research states but other companies obviously see an open market there as they introduced vehicles in that demographic (Buick and VW) to add to Subaru and Audi.

I mean, that's basically the formula Subaru Used for the Crosstrek... Impreza Hatch with slightly more aggressive styling and improved ground clearance
 
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