The updated Mazda3 gets a better engine

At first glance, the Mazda3 shown at the New York auto show looks little different from its predecessor: the minor styling changes are limited to the headlights, the grille and the fog lights, which have taken on a round shape.

Under the bonnet, though, it’s an almost total overhaul. The four-cylinder SkyActiv engine fitted to the latest Mazda3 is a world apart from any of the previous MZR engines. Making efficient use of the two-litre engine’s resources, combined with a lighter body than the previous-generation Mazda, gives the new model a 5% boost in power and a 10% gain in torque. Fuel consumption, in turn, is down 21%: 5.9 litres per hundred on the highway and 8.4 litres in the city.

The base trim of the new Mazda3 comes with either an automatic or a 6-speed manual gearbox. By comparison, on the current Mazda model the MZR engine is only paired with a 5-speed automatic.