Mazda must have been nervous, which is understandable. The 3 composes over thirty percent of its sales worldwide; any mistake could be disastrous.
They need not worry, though. The new 3 looks longer, sleeker, and definitely sporty. The front fascia is dominated by the black "open mouth" from the Mazdaspeed6; the long hood from the fun-to-drive RX-8; while the rear goes upscale borrowing from Infiniti.
Engine power has definitely gone up. The Mazda3 offers either a 2.0 liter inline four or a 2.5 liter version, with power at 148 hp and 135 lb-ft of torque or 167 hp and 168 lb-ft of torque respectively.
More to follow.