New Mazda3 hatch revealed

Nov 25 2008 Steve Hughes

New Mazda3 hatch revealed

THE new Mazda3 hatchback has been revealed ahead of its UK debut early next year.

The first sighting of the five-door versions, which are expected to be the best-sellers in Europe, follows the recent unveiling of the saloon models in America.

The engine line-up includes the newly developed 2.2-litre turbo diesel unit that was recently added to the new Mazda6 in addition to the existing 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre petrol engines plus the 1.6-litre turbo diesel.

The 2.2-litre turbo diesel engine will be offered as a high powered version with a maximum output of 185bhp and a standard version with an output of 150bhp.

Since its arrival in 2003, the Mazda3 has attracted 1.8 million buyers in 100 countries, including 13,000 in the UK last year and almost 8,000 so far this year, accounting for almost one in three Mazdas sold.