Mazda 3

From humble beginnings in the late 1970s, the Mazda 3 has forged a reputation as one of Australia’s favourite small cars.

Originally known in Australia as the 323, the Mazda 3 has since evolved through multiple generations and hit the big time in the late 2000s when it was officially Australia’s most popular car.

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About the Mazda 3

From humble beginnings in the late 1970s, the Mazda 3 has forged a reputation as one of Australia’s favourite small cars.

Originally known in Australia as the 323, the Mazda 3 has since evolved through multiple generations and hit the big time in the late 2000s when it was officially Australia’s most popular car.

The current Mazda 3 debuted in 2019 and ushered in a swoopy new exterior design, a more upmarket interior, and improved handling. It’s available as both a hatchback and a sedan and every version is powered by a four-cylinder petrol engine in either a 2.0-litre or 2.5-litre capacity.

A mild-hybrid set-up is offered in some variants while top-end X20 Astina models utilise innovative ‘compression ignition’ technology to provide the performance of a petrol engine but the economy of a diesel.

Rival small cars include the Hyundai i30, Kia Cerato, Toyota Corolla, and Volkswagen Golf.