The Mazda3 Turbo starts at $32,900 in Canada, $29,900 in the US.
The Turbo will be powered by a 2.5-litre boosted 4-cylinder engine.
It will arrive in dealerships by the end of 2020.
The new 2021 Mazda3 Turbo rolls out of the shadows and into the light, looking exactly like we all expected. This is good news as the Mazda3, both sedan and hatchback, are beautiful. Now with big turbo power, it might end up scaring the competition.
The footage seen in this video, we assume, was shot in Mazda’s Irvine, California garage. And in this garage lies a number of cars that make enthusiasts “feel something” – we’ve been there a few times and we’ve seen the treasures that lay hidden within.
The video is meant to show the new 2021 Mazda3 Turbo’s roots. It is true that Mazda’s built some incredibly good cars in the past, from the highlighted Cosmo (110S) to the legendary 787 B racecar. If you squint hard enough, you’ll notice a number of MX-5s from various generations, a 929 Serenia, and if you look closely, the Mazda Repu (rotary engine pick-up), and maybe even an RX-3. Diehard Mazda fans will point out the absence of a 323 GTX, which they have (had?) in the garage but beyond that, we congratulate Mazda on giving us a taste of its lineage.
Said lineage leads us to the Mazda3 Turbo. Shown as the Sport hatchback, painted in Machine Grey, the Turbo looks deceptively like a normal Mazda3 Sport from far, and close. The only indications that it’s different is the included optional Sports Pack Aero Kit accessory which features a front air dam, rear roof spoiler, rear diffuser, and side sill extensions.
This package retails for $2,899 in Canada. In the US, price varies between $1,075 and $1,900 depending on the presence of the Premium package. 18-inch gloss black forged BBS wheels will be another accessory. They are priced at $918.95 (per wheel) in the US. Canadian pricing is not yet set.
As the car rolls out of the garage, we get a mild earful of the Turbo’s exhaust note. While note goosebump-inducing, it has presence. As a reminder, the 3 Turbo will be powered by a turbocharged 2.5-litre SkyActiv-G T 4-cylinder engine good for 227 horsepower and 310 lb.-ft. of torque. A slight power bump requires only moving from 87 octane fuel to 93 and output rises to 250 and 320 respectively. The only transmission will be a 6-speed automatic which will meet up with Mazda’s i-Activ all-wheel-drive system.