After a lengthy tease, drives on the racetrack, and even a design appreciation (and photography) course, Mazda Philippines is finally making available the all-new 2020 Mazda3 compact car. Available with two engines, two body styles, and five variants, it’s aiming for a class-above look and feel with prices starting at P 1.295 million and topping out at P 1.590 million.

What are the engines like?

The fourth-generation Mazda3 going with the model designation “BP” comes with two engines for the Philippine market. For the entry-level models, it gets a 1.5-liter DOHC Skyactiv-G engine making 111 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 146 Nm of torque at 3,500 rpm; the higher-trim models meanwhile get a 2.0-liter DOHC Skyactiv-G engine making 154 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 200 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm. All engines operate on a diet of 91-95 RON Octane fuel. The sole transmission is a 6-speed automatic with sports mode. Cruise control is standard.




What are the body styles and trims?

Continuing the trend Mazda set since the first-generation Mazda3, the 2020 Mazda3 is available in both 4-door sedan and 5-door hatchback, sorry, sportback configurations. There are three trim levels: Elite, Premium, and Speed.

The 4-door sedan and 5-door sportback models coming with the 1.5-liter Skyactiv-G engine are called Elite. They’re the entry-level model in the Mazda3 range immediately distinguishable by the 16-inch Gray Metallic aluminum wheels (with 205/60R16 tires) and bulb-type daytime running lights (LED headlights are standard though). Moving up, you immediately get the 2.0-liter Skyactiv-G engine and the Premium model designation. These have Gray Metallic (for the sedan) or Gun Metallic (for the sportback) 18-inch alloy wheels (with 215/45R18 tires) and adaptive LED front lighting with LED daytime running lights. Finally, there’s the Speed. Solely available in sportback configuration, it nets you an exclusive body kit painted in Brilliant Black and gun metal 18-inch wheels.



How bare is the Elite model?

When Mazda says they want to elevate the all-new Mazda3 beyond the realm of the regular compact car, at least they walk the talk. In short, the Elite’s actually not quite as bare as you might imagine. Priced at P 1.295 million for the 4-door sedan and P 1.320 million for the 5-door sportback, here’s what you get:

• Leather steering wheel with paddle shifters and cruise control
• Tilt/telescopic steering column
• Electronic parking brake with auto hold
• Steering wheel audio and Bluetooth controls
• Power folding side view mirrors
• Rain-sensing wipers
• 8-way manual adjustable driver’s seat
• 6-way manual adjustable passenger’s seat
• 7.0-inch LCD in instrument cluster
• 8.8-inch LCD monitor with Mazda Connect
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• USB and Bluetooth hands-free and music streaming (no CD or DVD slot this time)
• Heads-up display
• 8-speaker sound system
• Dual-zone climate control with rear vents
• Automatic dimming rear-view mirror
• Push-start button
• One-touch power windows (all sides)
• 7 SRS airbags
• Rear parking sensors with camera
• Pedal misuse alert

Now, if you’re wondering why there’s the P 25,000 price disparity between the sedan and the hatchback, it’s because the hatchback adds a sunroof and swaps the fabric seats for leatherette ones.



How about the Premium model?

There’s a considerable P 175,000 jump between the Elite and Premium models, so what gives? It’s quite likely that early Mazda3 adopters will get this because it resides in a very good sweet spot: P 1.495 million for the 4-door sedan and 1.510 million for the 5-door sportback. Aside from the 2.0-liter motor and larger wheels, it gets features that make it the most loaded compact car you can buy in the market today. It gets everything the Elite does plus:

• Adaptive radar-based cruise control
• Leather seats
• 10-way power adjustable driver’s seat with memory
• 12-speaker Bose sound system
• Frameless rear-view mirror with auto dimming
• 360-degree camera
• Front and rear proximity sensors
• Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross traffic alert
• Lane departure warning with lane keep assist
• Front and reverse Smart Brake Support
• Front Cross Traffic Alert (sedan only)
• Driver Monitoring
• i-Stop

At this point, it’s clear that the Premium’s already quite loaded for what you get, but if you’re willing to shell out an additional P 80,000 (P 1.590 million), you get the ultimate Mazda3 Speed model. Available only in 5-door Sportback guise, the only differentiation here are the Japan-made Speed aero kit that consists of Brilliant Black finished front lip, side skirts, and rear skirt. Inside, you get red leather seats.