New Mazda 3.

Will continue in five-door hatchback and four-door sedan variants. The wheelbase has been stretched by 60mm and the body is 40mm wider and 15mm lower. At launch, there will be 2.0-litre and 2.5-litre SkyActiv petrol engines, Maciver says. The transmission options will be Mazda's SkyActiv-NT manual and SKYActiv-Drive conventional automatic. "A normal torque converter locks up for 60-70 per cent of the time but this one locks up 90 per cent so it's much more fuel efficient and direct,'' he says. The car's Australian preview includes an local appearance by exterior design chief Yasutake Tsuchida and advanced studio head Yasushi Nakamuta. Typically, the talk is about the emotion in the car's design, not about the clear visual connection to the outgoing car or the more refined side sculpting or the new look in the nose, or a cabin that still puts the driver first. "We pursued a rhythmical look for the new Mazda3 design that displays energetic tension,'' the company says. "At the same time, we aimed for a design that will earn the all-new Mazda3 a place in the hearts of customers as a trusty partner, rather than a mere means of conveyance.''