Mazda3 MPS Arriving in Malaysia on March 2nd

According to an official release by Bermaz Motor, the official and exclusive distributor of the Mazda brand in Malaysia, the new Mazda 3 MPS hot-hatch will arrive in the country early next month, on March 2nd. It will sport a MYR175,000 price tag and will be powered by the same 2.3-liter turbocharged engine that is available on the global market.

Between March 2nd and 6th, the MPS variant of the Mazda3 will be shown at the “Mazda Motor Show” on the ground floor of the 1 Utama Shopping Centre, where the full Mazda model range will be seen, including the new CKD model and the existing Mazda2, Mazda5, Mazda6, Mazda8, MX-5, RX-8, CX-7 and CX-9.

Performance-wise, the 2.3-liter DISI Turbo petrol engine in the MPS produces 260 HP at 5,500 rpm and reaches the maximum torque of 380 Nm from as low as 3,000 rpm. The new-generation MPS sprints from 0 to100 km/h (62 mph) in just 6.1 seconds and has an impressive top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).

Bermaz Motors has also announced that the Mazda3 sedan and hatchback models will be assembled. In order to capture a bigger share of the local mid-size market, the models will most likely be equipped with the current 1.6-liter and 2.0-liter engines. Work has already begun last month at the Inokom’s assembly plant in Kedah, which will produce about 3,000 units per year. The final price of the locally-assembled product will be announced at the launch on March 2nd, but expect prices to be significantly lower than those of import models.