MAZDA 3 / Axela Sedan 2013-2016 Photos, engines & full specs

Mazda unveiled the third generation of the 3 in 2013, and it was an entirely new car, developed after the carmaker divorced from Ford.

The 3 was an appreciated compact-segment contender globally. The car was available on all the markets, from North America to Australia, from Japan to Germany. It was a global success, and the carmaker didn't want to lose that advantage. When it built the 2013 model, Mazda's marketing department proved that it did its homework. The sedan was mostly addressed for young couples, with or without children.

Mazda 3 Sedan was shorter, wider, and lower than its predecessor. Its bodywork was stiffer by 28 percent, meaning that it aimed at sportier compact sedans, especially since it was one of the lightest cars in its segment. The curved lines expressed by the new design language, named Kodo, showed a shield-like grille at the front with horizontal slats. Its eye-like headlights showed an aggressive styling. From its sides, the sculptured door panels and fenders followed strict principles and led to an excellent aerodynamic coefficient of just 0.258. Its cab-rearward design, with a short and tall trunk, had a significant contribution to that.

Inside, the carmaker followed the minimalism design concept. Its dashboard was simple, plain, with only a few buttons on sight, on the center stack. A floating infotainment display was in the middle of the dashboard, and the driver could access it from the steering wheel's buttons or from the rotary knob placed on the center console. The front bucket seats were designed to win a beauty contest, and their minimal bolstering reminded the front occupants that it was a family car. In the back, the three-seat bench offered two Isofix anchoring points.

Under the hood, Mazda installed its latest developed Sky Active engines. The 3 was offered with a choice of two gasoline and two diesel engines.