New Mazda3 Sedan is Almost Ready

Mazda's currently top-selling model globally, the 3 (or Axela as it's called in Japan) is getting ready to be replaced by an entirely new generation. Mazda Motor Corporation has confirmed with both pictures and a rather small press release that the new Mazda3 Sedan will be unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 19, 2008.

Just by looking at the pictures released we can positively say that the people in charge of the final exterior design had only one line while presenting it to the CEOs: “Honey, we have shrunk the 6!”. Of course, by squinting your eyes you can distinguish enough design features that differentiate the 3 from its larger sedan sibling. For example, the question “where the heck is the grille?” probably pops in your mind, while the rest of the lines follow the “Zoom-Zoom” dynamic elements introduced on the previous generation, though they manage to add enough novelty to avoid being catalogued as an extensive facelift.

The high beltline and small(ish) windows give the car sufficient presence, while the “smiling” new front end sports vertical air intakes which share their space with the fog lights, preparing the beholder for the new front fenders, which flow directly into the model's forward canted character line.

The Mazda3 could be considered one of the main pillars in Mazda's model span since it's the best sold model in their line-up, over 1.8 million units having been delivered in over 100 countries since it was launched in 2003. The MazdaSpeed (MPS in Europe) is expected to be launched in the following months, while the rest of the Mazda3 range will be available on the showroom floors in the second semester of 2009.

The covers will be pulled off for the new model during Mazda's first press conference at the LA Auto Show next month, the Japanese failing to mention enough information about when to expect the hatchback version.