2017 Mazda3 Debuts With Styling Tweaks, G-Vectoring Control

A refreshed Mazda 3 has been introduced in Japan.

The 2017 Mazda3 receives minor styling changes, with a slightly revised front fascia and a more rounded grille. The headlights are also larger than before, while it appears that a styling package will be available that adds a front splitter, side skirts and rear spoilers to the revised rear bumper.

Expect the 2017 Mazda3 to carry over the same engines as the current model in the U.S. That means a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine should be standard with 155 horsepower, while a more powerful 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 184 hp should be available as an option. There is hope that Mazda will incorporate its new 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine to the Mazda3, which the Japanese automaker has confirmed fits under the hood.

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Perhaps the biggest update to the refreshed Mazda3 is the addition of G-Vectoring Control, a new technology that is the first in a series of Skyactiv-Vehicle Dynamics technologies that will eventually roll out to all models. By using the car’s onboard computer, G-Vectoring Control helps minimize steering inputs made unconsciously, correct understeer, minimize pitch and roll, improve steering precision and reduce jerkiness.

G-Vectoring Control will make its debut in the U.S. on the Mazda6, while the 2017 Mazda3 will arrive in the U.S. later this year.

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“Mazda is striving to become an irreplaceable presence in the lives of our customers, to create a special bond with them and to be a ‘one-and-only’ brand they will choose again and again,” said Masamichi Kogai, Mazda’s President and CEO. “In order to do that, we will continue updating our models with next-generation technologies based on our human-centered development philosophy, without concern for the timing of redesigns.”

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