Mazda 3 saloon 2013 revealed

The new Mazda3 saloon for 2013 has been revealed following the announcement of the Mazda 3 hatchback two weeks ago, set to go on sale later this year.

The new Mazda3 saloon’s large shield-style grille and sporty-looking front design means it now follows the design cues found in the rest of the Mazda range, particularly the larger Mazda6 saloon. It's lower and wider than the current model too, giving it a more agressive stance.

New Mazda3 saloon specs

The 2013 Mazda3 saloon has the same choice of engines as the previously announced hatchback model, so there's an entry-level 99bhp 1.5-litre petrol and two 2.0-litre petrols, as well as a 148bhp 2.2-litre diesel. The 2.0-litre petrol engine comes with either 118bhp or 165bhp power outputs, and a six-speed automatic gearbox will be available on some models.

Using a six-speed manual gearbox, the smallest 1.5-litre engine gets 56.4mpg and emits 118g/km of CO2, while the 2.0-litre petrol engine will get 55.3mpg and 119g/km emissions. However with ths automatic gearbox the bigger petrol engines can only manage 50.4mpg and 129g/km emissions.

The 2.2-litre diesel engine is much more economical, however, using the firm's SKYACTIV technology to achieve 72.4mpg and emissions of 104g/km. The low weight of the Mazda3 saloon, combined with its aerodynamic body, helps to keep these figures so low.

Mazda3 saloon 2013 interior

The interior of the Mazda3 saloon will be largely the same as that of the hatchback, which means a head-up display that shows the car’s speed projected onto the windscreen, a sporty-looking central dial, a touchscreen display, Bluetooth, voice recognition, SMS messaging features, a premium sound system and parking sensors.

The new shape means that there's 69 litres more space in the boot over the hatchback model, making a total capacity of 219 litres. The rear seats also fold down to create even more luggage space, but access will likely not be as good as in the hatch.

Rivalling the new Audi A3 saloon, the new Mazda3 saloon is likely to be one of Mazda’s best selling cars in the UK and will be released closer to the end of 2013. No prices have been announced yet but we expect it not be priced close to the hatchback at arounf £16,000.

For the full Mazda range, visit the CarBuyer Mazda reviews page.