
Mazda has officially taken the wraps off its five-door hatchback version of the redesigned Mazda3 at the Bologna Motor Show today. As you can see in the gallery of new high-res pics below, the Mazda3 five-door gets the same swoopy sheetmetal as its four-door brethren, including the super happy smiley front end face. What's new is an extended roofline that drops down at a steep angle to create a wagon-esque profile. With a D-pillar that kinks up at a swept back angle, the look is very similar to that of a Pontiac Vibe/Toyota Matrix that's been stepped on by a giant. The new cargo capacity will no doubt be appreciated by families who can put every extra cubic foot to good use, and if the current generation Mazda3 is any indication, this will also be the basis for the Mazdaspeed model.
At the moment, all the specs for the new Mazda3 five-door hatchback are for the European market, so don't expect its new 2.2L and carryover 1.6L turbo diesel engines to be available in the U.S. Europeans will also have a choice of 1.6L and 2.0L gas engines, though we expect the U.S.-spec model to offer the same 2.0L and new 2.5L four-cylinder engines as the sedan.


CAR magazine has gotten an opportunity to try out the refresh of the MX-5, which has left them impressed enough to say it's "still the best car Mazda makes." There's nothing revelatory coming for 2009, just more consistent refinement of a winning formula. The biggest change is a bit of rhinoplasty that adds more of the family nose to the MX-5's visage. The headlamps have taken on a shape that echoes the car's siblings the 3 and the 6. Grille openings, and the shape of the front airdam, call to mind the RX-8, and new sill extensions stretch between the wheels. The tweaking adds a whiff more aggression to the convertible's look, which some have found effeminate in the past.
Rather than get caught up in the recent massive horsepower war, Mazda's been careful to maintain the MX-5's stellar chassis manners that allow drivers to make the most of the horsepower with the car's penchant for serving up handling enjoyment. There have been refinements to the hardware: the transmission now has shorter throws, and the engine gets a forged crank connected to new pistons, and a new valvetrain also helps orchestrate a power peak 300 rpm higher, now at 7,000, and redline bumps out to 7,500. For those that don't want to shift themselves, there's a six speed automatic, and the front suspension has been revised to improve steering feel and action. The MX-5 has evolved from an MGB throwback to a classic in its own right. Now, if they'd just make a proper fixed-head version.

While GM is being swamped with the persistent rumors surrounding the addition/dissolution of Chrysler, Ford's rumor mill has been heading in the complete opposite direction. It appears Volvo is on the way out of Dearborn, but Mazda may be sneaking through the exit first. Recent reports since disputed by Mazda have Ford selling off a portion of its 33.4% stake in the Japanese automaker, which means the Blue Oval would lose majority ownership status. The Nikkei daily in Japan has been all over the Ford/Mazda story, and the latest news involves selling 20% of Mazda to 20 Japanese firms including some insurance companies, leaving Ford with a stake of around 13%. Ford is allegedly unwilling to sell the shares to its competition, so splitting the Mazda shares in 20 small chunks makes picking up all the shares difficult. Besides five insurance companies, parts maker Denso, steel companies, and trading companies are also rumored to be taking part in the purchase. The price of 1% Mazda ownership is in the neighborhood of $40 million, and the total sale could approach $1 billion. Japanese media is reporting that any deal could be announced next month, and neither Mazda or Ford are saying a word at this point.

According to president and CEO James Muir, the company would like to go a bit upmarket, attracting buyers looking for an aspirational brand. We're okay with that as long as Mazda's don't lose their sporty edge in the process. To make the transition, the automaker is looking to offer more variations of models already in its line and to add a few new ones. A new entry-level model could show up first, drawing styling cues from the company's radical concept cars such as the Kiyora concept recently shown as the Paris Motor Show. That new city car could be known as the Mazda1. A small crossover is also on the drawing board and was previewed by the awesome Kazamai concept from Moscow.
Also present and accounted for is the rumor that just won't die: a new RX-7, which would undoubtedly be powered by a version of Mazda's unique Renesis rotary engine. We'd expect the new RX to be a bit more than just an RX-8 with its rear doors lopped off, as the 7 has always been Mazda's top performer. That new halo car would complement the more aggressive MX-5 that the automaker is currently working on.
Rumors of Ford selling part or all of its 33.4% share in Mazda have picked up steam this week since we first reported on them over the weekend, and analysts in Tokyo think a deal that "clears a cloud over Mazda" is imminent. Nikkei English News also reported that Ford has asked Japanese supplier Denso to purchase part of its stake in Mazda, but the Japanese news agency didn't claim any sources and Denso has declined comment in the matter. Most are guessing that potential buyers would include Mazda itself, as well as a number of companies over which the risk of investment could be spread, while Ford would likely hold on to at least some of its stake in the brand but lose its controlling share of the company. Management from Ford and Mazda are largely silent regarding any possible deal, but Mazda spokesman Ken Haruki said that "nothing has been decided," which doesn't sound like much of a denial. There is no question that Ford needs cash to get through these turbulent economic times, and its share of Mazda is currently worth $1.33 billion based on Wednesday's share price, which itself has dropped 56% in the past year. The ownership status of Mazda is likely worth more than $1.33 billion, though, and anyone taking that title from Ford will surely have to pay a premium. Even if Ford sells some or all of its stake in Mazda, the two companies would continue to share platforms, powertrains and components for a long, long time. That will help Ford continue to enjoy economies of scale while giving Mazda good hardware without the massive development costs.
Judging from exterior shots of the 2010 Mazda3 that were released last week, Mazda is looking to be more than a bit player in the small car market. The styling of the new Mazda3 looks more expensive than the current model, and is perhaps a better example of the brand's new design language than the also recently redesigned Mazda6. We've been looking forward to seeing pics of the Mazda3 on the inside, and judging from this one spy shot we've seen so far, the Zoom Zoom designers didn't go cheap on the interior. The first thing that draws attention in the Mazda3 cabin is the Civic-esque two-tier dashboard. We're not huge fans of this style, but Mazda designers did a nice job of integrating the top deck with the lower level and center stack. Judging from the sole pic, some buttons on the center stack look to be a bit small, but main knobs for HVAC and volume are nice and big. The interior in this example is two-toned with what looks to be an aluminum-finished applique above the glove box, and more contrasting colors on the seats and doors. One thing that didn't change from the current generation Mazda3 is the red back-lighting on all the gauges, buttons, and knobs that we've come to expect from Mazda.


