‘Hyper’ Mazda3 could be here in 2021

A high-performance turbo-petrol all-wheel drive version of the new fourth-generation Mazda3 could be on-sale in Australia as soon as 2021. Just don’t call it a hot hatch!

carsales.com.au has learned a long overdue successor to the wild Mazda3 MPS is now being actively discussed within Mazda.

But if it does happen it won’t be called an MPS and it won’t be a front-wheel drive torque steerer.

In fact, Mazda’s vision is for a very fast but comfortable car, which explains why the hot hatch tag and MPS badge are being shunned.

Instead, Mazda3 program manager Kota Beppu told carsales.com.au he wanted to develop a “hyper” – or high-performance – Mazda3.

“Although I’m not able to promise you that I will deliver I’ll do my best,” Beppu said at this week’s local launch of the Mazda3 hatch.

“I’m a car guy so I myself want to drive a high performance Mazda3.”

Beppu said such a car was between two and three years away “at least”.

He made it clear the ‘hyper’ Mazda3 was not signed off for production, but had become a conversation topic because mainstream fourth-generation development was completed and the launch program underway.

While it was understood a skunkworks mule of the ‘hyper’ was already in existence, Beppu made it clear that was not the case.

“If such a car exists I’d say ‘yes we have it’… but we don’t have it,” he said.

“Nothing is decided. We are in a stage where we are just wondering whether we should study or not.”

Beppu did confirm the preferred engineering direction for such a car would combine the i-Activ on-demand all-wheel drive system offered with the new 3 in some markets – not Australia – with a tuned version of the 2.5-litre turbo-petrol engine we currently see here in the CX-9 and CX-5 SUVs and Mazda6 large car.

“Mazda3 is a light vehicle, so if there is too much power onto a lightweight vehicle … and we keep it as front-wheel drive there is the torque steer phenomenon happening,” Beppu explained.

“We can avoid the problem by having an all-wheel drive system. Or maybe we can come up with other alternatives to solve that problem.”

The old Mazda3 MPS, sold in Australia through two generations between 2006 and 2014 combined turbo-petrol four-cylinder power with a front-wheel drive chassis. It made for an invigorating ride.

But Beppu stressed he would be looking for something far more sophisticated than that and even more refined than a Volkswagen Golf GTI, which is widely regarded as the most useable hot hatch available.

“It needs to be responsible and friendly to human beings,” he said. “More friendly to human beings than a Golf GTI.

“It should be fast [and comfortable]. What I’m thinking about is a really difficult car to build. A performance vehicle with really Mazda performance … true to Mazda. It’s still in my head.”

While the technical aspects of the program are a challenge, Beppu says there are other impediments to seeing the hyper Mazda3 built.

“We need to make sure whatever hyper version we make that should not put any harm to the environment. Another difficulty … the people who want to have a hyper version, their enthusiasm is very high, however the number of such people is declining.

“It is quite difficulty to make … a business case. We need to get enough earnings out of this standard Mazda3 version and then we can put the money into development of a hyper version.”

Beppu acknowledged the pressure coming from Australia for such a car to be built and said that was reflected across the western world.

“They [Australia] are hesitant to directly tell me to make it, but I know that they have this very strong want,” he said.