Mazda bites back with the all-new 2012 Mazda 3
Words and photos by Christopher Kho


Since the model's first debut in 2003, the Mazda 3 instantly became one of Mazda's best-selling nameplates in the Philippines and around the globe - a title which it still holds to this day. And now there's a new successor to the throne. Welcome the all-new 2012 Mazda 3.

If you're paying enough attention and did the math, you'd quickly realize that Mazda's second generation compact is actually about three years overdue when it was launched locally at the Mazda Expo last week. In fact, the rest of the world has been enjoying its blessings since 2010. But let me assure you, the all-new Mazda 3 is as young and well-equipped as its compact competitors and doesn't show its age, not even by a bit.

Available as a four-door sedan and a five-door hatchback, the all-new Mazda 3 retains the model's distinctive silhouette but now re-sculpted by the wind. It has lost its small upper grill to improve aerodynamics, while the front bumper and its signature five-point lower grill now protrudes out to suck in large volumes of air (or just about anything that stands in its way). The headlights have then been swept back and are now deeply-recessed, and two new faux air dams sit on the bumper's periphery to add to its sporty appeal. Meanwhile, its backside is reminiscent of the Mazda 6's. All in all, its one good looking package.