Picture of Mazda 3?
 

http://www.autotriti.gr/PAGES/44_200...7&magazineID=2

You guys may know better than me. This is a picture from a foreign magazine. Could this replace the Mazda Protege?

Re: Picture of Mazda 3?
 

Looks like the Mazda 6 wagon, me thinks

I like it.
But I don't think I'm going to be kicking myself for not "waiting". It looks like a really nice compact vs. the 3rd generations which look slightly less nice versions of upmarket cars. I prefer the latter.
On the other hand the new motor....

It definitely looks a lot like the 6. My main questions are:
1)Weight?
2)Power?
3)Cost?
Also, I wonder what the Mazdaspeed version will look like.

If you look through the text it says refers to as the Mazda3 and 323

I think this picture could be a very close glimpse to an original model. I think it is a computer-edited. I could be wrong though. The headlighths are similar in shape to those of Mazda6, but Mazda6 has 4 beams or bulbs inside its headlight, and this one has only 3. And with out being compared side by side it is hard to compare the scale of this car to Mazda6. Hopefully, there will be more photos.
P.S. If my girlfriend still remembers Greek, I will ask her to translate that page for me.
http://www.autotriti.gr/PAGES/44_200...katask.01b.jpg

wtf??? that picture isnt supposed to be public yet!!!!.....that is the p5's replacement!!!

Are you being serious and know this for sure, or you are just as surprised as the rest of us?

yes,I have already seen this pic....I work for Ford Credit and I'm pretty close with one of my Mazda Dealers...he showed me the pic,but specifically said the picture cannot go public and not to post it or I'd get in trouble!!!.....that is a prototype....my best comparison would be early pics of the rx-8 prototype and now...its pretty close to production!!

Holy smokes!!!
 

So this IS the new model for the Protege 5??

Wow, wonder if I can find a regular Protege ES.

Wish I could read hebrew or arabic whatever the heck that language is.

Partial translation...
 

Thanks to whoever told me it is Greek.

Here is a partial translation of the article:

existing generation of Mazda 323 anything but commercial success marked in the European market. The Mazda more generally cannot pride for her records in the European market, with her share reach hardly the 1,1% efe'tos and her alone really popular model it remains the mx-5. The leaders of company have katastrw'sej a drawing of derotation in collaboration always with the group Ford, which as we know possesses the 33,4% of Mazda. This drawing forecasts - with the aid of presentation of enough new models - the increase of sales worldwide in the 1,23 ekat. vehicles until 2004, from 948. 000 vehicles that were in 2001. Mainer objective of aggressive proj!ontjki's policy of Mazda is the European market, in which the persons of company eyelpjstoy'n that will exist increase of sales at 75% roughly the next years. Ejlimme'ni decision is considered also her narrower collaboration with the Ford in the technical sector and concretely in the growth and utilisation of common platforms, engines and other mechanic parts, so that is achieved important reduction of cost of growth and production.
In the frame of this collaboration, the substitute of Mazda 323, that will bring the name Mazda 3, will use the floor of next generation Ford Focus, which will present in 2004. This new small to medium-sized platform brings name "P1" and will be also used by new Volvo V30, the first representative of Swedish company in the category of small to medium-sized cars.
Platform P1 will constitute product of collaboration of engineers and 3 parapa'nw companies. Of course, every from them will contribute in the sector in which it is considered that it allocates technological supremacy and specialisation (for example the Volvo has undertaken the sector of passive safety that will offer the new platform). New Mazda 3 will allocate also the same geometry of suspension of new Focus, that is to say differentiated, concerning that of existing Focus, system of multiple contacts in the pj'sw axis. The regulation of in any case suspension in Mazda 3 will aim at the spor road behavior.
New person with small or medium income of Mazda it will continue being sold so much in 4cyra, what in 5cyra car bodies, the length of which is appreciated that it will be lightly bigger the existing 323. Ôï ãåãïíüò áõôü öõóéêÜ óõíåðÜãåôáé êáé ìåãáëýôåñïõò ÷þñïõò ãéá ôïõò åðéâÜôåò ôïõ íÝïõ ìïíôÝëïõ.
The exterior designing of Mazda 3 refers immediately in Mazdas 6 and Mazda 2, kacw's it adopts all those styljstjka' elements that compose the new, dynamic shedjastjki' identity of Japanese fj'rmas. The mainer representatives the new this - charming omologoyme'nws - shedjastjki's philosophy are not other than the pentagonal mask that reminds opened feathers and the "agrjeme'na" lightning bodies with the increased length and the acute corners in utmost. The last ones allocate three cylindric headlights in line, which are distinguished immediately behind the limpid crystal of frame, creating a beautiful optically total. Additional dynamism in the car body lend the "inflated" bonnet and eymege'cejs, spor designing his imports of air front bumper. Judging no one from what we have seen in the Mazdas 6 and 2, the interior of Mazda 3 is expected to follow the himself "German" aesthetics, with beautiful and functional designing and with very good quality of materials and fjnjrj'smatos, while in every case it is much more pleasant concerning the interior of existing model.


With regard to the range of mechanic totals with which she will be provided in Europe Mazda 3, will begin from the new engine the 1. 400 k. from. with that will be provided also Mazda 2. Bigger capacity mechanic totals will concern at all probability a 1. 600a'ri engine, which is unknown still if emanates from the Mazda or is selected somebody from the Ford, the moment in deed where the last one will equip future Focus with two new engines 1,6 and 1,8 litres, output 110 and 120 horses respectively, which will make use of technology of direct discharge of petrol. Sure in any case is that will exist a "boiling hot" publication of model from the Mazdaspeed, on the movement of which it is likely attends a new petrol engine of 2,3 litres of high output. The information on the boxes of speeds makes reason for existence inter alia and a box of continuously altered relations (CVT), while the equipment passive and energetic safety is rich. H Mazda examines seriously the possibility to manufacture new small to medium-sized model (at least the 5cyri publication) and in the factory of Ford in Germany, kacw's it considers that this will contribute in it builds high quality and technology picture ana'mesa in the European consumers. The disposal of new Mazda 3 in the Anile continent is expected to begin inside 2003.



This is all I could translate. I used an Online translator.

Hope this helps...

Wow, Im really surprised at the number of "mazda enthusists" that couldnt tell that was a P5 with an updated grille.

It was extremely obvious to me. Did you look at all the pictures in the article?

If you're talking about the silver one, that's a regular p5... non US grille... they are illustrating the car the 3 is replacing...:rolleyes:

The blue car does NOT look like a 3 with a different grille. Sorry. It's styled much more like the new six.

It DOES look like a 3 with a different grille to me. Its obviously too small to be a 6.

i meant to say the blue car doesn't look like a protege 5...:rolleyes: sorry tired

lol..it does to me.

other than the hood line and the new front end look, what is different? Nothing, its probably the same car beyond that?

new engine and tranny too,but probably the same suspension design.

I was referring to the looks department, but thanks for the info. anyway.

it just looks like a smaller 6, which of course would be the next in line (323) or 3. on the real though, it looks hot. you guys should have seen it coming. the 323's/ proteges always have similar designs to its bigger brother, the 626. it was only natural that with this new 6 design, the Pro would soon follow in its footsteps. C'mon, you guys don't notice the Mazda patern by now?
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I like the protege5 better than that!

I hate to say it...but if that is what the new P-5 ends up looking like in NA...you won't catch me driving one...that is ugly as sin...I hate the hood/grill.....that grill is UGLY! and what the hell happened to the front air dam...the rear apron...the whole body kits is gone! of course that is NOT a NA version of the car...so things MAY change....lots of other markets didn't get the body kit with the P-5....so maybe our version will be different...but I bet not so diferent to get rid of that god awful ugly nose! geeeeeeez what were those guys thinking!!!

I do agree with you, the grille looks HUGE, like on Mazda 6, but even bigger. Bigger airdam will definately make it look better, like the MSP 6. That car looks so much more aggressive then stock 6, because it has a bigger airdam. But you are also right about NA market - the car will change and in unknown ways too. Hopefully for the better.

One would suspect/hope that an american version would have a blacked out, or atleast partially -- like the 6 -- front grille.

I like it. Looks like a Passat, very German. I could frankly care less for all the body kit junk people put on their cars. I prefer clean lines to big round fog lights and side sills.

I hope they upgrade the suspension to a system similar to the 6's with the double wishbone front. But they definitely need to maintain the fun factor the current Protege has. And would it hurt them to maybe increase the QC on this version. I'm getting pissed at all the problems I have had with mine.

I think it will look very good if it had a revised front bumper and side skirts like the P5.

I think a good design does not need side skirts or body kits to look finished.
Some people may still want to add them on to give their cars the look they're after.

true, but it needs them to look GOOD

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Make all the added crap part of an appearance package so that those of us who appreciate good lines can have a wagon we want too.

Compare it to the current silver P5. The new nose is the same height as the old one with the airdam. Compare the heights of the bottom of the nose on the blue car to the silver car. I think the "3" will be offered with a sport package like the one on the "6" that includes a flaired front bumper cover and the rolls below the doors and different rear bumber cover in the US.

The entire car is more "edgy" than the current car. If I read the article correctly the new car will have multi-link suspension. Kind of like the Mini.

I suspect the US cars will get a 2.0L in the 3i and 2.3L in the 3s.

I think the new Mazdaspeed 3 will get the new 225 bhp Turbo 2.0L (Mazda-built) Focus SVT motor coming next year.

BTW I like the new look. But I suspect the US cars will have a diffferent grill.

I'm old enough to know styling trends change and some of us have to be dragged kicking and screaming into the new era.

I predict the new car will be very successful, a Pontiac Aztec it isn't.

You only have to look how well the "6" has been received to know they are headed in the right direction.

Exactly!!!!:D
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