Riverside Mazda Shoppers Get An Early Look At The 2019 Mazda3

When the new 2019 Mazda3 4-Door lands in showrooms shortly and buyers can head down to their Riverside Mazda dealership to see it for themselves, it's hard to see them being anything but utterly impressed by it. Compact sedans might not exactly be flavor of the month in the current auto business, but the fightback could easily be starting here. This new-generation is the fourth for the Mazda3 and it was unveiled late last year at the L.A. Auto Show. Let's take a look at what we know so far about the new 2019 Mazda3 4-Door ahead of its release in the very near future.

No details of the available trim levels have been released at the moment, but Mazda tends to keep things nice and simple in this area with three being the most common number. However, the excellent 2019 Mazda CX-5 has added a new top trim level into the equation with the Signature, so it's possible the new Mazda3 could go the same way when it arrives at dealers like Mazda in Riverside. At the moment the Mazda3 range consists of the Sport, Touring and the Grand Touring, which could easily be the same for 2019.

What's plain for everyone to see is just how sensationally good-looking the new 2019 Mazda3 4-Door is. The changes from 2018 are not revolutionary, but styling tweaks here and there have made what was already a superbly attractive car even better, and perhaps slightly futuristic. It's not quite as dramatic as early concepts, but the new look is definitely as contemporary as any of its rivals and a more outstanding design than most of the competition.

At the L.A. unveiling it was announced there would be five engines available for the all-new 2019 Mazda3, but that's to cover markets all around the world. Here in America, we'll be getting two, but the first production models to go on sale will all feature a revised version of the current 2.5-liter inline-four. The updated powerplant will produce 186 horsepower and 186 lb-ft of torque, which is 2 hp and 1 lb-ft of torque more than the current unit.

A second engine will follow later, which is expected to be a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo. Those who like the driver-engagement of a manual transmission will be pleased to know both manual and automatic transmissions will still be available. The big news is the 2019 Mazda3 4-Door will be available with an improved version of the manufacturer's i-ACTIV all-wheel drive system. When combined with Mazda's excellent G-Vectoring feature, this should make the car absolutely sensational to drive, even in inclement weather conditions.

One of the main reasons for considering a compact car like the 2019 Mazda3 4-Door is to get more miles to the gallon of gas. Front-wheel drive versions of the new model with the standard 2.5-liter engine get EPA-estimated fuel economy rated at 27 mpg in the city, 36 mpg on the highway and 30 mpg combined.* Due to the additional weight and the powering of another two wheels, all-wheel drive versions will probably get slightly lower ratings, but not significantly lower.

Safety will be a big focus with the new car, and it's been confirmed that automatic emergency braking will be a standard feature, with forward cross-traffic alert available to help the driver at intersections where visibility is restricted.

* All vehicle mileage based on 2019 EPA mileage estimates. Use for comparison purposes only. Do not compare to models before 2008. Your actual mileage will vary, depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.