2023 Mazda3 tech upgrade coming

UPDATED 24/05/2023 4:00pm: Mazda Australia has announced its updated 2023 Mazda3 small car line-up will be priced from $30,320 plus on-road costs when it arrives here in July, marking an entry-price increase of $3160 and a variant-specific increase of $2160.

The stark increase in entry price is due to the base Pure manual being dropped from the range – along with the two electrified drivetrains – and signifies Mazda’s exit from the sub-$30,000 small-car market.

Hatch and sedan body styles once again mirror each other in terms of both pricing, specs and variant hierarchy, with MY23 price premiums ranging between $1410 and $2810, and the bigger hikes being applied to 2.0-litre G20 variants due in part to the engine’s new cylinder-deactivation tech.

Full details on the model year update can be found below, followed by prices announced today at the bottom.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE PUBLISHED 06/04/2023 5:15pm: The 2023 Mazda3 will receive an important update in July, but the small hatch and sedan range will also lose the availability of a manual gearbox and two powertrain options – the mild-hybrid G20e and the more exotic supercharged X20.

Full Australian line-up and pricing details are still to be released, but Mazda Australia today confirmed the powertrain cull along with other minor mechanical upgrades and, not least of all, a significant tech boost.

The latter includes wireless smartphone mirroring, wireless phone charging and USB-C ports fitted as standard from the mid-series Mazda3 G20 Touring grade and above.

Mazda3 G25 GT grades and above also score the larger 10.25-inch Mazda Connect infotainment system – as seen in the Mazda CX-5, CX-8 and CX-9 – while the upgraded system will be optionally available in lower-series models via the Vision Technology package.

As the model names indicate, the only engines left powering the Mazda3 are the 2.0-litre (G20) and 2.5-litre (G25) naturally-aspirated four-cylinder petrol units, both of which go without a mild-hybrid system and are now paired only to a six-speed automatic transmission.

There are no changes to the G25 engine, but at the entry level the G20 scores cylinder deactivation and “other improvements to the combustion process”.

According to Mazda, this results in a claimed five per cent improvement in fuel economy – down to 5.9L/100km for the hatch and 5.8L/100km for the sedan.

No major styling changes have been made with the new 2023 Mazda3, but a Ceramic Metallic exterior paint colour will replace the current Sonic Silver.

Watch out for further details as the local launch draws near.

How much does the 2023 Mazda3 cost?
G20 Pure – $30,320 (+$2160)
G20 Pure Vision – $32,320 (+$2660)
G20 Evolve – $31,870 (+$2160)
G20 Evolve Vision – $33,870 (+$2660)
G20 Touring – $34,520 (+$2310)
G20 Touring Vision – $36,520 (+$2810)
G25 Evolve SP – $34,520 (+$1410)
G25 Evolve SP Vision – $36,520 (+$1910)
G25 GT – $38,420 (+$1610)
G25 GT Vision – $39,920 (+$1610)
G25 Astina – $42,320 (+$2010)
* Prices exclude on-road costs

Join the conversation at 

our Facebook page

Or email us at 

editor@carsales.com.au