Red-hot Mazda3 MPS ready for Geneva reveal

Mazda has confirmed the MPS version of the new 3 will be unveiled at next month's Geneva International Motor Show. The pocket-rocket joins the rest of the recently launched updated 3 range.

With plenty of rival hot-hatches also set to hit the roads of the world this year including the new Volkswagen Golf GTI, Ford Focus XR5 Turbo, Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart Sportsback and Renault Sport Megane, Mazda needed to turn the wick up on the new MPS to keep up with the pack.

The impressive direct injection 2.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine has essentially been carried over and will remain mated to a six-speed gearbox driving the front wheels. But despite all the carry over parts Mazda claims to have injected more aggression into the new model.

"The exhilarating Mazda3 MPS is the ultimate sporting expression of our new-generation Mazda3 range," says Yoshiyuki Maeda, Mazda3 Program Manager. "It builds on the already capable new-generation Mazda3 hatch with higher levels of ferocity and exhilaration, and -- like all new Mazda models -- with an eye to environmental concerns, powering responsibly into the motoring future."

Spy shots of the car caught testing at Germany's Nurburgring circuit suggest the new 3 MPS will be sporting far more aggressive bodywork, as per the official pics reproduced here. The car was spied with a larger rear wing and several air intakes including a massive bonnet scoop making sure the MPS will stand out from the rest of the 3 range.