All About Japan Autos

If you’ve been considering a 2011 Mazda3 for your next car, you might want to wait. Mazda revealed its new 2012 model with improved fuel economy yesterday at the New York International Auto Show. “The 2012 Mazda3 will be Mazda’s first North American application of SKYACTIV technologies, available with a SKYACTIV-G 2.0-liter gasoline engine mated to either the SKYACTIV-Drive six-speed automatic transmission or a SKYACTIV-MT six-speed manual transmission,” says Mazda in a press release. “The 2012 Mazda3 also will feature refreshed exterior and interior restyling as well as new safety features, and will go on sale later this year.&rdquo.

SKYACTIV technology is Mazda’s new suite of redesigned engines and transmissions that are designed to increase fuel efficiency. “In the sedan, it achieves fuel economy ratings of 28/40 mpg with the automatic; the numbers are 27/39 mpg with the manual,” reports Automobile Magazine. “The engine is also available in the hatchback, where the fuel economy figures are slightly lower, at 27/38 mpg (manual) and 28/38 mpg (automatic).”

Those numbers are up significantly from the 2011 model. The current Mazda3 gets an EPA-estimated 25 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway when equipped with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and five-speed manual transmission. Pricing information has yet to be released, but Mazda says that you can expect the 2012 Mazda3 to go on sale later this year.

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