Let’s all give a big great Спасибо (pronounced spa-SEE-buh) to the guys over at Top Gear Russia for the early release of the first official photos of the new 2014 Mazda3 Sedan and a big thank you to Carscoops reader Laurence H. for telling us about it.



The new four-door sedan of the latest generation “3” is exactly what you’d expect it to be – an even prettier body style than the hatchback (or at least it is in our eyes and you’re always free to disagree with us) that also looks like a Mazda6 that shrunk in the dryer.

The addition of the boot looks seamless in these pictures, thanks in part to the elongated roofline and the crispy-styled rear end with a different design from the hatchback.

Unsurprisingly, the interior is the same as on the five-door model, though, we’ll have to wait and see if it the four-door body style affects passenger space. One thing is for sure – the boot will be much larger due to the longer rear overhang.

There’s no mention of the engine range, but it’s a given that the sedan will be offered with the same gasoline and diesel four-cylinder SkyActive engines and 6-speed manual and automatic transmissions as the hatch. In Europe, this means three petrol engines, and in particular, a 99hp (100PS) 1.5-liter, a 118hp (120PS) 2.0-liter and a 163hp (165PS) 2.0-liter, plus a 148hp (150PS) 2.2-liter turbocharged diesel.

North America will get two gasoline mills, including a standard 2.0-liter unit producing 155hp and an optional 2.5-liter unit delivering 184 horsepower.

Worldwide sales of the sedan are expected to begin just before the end of the year.

Thanks to Laurence H. for the tip!

PHOTO GALLERY