If you thought the current generation Mazda 3 was sharp enough, taking heavily from its Kodo design ethos, look for the 2019 Mazda 3 to be even sharper.

Jinba-ittai or the whole “less is more” design philosophy for Mazda has been one of their guiding tenets for the company popularized by the Miata. As per some official sketches of the 2019 Mazda 3 obtained by CarScoops earlier this week (Oct. 13,2018) it looks like that same design philosophy continues into the fourth generation Mazda 3 which is a sharper, leaner looking and much more driver-focused Mazda 3.

Last year we got a good glimpse at what the Mazda 3 could become with the Kai Concept introduced at the Tokyo Motor Show. While that concept was just a hatch, like many Mazda prototypes, it looked 90 percent production ready and was clearly a polished design study. Many, including myself, already surmised that this would be the next generation Mazda 3 and these official drawings confirm that.

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A lot like smaller compacts nowadays competing against larger CUV’s, this 2019 Mazda 3 tries its best to look as big as possible, stretching the proportions of the third-gen Mazda 3 more than before.

While the current Mazda 3 hangs onto its fun and tossable look that we saw in the first and second generation Mazda 3, this new 2019 Mazda 3 throws most caution to the wind presenting an aggressive and bold front face to the world. After all, with sales that lag behind small car market leaders like the Civic, selling one Mazda 3 for every four Honda Civics, as per GoodCarBadCar, the Mazda 3 must do everything it can to appeal to its customer base, and that means returning to its Jinba-Ittai roots.

Out back, it’s much the same theme as the front, a leaner, sculpted-looking rear end accentuated by a deep recess in the bumper and what I can only assume is a faux-diffuser underneath. The rear, dare I say, looks like a mini- Alfa Romeo Giulia at the angle the drawing provides us.

The inside cabin is a sure nod towards the Kai Concept with a steering wheel and shifter position mirroring the Kai exactly. Whereas the Kai, designers could take a few liberties with more swooping lines and less buttons, the drawings show a more realistic interior with buttons, as tactile is better for driving, and a pop-up LCD display slanted towards the driver.

Mazda does a good job with the Mazda 3 and I expect this newest redesign to be as good as ever. It won’t eclipse segment leaders like the Corolla or Civic but it’ll surely close the gap.

I’ll be keen to see what Mazda stuffs under the hood.

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