Mazda Announces Two European Debuts For Geneva

The RX-Vision concept and a new low-emission Mazda3 are the automaker’s European debuts that will hit Geneva next month.

Equipped with the SkyActiv-D 1.5-liter diesel engine, borrowed from the Mazda2 and CX-3, the Mazda3 promises to be “the most fuel-efficient version of Mazda’s all-time best-selling model ever offered in Europe“, consuming 3.8L/100km (61.9mpg US) of fuel in a combined cycle and emitting 99g/km of CO2.

The powertrain was introduced in November, on the hatchback and fastback versions of the car, and it’s rated at 103hp (105PS) and 270Nm (199lb-ft) of torque, allowing a 0-100km/h (62mph) acceleration of 11 seconds and a top speed of 187km/h (116mph).

The compact car will be joined by the RX-Vision Concept in Geneva, a study originally introduced last year, at the Tokyo Motor Show. It has a long hood, short overhangs and it screams KODO through its lines. Mazda provided some details on the concept car, which is 4,389mm long, 1,925mm wide and 1,160mm tall, with a 2,700mm wheelbase.

However, when it comes to its powertrain, the carmaker was not so keen to talk about it, except that it sports a next-gen rotary engine SkyActiv-R. No performance specs were made public, so we can only hope that Mazda will shed some light into this once the car will rest on its 20-inch wheels at the Swiss event, on March 1.

Sharing the same stage with the RX-Vision and 1.5-liter SkyActiv-D-powered Mazda3 will be the new Mazda MX-5, which comes “fresh off an overwhelming launch phase that saw European sales nearly quadruple in the fourth quarter.”