Mazda 3 MPS, are you?

The sports compact segment enjoyed a golden era in which brands such as Mazda went head to head with the Volkswagen Golf GTi or the Audi S3. The Japanese firm’s answer was based on the Mazda 3 and borrowed the iconic MPS name to unleash a much more radical and sporty character. Unfortunately, however, the passing of time led the company to withdraw this variant from the market, and it never saw the light of day again, but it seems things are about to change for fans of Mazda’s quintessential compact.

It was a few months ago that Mazda confirmed a sporty variant of the Mazda 3 would arrive sooner or later, and it seems it will be sooner rather than later. We assume this is why a test mule of the latest generation of the Japanese compact has been spotted with a series of features that, despite the camouflage, indicate this is no ordinary version.

Thanks to a user of the Imgur platform, we have been able to witness this mysterious Mazda 3 riding on the back of a truck in the United States. Although the photograph does not show the front of this mysterious model, the rear already reveals enough to suggest that the MPS designation is about to sit once again on the compact’s body.

It is true that the conventional model already features a double cylindrical exhaust outlet, which reappears on this test mule, but the production variant could be accompanied by a more imposing diffuser. However, what is truly revealing is the spoiler that governs the rear, a clear statement of sportiness and performance.

The mechanical layout to be used to power the Mazda 3 MPS remains unknown, but it would not be far-fetched to think that the company could resort to turbocharging to unleash outstanding power. On this premise we could be talking about a four-cylinder engine capable of producing more than 250 CV, with the aim of once again facing up to the Golf GTi and taking on the Hyundai i30 N, Ford Focus ST and SEAT León Cupra.

For now we do not know the dates and the brand has not yet made any statement on the matter, but we can gather that a few months still remain before we learn details about the Mazda 3 MPS. However, the wait should not sadden us, since Mazda is set to revive one of the most iconic names of all time, and which could be applied to more models from the Japanese house.