The Mazda 3 X Turbo doesn’t exist, but we think it should

When driving enthusiasts ponder their favourite Mazda products, it’s invariably the brand’s coupes and roadsters that get the lion’s share of attention. But its worth remembering that the Japanese brand has a low-key back catalogue of hot hatches as well. Sure, the Mazda 3 MPS had its foibles, but there was no denying it was a joyful thing.

That joy, well, we don’t want to be too harsh, but it has gone missing from many of Hiroshima’s products of late – the MX-5 being an exception to the rule. The current generation Mazda 3 is a much more enjoyable car to drive compared to most of its fellow mass-market competitors and credit needs to go to Mazda for injecting some personality into its mainstream model, but there’s a lack of purpose (and fun!) in the range compared to halo models like the Hyundai i30 N.

Unfortunately for us, Mazdaspeed is dead, and with it the MPS badge. But we’ve got a solution – the Mazda 3 X Turbo (we’ll explain the nomenclature in a bit). A bolt from the blue that would rekindle Mazda’s spirit as a company that builds products for people who enjoy driving above all else, showcasing the company’s newfound electric technology, and taking the fight to an icon like the Volkswagen Golf R in the process.

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Mazda's current 3 hatch

The starting point for the 3 X Turbo would be the all-wheel drive Turbo sold in North America, borrowing the 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder from its CX-badged SUV siblings.

To make the X Turbo a worthy halo, it will need to move the game forward for Mazda and operate as both a performance and technical showcase. That means it’ll be a proper plug-in hybrid. On combustion power alone it’ll produce 220kW and 450Nm, with a 15kWh battery and electric motor on the rear axle boosting combined outputs to 270kW/500Nm.

Currently the Mazda 3 family’s electrification status only extends as far as a newly introduced mild hybrid. Making the jump to full PHEV status, the X Turbo will lean on the bones of the brand’s first full EV and plug-in, the MX-30 SUV. The MX-30 chassis is based on that used by the CX-30, which itself started life as the Mazda 3.

This self-fulfilling product pipeline will allow the X Turbo to use a chassis built to work with proper electrification, while still looking to the outside world like a traditional member of the Mazda 3 family. However, despite the familiar body panels, closer inspection would reveal substantially wider arches, with a larger footprint hinting at the heavily updated chassis.

Mazda has been creeping its way upmarket for years, and the 3 X Turbo would be a bold statement of intent, reinvigorating the brand for the modern era. If it wants to truly compete with the likes of the Golf, then it needs to win that war on all levels.

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How we’d build it

Step 1: Big Block

By the nature of its extra swept capacity, the 2.5-litre wouldn’t need much pushing to make the required power. Electric shove down low will allow a larger diameter turbo to be added, with the battery taking care of early propulsion while the bigger snail gets on boost.

Step 2: What’s in a name?

The X in the badge is a reference to the origins of the MX family of vehicles – meaning Mazda eXperimental. Like the MX-30 it will share much of its underpinnings with, the hybrid hot hatch 3 will earn its X stripes by pushing Mazda into new bold new waters, while standing alongside the MX-5 to champion the enthusiast cause.

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Step 3: Baby got back

You don’t think we’ve forgot about the Mazda 3 sedan do you? Of course a booted compatriot to the hatch would be in the pipeline. Cut-price Mercedes-AMG CLA 45? Sounds pretty enticing to us.

Step 4: Bit of shush

Being a plug-in hybrid the Mazda 3 X Turbo would be capable of silent rear-drive-only electric propulsion. The capacity of the battery means it’ll only be for 30km give or take depending on your driving style, but with the regular 3 having a wonderful high-quality cabin it’ll make the daily commute a hushed affair.

Step 5: Don’t say the D word

Torsen differentials front and rear will make the 3 X Turbo a weapon in the corners, with the electric motor making overall power delivery rear-biased in its sportiest drive modes. A cleverly tuned sports ESC will cater to those with a penchant for oversteer.

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Mazda 3 MPS