Japanese automaker Mazda has disclosed preliminary details about the locally sold 2014 Axela which will be known in other markets as the Mazda3 Hybrid. The car is scheduled to go on sale in Japan next month with a 4-cylinder 2.0-liter SKYACTIV-G gasoline engine working together with an electric motor and a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Thanks to this hardware arrangement, the hybridized Mazda3 will be capable of returning as much as 30.8 km/L (87 mpg UK or 72.4 mpg US or 3.2 liters / 100 km) in the local JC08 cycle.
They didn’t disclose any other details about the car but after taking a look at these official photos we notice that it comes with a new shifter and an updated instrument cluster, while the cargo room seems to be smaller in order to accommodate the hybrid setup. It will be sold only as a sedan and carries a starting price (including taxes) of ¥2,373,000.
Source: Mazda Japan
