Mazda Designers Challenged to Preserve Mazda3 DNA

LOS ANGELES – Launched in 2003, the Mazda3 compact car has taken the world by storm, becoming the Japanese auto maker’s best-selling vehicle globally and the recipient of numerous accolades from auto enthusiast magazines.

In the U.S., sales of the Mazda3, which comes in sedan and hatchback body styles and is known as the Axela in some global markets, have surpassed 100,000 units annually in recent years, far above the volume of its predecessor, the Protege.

So when the ...