2021 Mazda3 No Hot Hatch But Spools Up Loads of Fun The smooth, refined 2.5L turbo-4 from the larger CX-9 is well suited for the Mazda3, especially with AWD. Spend a couple days behind the wheel, and it becomes apparent why Mazda product planners think of the Audi A3 and Acura ILX as competitors. With or without a pandemic, the market for small cars has been challenging, to say the least. Through the first three quarters of 2020, sales in the Upper Small car segment as tracked by Wards Intelligence were down 34.7% from the same period in 2019. Among the dozen nameplates in this sector, such as the No.1 Honda Civic and No.2 Toyota Corolla, not a single model is posting sales growth this year. The Kia Forte is doing the best, down only 14%. The trendline