Mazda had a simple explanation for why we had flown to Germany to drive its made-in-Japan next-generation Mazda 3 hatchback in prototype guise: Such early prototypes are allowed to roam German roads, as they are not in Japan, at least not without passing rigorous inspections. Oh, and Mazda has a technical center in Germany with engineers as eager as we were to experience and wrap their heads around the new 3?s Skyactiv-X compression-ignition-capable inline-four gasoline engine. So that is how we came to pilot several matte-black Mazda 3 test mules powered by Skyactiv-X engines and wearing decoy current-generation bodywork?and lacking airbags, stability control, and fully operational air conditioning?on a humid summer day in Frankfurt. READ MORE ??
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