An evolutionary redesign that bowed Wednesday at the 2018 LA Auto Show puts the 2019 Mazda 3 in line with the automaker’s larger sedan and its crossover SUVs. Bigger changes come inside and behind the scenes, where the Mazda 3 ushers in a new fuel-saving, high-compression engine, a larger infotainment screen, an available infrared driver-monitoring system, and a host of changes designed to make the small sedan and hatchback quieter on the highway.
Additionally, the new Mazda 3 will be available with all-wheel drive for the first time.Â
At first glance, the new Mazda 3’s styling doesn’t stray far from the outgoing model—at least as far as the sedan is concerned. That model’s taut proportions carry over, albeit with a cleaner front end design and a thin ribbon of taillights with a circular LED design. The new Mazda 3 hatchback’s styling is more dramatic, with a massive…