From the moment we saw the first teaser image of the all-new Mazda3 we know we’d be in for something special.

After all, a car inspired by the Mazda Kai Concept would have been impossible to get wrong from a styling point of view. We’re glad to say Mazda has nailed it with the all-new 3, even though both the sedan and the hatchback are clear design evolutions of their predecessors. Who needs a revolution when a gradual development leads to a result like this?

If we were to pick the best-looking body style of the two available, we’d probably go for the hatchback because it’s the closest to the essence of the Kai study. However, the sedan doesn’t look half bad, it’s a huge improvement over its predecessor. The “smaller Mazda6” suit didn’t fit the outgoing Mazda3 sedan that well but in the case of its successor it clearly does.

Add to that the minimalist interior with a smooth looking dashboard and it gets clear competitors will have to up their game if they want to beat this new Mazda3 in terms of appeal.

By now, chances are you already know everything about the 2019 Mazda3, including the fact that it will offer available all-wheel-drive — in the U.S. as well. Mazda hasn’t released specs yet but confirmed 1.5-, 2.0-, and 2.5-liter gasoline engines, as well as a 1.8-liter diesel. The big news is obviously the SkyActiv-X engine paired with a new M Hybrid system.

The SkyActiv-X unit features a Spark-Controlled Compression Ignition (SCCI) system which promises to combine the efficiency of diesel engines with the performance of gasoline units.

The all-new SkyActiv-Vehicle Architecture debuts in the all-new Mazda3, and it brings with it a new suspension combining MacPherson struts in the front and a new torsion beam in the rear. All of these changes combined allow the 2019 Mazda3 to accelerate, turn and brake in a way that “feels natural and intuitive, like a tool you have been using for many years.”

All things considered, which Mazda3 would you have: the elegant sedan or the bold hatchback?