Unveiled in London, Istanbul and St Petersburg, the car will come to Europe as a five-door hatchback and makes up a third of the carmaker’s sales in the region. The newcomer replaces the Ford Focus-derived outgoing model, which has been on sale since 2003.

The new model will feature the familiar 2.0-litre SKYACTIV-G petrol in 118bhp and 163bhp forms, plus a 1.5-litre version with 99bhp, while a 150bhp version of the  2.2-litre SKYACTIV-D is likely to be the lowest-emitting powertrain in the range.

Mazda has yet to reveal CO2 emissions or fuel economy for the car, or whether it will launch a lower-capacity diesel engine, but the 2.2 diesel should comfortably undercut the 108g/km and 67.3mpg it achieves in the larger Mazda6.

Under the skin, the Mazda3 will use SKYACTIV Technology lightweight chassis components and despite being identical in length to its predecessor it features a 60mm longer wheelbase offering improved stability and interior space.

New features include an internet-connected infotainment system and Mazda’s new i-ACTIVSENSE safety technology, while Japan will be offered a petrol-electric hybrid in the saloon bodyshape.

'Everything about the all-new Mazda3 is exciting, from the way it looks and feels to its dynamic performance, nimble responsiveness, reliability and operating costs,' said Mazda Motor Europe president and CEO Jeff Guyton. 'We already have big expectations for this model’s success in terms of sales, but I suspect it may even surprise us.'