Mazda is in the midst of redefining the 2012 Mazda3, giving it a more fuel-efficient powertrain option and a less animated front-end look.

Now we learn that the new 2-liter four-cylinder engine, also known as the SkyActiv-G, will have a starting price of $18,450 for the sedan. Mazda also has changed the prices on the rest of the 2012 Mazda3 lineup, which could confuse shoppers when confronted with two different prices for essentially the same model on dealer lots.

The SkyActiv engine will be available on the Mazda3 i Touring sedan with either a six-speed manual ($18,450 sedan) or six-speed automatic transmission ($19,300 sedan) or the i Grand Touring trim with just the automatic transmission ($22,300 sedan and $22,800 hatchback). The i Grand Touring trim is new and includes a moonroof, power driver's seat, leather upholstery, heated front seats, a Bose 10-speaker audio system and a navigation system. The i Sport trims now come standard with remote keyless entry.

And the gas mileage?:

The sedan trims will achieve a maximum fuel-economy rating of 40 miles per gallon on the highway, according to Mazda. The hatchback body style will achieve 39 mpg highway; there's no word on city or combined gas mileage estimates just yet. Hatchback models are now offered in more affordable i Touring and i Grand Touring trims with the SkyActive engine standard.

To make room for the new engine, Mazda has lowered the price of its base Mazda3 i SV sedan trim, which comes standard with the same 148 horsepower 2.0-liter engine found in the current model with a five-speed manual, to $15,200 from $15,800. An automatic option starts at $16,845. All pricing excludes a $795 destination fee ($840 in Alaska).

The 2012s should go on sale later this fall.

A series of leaked patent images have prematurely revealed Mazda's next-generation compact car, a vehicle developed entirely under the automaker's new Kodo design language and Skyactiv efficiency philosophy.

The company's so-called Kodo design language that first entered production with the Mazda CX-5 is clearly visible in this car's front fascia and rear end, but the swoopy side profile and certain details are almost Alfa Romeo-esque to our eyes.

Though the current Mazda3 was the automaker's first model to receive its much-ballyhooed high-mpg Skyactiv engine and transmission in the United States, the 2012 model year introduction of that powertrain was essentially a stopgap measure. Under the automaker's Skyactiv philosophy, issues such as vehicle weight and aerodynamics are factored into creating an altogether more efficient, yet still performance-oriented package. The CX-5 was the first full-scale application of Skyactiv and the company's all-new 2014 Mazda6 unveiled earlier this year should also preview the higher-volume Mazda3.

We should learn more about the next-generation Mazda3 over the next few months as the current car's production cycle begins to come to a close. As the 3 is Mazda's highest-volume model in many of its largest markets - including North America - it is undeniably a crucial product for the Japanese automaker.

LOS ANGELES -- The redesigned 2014 Mazda3 has received an EPA rating of 29 mpg city/41 highway.

The rating, announced today by Mazda, covers the 2014 Mazda3 sedan with a manual transmission and a 155-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. Adding an automatic transmission boosts the Mazda3's city rating by 1 mpg, while highway fuel economy is unchanged.

The Mazda3's EPA rating exceeds the entry-level models of compact segment leaders such as the Honda Civic, Ford Focus, Chevrolet Cruze, Kia Forte, Hyundai Elantra and Toyota Corolla, according to the EPA's fuel economy comparison Web site, fueleconomy.gov.

The fuel economy ratings will help Mazda's perennial best-seller in the cutthroat compact-sedan segment. U.S. Sales of the current Mazda3 fell 12 percent to 52,701 units in the first half of 2013, while the compact-car segment as a whole grew 8 percent to more than 1.1 million vehicles.

The 2014 Mazda3 goes on sale in September with a base price of $17,740, including shipping. The entry-level Mazda3 i SV comes only as a sedan with a 2.0-liter engine combined with a six-speed manual transmission from Mazda's Skyactiv technology portfolio. Five-door hatchback variants are offered in higher trim levels. Standard equipment includes push-button start, automatic door locks, remote keyless entry and a USB connection port.

The four trim levels include the base SV, followed by Sport, Touring and Grand Touring. The range tops out at $27,290 for the Mazda3 s Grand Touring hatchback, with the "s" designating a 2.5-liter engine combined with a six-speed automatic transmission.

Shifting gears from fast to fashion, the Vector 3 Concept offers a different take on controlled aggression. First on the exterior, the base color is Soul Red, a stock Mazda hue as sultry and intense as the certain little black dress that takes your breath away. Derived from Soul Red is a Mazda Design custom blend of Deep Crimson in varying shades of depth to highlight the "fractured line" treatment of the paint finish's vector pattern. Following the form in which reflections bounce off the vehicle's KODO design facets, the vector shapes of variable length and width are identical on other side of the concept car. Although a pattern inspired from the runways of the fashion elite, the Vector 3 hones its attitude from the world of active lifestyle and performance wear. Fitting like a stylish pair of cross-trainers, the Vector 3 offers little fuss but commands plenty of attention.

A set of Rays Volk Racing Original G25 19-inch wheels are encased in road-hugging Yokohama S.driveŽ 225/40R19 performance tires. Other performance features include an H&R spring kit and Brembo two-piece custom four-piston 365x29 drilled rotors.