With the announcement earlier this year that Mazda would be building a diesel version of the Mazda3 for the US, the automaker broke with Japanese manufacturer norms. When it comes to fuel saving models, the Japanese tend to prefer hybrids, leaving diesel technology to European brands. But now plans have surfaced for a hybrid version of the Mazda Axela (as the Mazda3 is known in Japan), but there have been no plans announced as yet to bring it to the US.

In fact, when the diesel model was first unveiled, Mazda specifically said that any upcoming hybrids wouldn't be coming over to the US. This might defy convention, but it does actually make sense. The hybrid market in the US still belongs overwhelmingly to the Toyota Prius, and with diesel sales making up a still-increasing percentage of the market, diesel is probably the better bet for a company which hasn't offered either yet. So it is very likely that this will remain the Axela Hybrid, and won't become the Mazda3 Hybid.