Mazda has been undergoing some significant changes over the past few years. The once relatively mainstream Japanese automaker with a focus on driving fun has been pushing itself further upmarket. For example, a brand new, fully-loaded Mazda CX-9 crossover costs nearly $47,000. Expect this luxury trend to continue, but it will come at the expense of something else.

According to a Mazda spokesperson, via Motor1, it was made clear Mazdaspeed cars are not coming back anytime soon, if ever. "We have no immediate plans to bring back the Mazdaspeed3 as we move into the premium space," the spokesperson said. While we can't say we're entirely surprised, our hopes were briefly revived last spring when spy shots showed what might have been a Mazda3 hot hatch.

Instead, that camouflaged-prototype turned out to be the now-revealed 2021 Mazda3 2.5 Turbo, which still has a very respectable 250 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque when using premium fuel. Basically, the new Turbo model is the Mazdaspeed3's unofficial successor.

Unlike the torque steer-heavy last-generation Mazdaspeed3, the new Turbo hatch will focus more on overall refinement and smooth power delivery; it won't behave like a typical hot hatch, such as the Honda Civic Type R. Refinement, an essential component of its upmarket quest, is the name of the game now for Mazda.

But what about additional Mazdaspeed models? After all, there was a single-generation Mazdaspeed6 and Mazdaspeed MX-5 Miata. Unfortunately, neither appear to be in the pipeline. But the good news is that Mazda has no intention of abandoning "Zoom-Zoom" entirely; it just intends to refine it as part of its new business model of luring away luxury vehicle buyers.

The automaker should hopefully announce soon details regarding the US-spec MX-30 all-electric crossover, Mazda's first-ever battery-electric model. In Europe, where pre-orders have already gotten underway, it comes with a 35.5 kWh battery pack and a front-mounted electric motor. We expect a starting price hovering in the neighborhood of $35,000.