Mazda Kai hints at a gnarly new Mazda3

Mazda calls the Kai Concept a "more mature expression" of its current design language, and I'd be inclined to agree. 

Many of the sharp creases found on the current body have been replaced with smooth, flowing lines

Thanks to how far back the cabin sits, it looks fast, even though it's not moving.

The roof has a solid-color center, with a longitudinal piece of glass above each passenger's head. 

The headlights and taillights are slimmer and more aggressive, too.

The steering wheel is familiar, but thinner. 

The shifter is just that -- a straightforward shifter that doesn't fall prey to the same shift-by-wire trappings that ate other automakers whole.

The biggest change is the infotainment system, which lives inside a tier of the dashboard, as opposed to its current "floating tablet" look.

The Kai Concept packs Mazda's Skyactiv-X engine, which runs on gasoline but relies on a compression-ignition scheme more similar to a diesel engine. 

In the meantime, keep scrolling to check out even more pictures of Mazda's hot hatch concept.