Functionality, Mazda 3 doesn't need a grille so huge, if you look carefully at the pictures the lower half of the grille is blocked.
Quote:
Another cornerstone of Mazda’s strategy is its KODO design. With the Mazda 3, the automaker has introduced a new grille it says is bolder, stronger, and recognizable from a hundred yards; it’s wider, giving it an improved presence. It adds a more three-dimensional quality to the front, an approach that extends to both new models so they look and feel more stable.
“This is a refreshment,” explained Julien Montousse, Director of Design, Mazda North American Operations. “We don’t have to redesign the whole car but it’s an opportunity to go back into the wish list and make sure that these cars have the level of craftsmanship that we’ve always targeted. The cars are much more horizontal, moving them into that premium territory.”
Mazda 3 is on the left and Mazda 6 is on the right
The grille lower half is blocked
2017 Mazda 3
2017 Mazda 6
http://www.technobuffalo.com/2016/08/21/2017-mazda-3-mazda-6-first-look/
Quote:
Another cornerstone of Mazda’s strategy is its KODO design. With the Mazda 3, the automaker has introduced a new grille it says is bolder, stronger, and recognizable from a hundred yards; it’s wider, giving it an improved presence. It adds a more three-dimensional quality to the front, an approach that extends to both new models so they look and feel more stable.
“This is a refreshment,” explained Julien Montousse, Director of Design, Mazda North American Operations. “We don’t have to redesign the whole car but it’s an opportunity to go back into the wish list and make sure that these cars have the level of craftsmanship that we’ve always targeted. The cars are much more horizontal, moving them into that premium territory.”
Mazda 3 is on the left and Mazda 6 is on the right
The grille lower half is blocked
2017 Mazda 3
2017 Mazda 6
http://www.technobuffalo.com/2016/08/21/2017-mazda-3-mazda-6-first-look/