The Mazda 3 sedan and hatchback variants recently got more standard features for 2016, along with a new base price. The Japanese automaker discontinued the old base model and made the Mazda 3 i Sport its new standard model, giving it a starting price of $17,845. At the higher end of the range is the Mazda 3 Grand Touring with a six-speed automatic transmission. Its price starts at $24,745.

Mazda 3 2016 comes in five trim levels: the i Sport, i Touring, i Grand Touring, s Touring, and s Grand Touring. Each of them is available with the company's optional i-ACTIVSENSE active safety features. The rest of the lineup also adds equipment as their prices lower. However, the i Touring sedan, increases in price by $450 to $21,095 while adding a sunroof, automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers, an overhead console with sunglasses holder, and illuminated vanity mirrors. The i Touring hatchback's price jumps to $21,795 while adding the same equipment.

The two Mazda 3 s models comes with 184-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. As such, their prices are also affected. The s Touring models have the same headlights, wipers, and mirror, but both drop in price by $100. Unfortunately, the manual transmission is no longer offered with both s Touring model.

Aside from the price and equipment changes, the car maker is also including two new optional packages. The Mazda 3 Sport Preferred Equipment package incorporrates bright beltline trim, heated exterior mirrors with integrated turn signals, alloy wheels, premium cloth upholstery, automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers a rear-seat armrest with cupholders, as well as the innovative Blind Spot Monitoring with Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

The 2016 model has only been available in late July, but Mazda has already announced a recall of nearly 14,270 Mazda 3 compact cars from the 2015 and 2016 model years. The company has also instructed dealers to stop selling and delivering said vehicles for the mean time. The recall affects 2015 and 2016 Mazda 3 units built between May 21, 2015, and August 24, 2015.

According to the automaker, the recall stems from a problem with the model's faulty fuel shut-off valve, which might permit fuel to flow into the charcoal emissions canister. It may result in a leak if enough fuel enters the canister, which may lead to the possibility of a fire if an ignition trigger is present, Mazda says that owners may be alerted to the issue by a check-engine light.

Owners of the above-mentioned Mazda 3 2016 models will be notified by mail this month. They will be instructed to bring their vehicle to the nearest Mazda dealer as soon as possible. Dealers will examine the shutoff valve and, if necessary, replace it along with the emissions system components at no cost to the owner.