Mazda just added a new i Touring Value model to the 2008 Mazda3 lineup. It replaces the i Touring Model and includes standard ABS, side-impact air bags, side air curtains, 17-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, and a color-keyed grille bar. Inside, there's a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, an MP3-compatible in-dash CD player, and a piano-black decoration panel. The i Touring Value model has a list price of $16,595 for the five-speed manual and $17,495 for the four-speed automatic. I also stumbled on a bit of a mystery when checking out the changes.

According to Mazda, all Grand Touring models produced in 2008 now come with a standard six-way power driver's seat, and all 2.3-liter models and Mazdaspeed3 models get "freshened interiors"—or so the company said. I spent a good ten minutes staring at the interior photos labeled "2008" in the Mazda press database (such as the one pictured above). Aside from a strip of wood trim, I can't tell the difference from the original 2004 version—although it's a nice interior regardless. I'll check in again later to see if anything new appears. Finally, Mazda is now throwing in a factory-installed Sirius satellite radio with a six-month subscription for customers that buy the optional navigation system on the Grand Touring model.

Source: Mazda Motor of America