From the fizzy fun of the MX-5 roadster to the easygoing demeanour of the big-engined CX-60 SUV, Mazda has its own way of doing things, writes William Scholes. It’s just one of the reasons that the idiosyncratic Japanese marque holds a special place in Drive’s affections.
On paper, the Mazda 3 is arguably the most conventional of the company’s offerings. It’s a five-door family hatchback (though a four-door saloon is also available) in the Volkswagen Golf template, a type of car that once reigned supreme in the sales charts but which has seen its popularity dip as that of SUVs and crossovers has soared.
In the metal, though, there is little conventional about the Mazda 3. Is there a better looking hatch? Alfa Romeo’s now-defunct Giulietta is probably the last five-door hatch styled with such obvious panache.
Even though it has been around for a few years, this generation of Mazda 3 hasn’t lost any visual impact. The bonnet is long and low, like something lifted from a sleek sports coupe; in a world where family cars mostly look like a Nissan Qashqai or Kia Sportage, the Mazda is strikingly different.
Pictures don’t quite convey the way daylight plays along the sculpted flanks, and how the curves of the panels reflect the car’s surroundings; it means that the Mazda appears to take on a subtly different appearance depending on what direction you approach it or the time of day.
This is the sort of attention to detail that speaks of quality, of thoughtfulness, of the idea that design matters.
The trade off for its haute couture bodywork is that the Mazda 3 isn’t as spacious as the slabby Skoda Octavia. One imagines Mazda buyers aren’t especially bothered, any more than Skoda buyers are concerned about making style statements
The feel-good factor continues inside. The dashboard is laid out with clarity and simplicity, there are real switches and knobs where they need to be - Mazda has yet to be seduced by the madness of putting everything on a touchscreen.
Indeed, the centrally mounted infotainment screen, 10.25-inches wide and admirably sharp, is an antidote to the large but all-too-often clunky and slow tablets tacked on to the dashboards of rivals.
To emphasise the point, the screen isn’t actually a touchscreen - it’s controlled by a large rotary controller and some buttons behind the gearlever. It’s intuitive and safe, and begs the question why so many manufacturers have ditched similar arrangements for demonstrably more confusing screens that mean your attention is diverted from the road for too long.
Everything feels well built from quality materials, giving an upmarket vibe reminiscent of anything Volvo, BMW or Audi is churning out these days.
The trade off for that haute couture bodywork is that the Mazda 3 isn’t as spacious or practical as the more prosaic in-class contenders such as the slabby Skoda Octavia. One imagines Mazda buyers aren’t especially bothered, any more than Skoda buyers are concerned about making style statements.
Mazda continues to go against the grain when it comes to powertrains. Beneath that shapely nose, you won’t find the sort of small capacity turbocharged petrol engine you will find under the bonnet of rivals.
Instead there is a choice of two relatively large capacity 2.0-litre four-cylinder units, both unburdened by turbos. Mazda has long talked of ‘right-sizing’ its engines, balancing real world economy and performance, wary of how turbo engines can be far thirstier in everyday driving than anticipated.
There’s a conventional 120bhp unit, massaged by a mild-hybrid system, and a technically fascinating 183bhp ‘Skyactiv-X’ engine which can switch between diesel-aping compression ignition and regular petrol spark ignition; it’s complex but a typically Mazda take on the challenge of boosting efficiency.
Both are sweet revving and responsive, though anyone used to turbo engines will likely need to adjust to the absence of a thick slug of torque. No matter; Mazda gives drivers one of the best manual gearboxes around, a set of fabulously weighted controls and a chassis that flows along the road.
Prices start at £23,945 and stretch to £29,145. That is positively excellent value these days, especially when it looks this good, and the 3 is yet another Mazda that shows why you don’t need to follow the crowd.
