By Ian Strachan
A few years ago Mazda took the fairly conservative Mazda3 hatchback and turned it into something exciting. And now the all-new Mazda3 is even better writes Ian Strachan.
The latest Mazda3 – the first of Mazda’s new generation of vehicles – is nicely styled with flowing lines, is quick, handles well and is a pleasure to drive. It’s also got improved economy and a higher specification.
I test drove the Mazda3 2.0 petrol GT Sport fitted with a gutsy 122 bhp 2.0 litre engine.
In my test car the engine was linked to Mazda’s pleasant six-speed manual gearbox. With this set-up the car has great mid range flexibility and is a very relaxed cruiser. It’s also pretty frugal and you can expect to get 52.3 mpg in mixed driving.
Inside, the Mazda’s comfort credentials are reinforced with ultra-supportive seats in high quality material. The car can accommodate five adults without difficulty, with plenty of leg and headroom. The feel of the interior is of a much more expensive car than it actually is. You can also fold the rear seats down which gives you a substantial load capacity.
The new Mazda3 also has a range of safety features which earn it a high Euro NCAP safety rating. These include traction control, all-round airbags, seat belt pre-tensioners and stability control.
The Mazda3’s equipment package includes a head-up speed display, smart alloy wheels, electric heated door mirrors, automatic headlamps, rear parking sensor with camera, front parking sensors, satellite navigation, cruise control, remote central locking with keyless entry and ignition, all round electric windows, climate control, a 60/40 split rear seat and a multi-media audio system with DAB, Bluetooth and MP3 compatibility.
The whole package comes at a reasonable £24,495 on the road. The range starts below £20,000.
This is a nice alternative in the medium family car sector which deserves to do well.
