Ulster Tatler – June 2019

232

Is this the best looking affordable hatchback

out there? Mazda has raised their game with

the latest generation of the 3. This is a sleek

and curvy little car that will catch your eye

and that of many admirers.

This is their latest evolution of the ‘Kodo’

design language that makes a car look like it

is moving when it is stopped! It takes the look

up into another league for the Hiroshima-

based company. The dynamic appeal of

the Mazda3 is also much improved as I

discovered on a challenging drive through

the Scottish Borders and over the Pennines.

Potholes, sheep and blind stone bridges

• the tarmac was throwing everything at me
  so I really needed a car that knew what it was
  doing. This one did and didn’t put a wheel
  wrong in five hours of solid driving. It was
  obvious that the suspension has been revised
  as well as practically everything else on the
  car.
  Mazda has imbued its hatchback with
  some of the sporting joie de vie of the MX-5
  sports car. The manual gear change is a treat
  to use with its fast and precise action.
  I sampled two engines - a 1.8 diesel and
  a 2.0 petrol both developed with the Mazda
  Skyactiv engineering to be as clean and
  efficient as a conventional engine can be.
  Both were impressively quiet and really made

the Mazda feel like a very refined car indeed.

The diesel was at home on the demanding

terrain with a nice surge of power to regain

pace after each sharp bend or hill crest. It

is rated at 116PS giving a useful everyday

range of power. Its emissions are stated at

107g/gm.

The 2.0 petrol is even more hushed

and has a long-legged feel. Slightly more

powerful on 122PS it eats up the miles with

ease. The CO2 emissions from 117g/km is

a commendable result of the latest SkyActiv

engineering - this now includes a ‘mild’

hybrid system to recoup energy.

A radical new petrol engine is to join these

two later this year. Called the SkyActv X,

this new compression ignition unit is said to

combine the advantages of diesel and petrol

power.

Inside, the Mazda3 has more of a premium

feel. The clear round dials remind me of a

BMW or an Audi. There is a head-up display

to project your speed on the windscreen.

This is additional to a repeater from the sat

nav that reminds you of the speed limit. The

speedo also warns with a trailing red line

behind the needle when you are over the

limit.

This is a most impressive new car from

Mazda which represents a lot of development

work and produces a quality that the posher

names would be worried about!

Despite this,the price range starts from a

keen £20,595 for a petrol car in SE-L trim.

The diesels start from £22,395. There is a

walk up through SEL-lux, Sport and GT trims.

The diesel GT Sport with automatic gearbox

tops out the launch range at £27,470.

THE ALL-NEW MAZDA 3

ENGINEERED TO A FEELING

SEARCH: WALTER YOUNG MAZDA

FACT FILE

Mazda3 2.O SE-L

Engine - 2.0-litre petrol mild hybrid

producing 122PS

Performance - 0-62mph in 10.2

seconds, 122mph top speed

Economy - 45.6mpg combined

Emmissions - 117g/km carbon dioxide

Price - from £20.595

Sleek and Curvy

DEREK BLACK TAKES TO THE HILLS IN THE AGILE AND PRETTY NEW MAZDA3.