2019-04-01 CAR UK (1)

It’s a pity the diesel won’t sell, because it’s

better suited to the Mazda 3 than the petrol

46 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | APRIL 2019

P RICE

£24,595 (2.0-litre

Skyactiv-G GT

Sport)

PERFORMANCE

120bhp @ 6000rpm,

157lb ft @ 4000rpm,

10.4sec 0-62mph,

122mph

POWERTRAIN

1998cc 16v 4-cyl,

6-speed manual,

front-wheel drive

WEIGHT

1274kg

ON SALE

Now (first

deliveries

Data from May)

EFFICIENCY

44.8mpg,

142g/km CO2

gearlever. The infotainment is easy to use, if not

groundbreaking. Rear space isn’t great, while

the boot area is decently big and accessible but

unremarkable. That swooping C-pillar doesn’t

do your rear visibility any favours, and the thick

A-pillars won’t fill you with confidence either.

Hooray for the standard blindspot monitoring –

although, like many of the abundant electronic

safety aids, it’s annoyingly keen to flash and

bong to let you know it’s looking out on your

behalf; it’s intrusive and distracting.

Most of our driving was in the 2.0-litre

Skyactiv-G petrol. Its mild hybrid system in-

volves a belt-driven integrated starter-generator

that provides smooth start/stop activation, and

while the engine is fine for shopping and com-

muting it has little to offer the enthusiast. Peak

power is found at 6000rpm, but frantic pedal

mashing garners scant return. It feels gutless,

sounds strained and isn’t all that satisfying.

The Skyactiv-D diesel version is expected

to account for only five per cent of UK sales,

which is a pity given that it’s better suited to the

new Mazda than the petrol. It’s not noticeably

rougher or louder and has a useful bit of extra

torque in the low-to-mid rev range, egging you

on to use that satisfying stubby and snappy

manual shifter much more. There’s a 25kg

weight penalty over the petrol (1299kg kerb

weight instead of 1274kg) but the diesel does the

0-62mph sprint 0.1sec quicker than the petrol

when both are equipped with a manual ’ box.

Neither of the versions we’ve driven stretches

the new chassis. Precise and well-balanced

steering, suspension that (on 18-inch wheels)

communicates lumps but doesn’t jolt sharply,

good motorway refinement and excellent body

control when the going gets twisty are all great

traits to have. There are no drive modes, and you

don’t need them.

It may be a different story when the Skyactiv-X

compression ignition engine (with all-wheel

drive as an option) turns up. For now, this is a big

step forward. It has looks that date everything

else in one fell swoop, a lot of tech for your

money, impressive refinement and decent dy-

namics, adding up to a neat and modern package

that expands the already wide field of good

compact family hatchbacks.

keyless entry and heated front seats. Sport Lux

gets rear privacy glass. GT Sport adds powered

leather seats, a heated steering wheel and Bose

audio upgrade. GT Sport Tech (petrol only)

provides a 360º camera, among other safety aids.

Later in the year we’ll get the new engine

Mazda has been trumpeting for a while now,

the Skyactiv-X. That’s billed as an uber-efficient

petrol unit with the best qualities of a diesel.

Also later in 2019 we’ll get a saloon option.

The hatch body is clean and simple – the

direction Mazda has been going in under design

chief Ikuo Maeda, but done particularly well

here, with a low nose, slim lights, short over-

hangs and well-filled arches; wheels are 16in on

the two lowest trim levels, 18in on the fancier

versions. There are very few lines or creases in

the body – just a trust in the power of an elegant

curve and classic proportions; the opposite of

the Honda Civic.

Inside it’s similarly cleanly styled. It’s all about

horizontal lines, and not too many of them.

The physical dials now sandwich a seven-inch

colour display, and the centre screen measures

8.8 inches. It’s not a touchscreen – you explore

its menus using a rotary controller near the

Rear passenger

space is sacrificed

at the altar of style

Big mouth has

become a Mazda

design habit, never

used better

First drives

First verdict

Well-built, well-equipped and pretty, but the 3’s

crying out for more power – maybe the imminent

compression-ignition model will be the answer.