Mazda’s enthusiastic premium hatch has got it going on, and on, and on.

Mazda have built a wonderful hatchback with the Mazda3. I need to get this out of my system first. I’m begging Mazda to consider dropping a ‘hot’ engine into the 3, because honestly it’s such a great base to start from. There are rumours floating about that Mazda are thinking about it, but we need to convince them. This is the right thing to do. There’s a new Skyactiv-X engine in the 2019 Mazda3 due in Ireland by the last quarter in 2019. It will produce 178 horsepower and 222 Newton-meters of torque. But there is another one (which may not make it to Europe) which is being developed in Japan, rumoured to take on the GTI, one with 247bhp and a 2.5 litre engine. They’re currently trying to work out the weight v’s power v’s front wheel drive isses. I have every faith in you Mazda.

Now back to the family friendly PG 13 Mazda 3, the suspension is stiff and glides over smooth surfaces. Once you get the seating position right, which took a little time to adjust between the auto height/seat buttons squashed down on the right of the drivers door and the back bolster adjustment. When you do finally get it just right, it makes for a wonderful driving experience. The whole cabin suddenly comes together for the driver. I don’t normally favour a low seating position but adjusting the level to just under the dash as it were, it works well with the pedal placement, steering wheel adjustment and visibility.

You very much get a ‘supercar’ driver feel about the car, drop in an engine to match,  and the Mazda3 is complete. The cabin comes in a number of trims, I especially liked the dark ‘black leather interior’ (upgrade), it makes the cabin feel very compact. One downside is that rear visibly isn’t great,which is why the rear view camera is absolutely necessary to help with parking. It’s not a big car to park, it does require care. Gone are the days of grainy views guessing what different shades of grey might represent, with this new HD camera, you can clearly see what’s happening out the back.

Auto Stop/Start works brilliantly. Lane assist not so much. You can turn it off but when you use cruise control, it seems to be part of the system and is distracting.

It’s a brilliantly put together car, and in my opinion, the best that Japan has to offer. It’s got the right design inside and out, the nav system works well with the latest software and it’s very simple to use. Other Japanese manufacturers, please take note. This is a great looking car which handles brilliantly.

Special mention : Bose stereo, driving position, quality materials, manual gear shift, big car feel, high quality rear camera.

Needs work : Visibility is limited in the rear . You really need the reversing camera to assist in parking maneuvers.   (There are rumours of the Skyactiv-X coming to Ireland soon, so keep your eyes peeled).

Specs:

Max Power 122ps	Petrol / Manual
0-100 km/h in 10.4s	Road Tax € 200.00
Mazda3 starts at €26,295Model as specc’d €31,495	Boot Space 364 litres/ 1,263 litres