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of torque (17 more horsepower than the
outgoing 2.5).
Styling-wise, the new 3 embodies Mazda’s
Kodo “soul of motion” design philosophy,
which has been well received in the CX-5
and Mazda6. The Mazda3 takes cues from
both, with gracefully flowing lines and a
nice sense of motion. It also achieves the
designer’s dream trifecta of lower height,
greater width, and shorter overall length
on a longer wheelbase than the previousgeneration car, giving it an assertive,
planted stance. Gone is the old 3’s smiling
visage, replaced by a chrome-highlighted
grille that cuts deep into the bumper and
strikes a pleasing compromise between
aggressive and happy-looking.
Open the door and things get even better.
It’s probably fair to say that people bought
the previous-generation Mazda3 despite
its interior, not because of it — it wasn’t
a bad place to spend time, but its plain,
almost unadorned style couldn’t compare to
competitors. It was also a little tight in the
back seat. The 2014 Mazda3 fixes that with
all-new materials and a sophisticated style
that appears to borrow some of i ts design
aesthetic from the latest BMW 3 Series
(especially the freestanding infotainment
screen). The dash top is soft surface, as are
the front-door uppers, and the rigid plastics
used elsewhere are well matched and good
looking. Different models get different
instrument layouts and trim, including
piano-black and brushed-aluminum look,
and the overall effect in my test car was
quite pleasing.
The basics are properly taken care of,
with well-organized controls, good
outward visibility, comfortable seats,
and a reasonably powerful and intuitive
infotainment system. This system can
integrate Facebook and Twitter feeds as
well as apps like aha and Stitcher radio, and
it uses a controller knob similar to BMW’s
iDrive or Audi’s MMI for interfacing
with the system when the car is in motion
(touchscreen commands are available when
the car is stopped).
Rear-seat space has been somewhat
improved over the previous-generation car,
and with the front seat set to fit my 5-foot11 frame the back still had enough legroom
for me to sit comfortably, knees just barely
brushing the seatback. Cargo space is a
reasonably generous 350 litres in the sedan,
and split-folding seatbacks provide good
versatility. Hatchback models have 572
litres of cargo space, or 1,334 litres with the
rear seats folded.
On the road the new Mazda3 doesn’t
disappoint, delivering a composed ride
together with responsive handling.
Electric-assist power steering is used for
its fuel economy benefits, and to ensure
the steering didn’t end up feeling numb
as a result, the design team dialed in twice
as much caster angle as in the previous
generation car for a geometry more typical
of a sports car or a rear-drive sedan.
The results seem to be as promised: the
Mazda3’s steering weight ramps up nicely
as you dial in more angle, and the feedback
is surprisingly good.
My manual-equipped 2.0L GS test
car had a light, easily modulated clutch
and a very slick-shifting gearbox with
reasonably short throws. Acceleration
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from the 2.0-litre engine is lively without
being stunning (its 0-100 km/h time is
about 8.5 seconds), but what impressed
me is just how willingly the engine pulls
no matter the revs — this is a function of
the SKYACTIV engine’s broad, flat torque
curve. With the manual transmission the
city/highway fuel consumption ratings for
the 2.0-litre are 6.8 / 4.8 L/100km (a more
than 20-percent improvement over the
previous-generation 2.0-litre), and I saw
real-world consumption of 7.9 L/100km in
mostly city driving.
Pricing-wise Mazda is determined to keep
the 3 competitive and so most prices carry
over from the previous-generation model.
Three trim levels are offered: GX, GS and
GT, in either sedan or Sport (hatchback)
configuration.
With its upscale interior, powerfully
efficient engines, crisp driving dynamics,
and abundant available features the 2014
Mazda3 is a very likeable car, and I think
it’s one of the better-looking compacts
out there, too. It deserves to be on the list
of contenders for anyone shopping in the
compact segment.