Little big brother

The Mazda3 was born with ambitions way above the traditional econo-hatch station occupied by its Etude and 323 predecessors – this one was going to be as good as the best European offerings - and in most ways it succeeded in that. Now it’s just gotten a little better with a mid-life nip and tuck and a new 2.3-litre engine to top the range until the fire-breathing turbocharged MPS hits the streets a little later this year.

The new 2.3-litre Individual model comes as a sedan or the 5-door hatch you see here, which they call a ‘Sport’. Funny that. With its raised roof-line and stretched ‘cab-forward’ cabin, you’d almost swear it wanted to be an MPV carting kids around. Well, if you don’t like it, you might feel more at home in the more low-slung sedan, which is probably more deserving of the ‘Sport’ label.

The big drawcard to this version is its new 2.3-litre engine poached from the bigger Mazda6, albeit detuned slightly – you lose 7kW and 4Nm. Though doing without the direct fuel injection and turbocharging found in the MPS versions, the multi-valve unit still ranks high in the technology stakes, with variable intake valves and a variable induction system that results in a flatter torque curve.

When put against the clock, this car left us a little confused, despite repeated attempts at getting a better time. From 0-100, it fell short of the 2-litre Mazda3 and mostly everything in its class. However, in the overtaking acceleration tests, its low-down torque delivery gave it some of the best times ever achieved within this class of car. What’s more, this car more than holds its own when the roads get twisty. While the ride quality was a little firm, but more than acceptable, the 3’s handling proved to be very tidy, and augmented by accurate, well-weighted steering with good feedback.

The interior makes the grade as far as equipment and functionality are concerned, but the hard and predominantly dark surfaces mean it’s no match for the VW Golf or Ford Focus when it comes to perceptive quality. Interior space is good, but not class leading, as is the 340-litre boot, and storage space within the cabin is more than adequate. There’s a good range of adjustment for the driver’s seat and steering wheel, but the over-sized central facia means your legs could feel a little claustrophobic in the foot well – this car certainly could use more knee-room on the driver side.

The 2.3 Individual’s standard features list is a long one. You get a tilt and slide sunroof, leather seats, climate control and sensor-activated automatic headlights and windscreen wipers. The only thing you might miss is cruise control. Safety is sorted by front, side and curtain airbags, but the car’s 4-star EuroNCAP rating falls slightly short of the standard in this class.

It’s very easy to recommend the Mazda3 2.3 Individual as a solid, practical and well-equipped package for the money, however our unit failed to procure the performance advantage we were expecting with its bigger engine size. We’re still looking forward to the MPS shaking up the hot hatch market, and perhaps you should save up a little more and wait for that instead…