With the latest generation of the Model 3, the Japanese automaker Mazda brought us one of the nicest cars in its category. The Mazda 3 Hatchback is a very good car in terms of exterior design, which also drives great.
We currently subjected the Mazda 3 to the editorial test with the most powerful two-liter Skyactiv-G150 gasoline engine, which offered a respectable 110 kW of power (150 horsepower) and cooperation with a six-speed automatic.
Exterior – original hatchback body shapes
The latest generation Mazda 3 is offered in two body styles. It is a classic sedan and a hatchback tested by us. The sedan is a much more settled variant of this model and offers more elegance and calm, compared to the dynamics and ferocity of the tested hatchback.
The tested hatchback will offer very complete and relatively simple elegant shapes. The car also works effectively with the proportions and layout of individual parts within its body. The Mazda 3 hatchback has a relatively large body overhang in front of the front wheels and, in contrast, a very small overhang in the rear part. A certain optical balance of the car is then achieved by a massive and, as a result, excellent-looking "C" pillar.
The significant overhang of the front part is then underlined by the significantly cut headlights, which add ferocity and dynamism to the car. Of course, the front part must not be missing a bulky front mask. The just-mentioned headlights emerge very elegantly from its black trim.
The side profile is therefore dominated by the aforementioned overhangs and massive "C" pillar, and then a very low and sporty silhouette.
The rear part, like the concept of the whole car, is very calm, working with individual proportions and details. These mainly include the rear taillights with a circular motif, or the relatively voluminous yet understated lollipop of the fifth door. This entire section is then traditionally underlined by a pair of chrome exhaust tips.
The Mazda 3 in the tested hatchback body variant is definitely a very good car in terms of external appearance, its shapes are original, dynamic and definitely pleasing.
Comfortable and ergonomically well-functioning interior
The dashboard of the car looks very clean and elegant, moreover, it is well made and has a lot of softened surfaces. Its orientation towards the driver is then clearly visible, as the instrument panel itself merges into a pair of air conditioning vents and thus forms a single, driver-oriented, compact unit.
As with classic atmospheric engines, Mazda is faithful to the "old" proven classics in the interior as well. That's why you'll find here, for example, a classic air conditioning display, which is accompanied by ordinary buttons. Furthermore, we have a very functional and classic control of the on-board infotainment display using a circular controller, which works simply and intuitively. What I greatly appreciate is the presence of the new 8.8-inch wide on-board infotainment display, which will also offer new and sufficiently clear graphics.
The tested piece was equipped with a six-speed automatic, i.e. the traditionally praised manual transmission lever, here replaced by an automatic selector. Its operation is very precise and pleasantly quiet. The automatic selector will also offer the option of manual shifting.
In conjunction with the automatic transmission, the central tunnel is also equipped with a controller that activates the sports mode of the transmission. The transition to sports mode is then clearly visible, the automatic downshifts much earlier and more forcefully and holds individual speeds longer.
Another pleasant element of the interior of the tested car was the multifunctional steering wheel itself. It traditionally has a subtle crown and a very attractive layout of the individual controls.
You sit really low behind the wheel of the three, and the dashboard and central tunnel surround you pleasantly. The front positions therefore offer plenty of space, with the rear positions it is already a little worse in places above the head. Here, the beauty toll is clearly visible in the form of the car's lowering roof.
The luggage compartment itself offers a basic volume of 330 liters, after folding the backrests 1019 liters.
The long-standing spirit of Jinba Ittai, in which the automaker tries to connect the driver and the car with the help of great ergonomics, works very well in the new Mazda 3.
More powerful gasoline engine and six-speed automatic
Mazda continues to stick to naturally aspirated engines, so the basis offered is the two-liter G122 gasoline engine, which produces 90 kW. This motorization is also tuned to 110 kW under the name G150. The third motorization offered, which we also informed you about in our tests, is the relatively recently introduced Skyactiv – X motorization, which combines the properties of a gasoline and combustion engine.
We have currently tested the stronger of the pair of two-liter engines, i.e. the G150 motor with a power of 110 kW (150 hp) and a torque of 213 Nm.
The tested gasoline engine had the M hybrid system, this is a 24V mild-hybrid system that can collect electrical energy through recuperation and store it in the battery for subsequent use. A car with this technology cannot run purely on electric energy, but it can use it to run its electrical circuit. As a result, for example, the engine shuts off earlier when reaching an intersection. So, the two-liter atmosphere tries to be economical, but in the numbers game, it is no longer such a glory. With the more powerful two-liter, I was using around 6.8 l/100km during the weekly test.
The Mazda 3 continues to be a driver's car. The tested stronger two-liter naturally aspirated gasoline engine reaches its performance at 6000 revolutions per minute, and the peak torque is then at the limit of four thousand. It is therefore clearly evident from these numbers that this is an engine that loves revs. Add to that a rather stiffer chassis and steering that provides excellent response from the front wheels, and you have the makings of an excellent driving experience.
For a 100% driving experience, I would personally choose a six-speed manual. Although the six-speed automatic is very comfortable and shifts smoothly most of the time (in addition, it can also be switched to sports mode), somehow it seems to me that it slightly detracts from the sporty spirit of the tested three. And that's a real pity for this car.
Conclusion
The base price of the Mazda 3 Hatchback with the G122 gasoline engine is CZK 555,900 including VAT. The more powerful gasoline G150 with a six-speed manual can be purchased from CZK 655,900 including VAT, with the tested automatic from CZK 720,900 including VAT. In the case of Mazda, the higher purchase prices are usually paid off by the already richly equipped basic versions.
So the Mazda 3 is still a driver's car, the weaker two-liter G122 engine I tested earlier brought me a lot of joy, with the G150 it's even a little better. I admit that I often remembered the previously tested manual, although the automatic is very comfortable, but I would personally choose a manual for such a sporty car. The "Trojka" hatchback is therefore a car that not only drives great, but also looks great, and is equipped with an ergonomically well-functioning and attractive interior.
Source: Author's text
Image source: Author's own photos
