We like the Mazda 3. In fact, we like it a lot. Our previous encounter with the Japanese hatchback earlier this year introduced us to the all-new 2.0-litre e-Skyactiv G engine that has built-in cylinder deactivation technology and mild hybrid assistance.
The absence of a turbo ensures modest power (120bhp) and performance – but the trade-off for owners is strong, real-world economy that can creep into the high forty miles per gallon on a long, motorway run.
In a change for 2025 model-year versions, the 2.0-litre is being replaced by a larger 2.5-litre unit that develops 138bhp. Again, cylinder deactivation features along with the m-Hybrid mild hybrid energy recovery system. Unlike the motor it replaces, there is more usable torque from lower down the rev range, and once above 2,500rpm, acceleration strength moves up another level.
The 0-62mph sprint is now 0.9 seconds faster with the manual gearbox in the Mazda 3, with the automatic cutting the time by one whole second. Apart from a rather raucous note on cold start up, in-car refinement is great as noise, vibration and harshness characteristics are all better.
Up-sizing is not all that common nowadays but, as we have found out, Mazda tends to like to do things its own way. This latest development, it says, allows for a larger combustion chamber, meaning more space for an efficient and powerful combustion process, lower emissions, and high levels of torque to improve driving feel.
This Volkswagen Golf and Vauxhall Astra challenger has also received multiple improvements to its solidly built and stylishly penned cabin. Arguably the biggest – and most useful – is ‘Alexa Voice Assistant’, a system that can accept, and act on, a drivers’ oral commands.
To get going, you first need to confirm if you would like Alexa to be your default voice-based system before logging into your Amazon account by using the QR code shown on the central display or by manually inputting the code by visiting amazon.com/code. Once done, you follow the prompts on your smartphone and do the same on the screen to complete the process before selecting the push-to-talk preferences. If it all goes smoothly (and it did for us) it should take only a few minutes.
Awakened and then operated via the voice recognition button on the slim-rimmed steering wheel, Mazda claims this function makes interacting with your car “as comfortable as talking to your best friend”. Initially, the system found it a tad difficult to understand this writer’s local dialect but after a few attempts, his perseverance was rewarded meaning functions like operating the air con and fan speed could be executed without lifting your eyes off the road. You can also decide on which vent you want hot or cold air to billow from, and what re-circulation works best, such as automatic.
In short, when you are on the move, there is never any need to reach for the control panel and the same applies when it comes to telling the satellite navigation where you want to go and how you would prefer to get their (shortest possible route or toll road?). And if you have allowed the system to know your exact location, this feeds into the meteorological information you receive and what is making the news and sporting headlines in the area you just so happen to be at any given time.
And to help keep your car’s mapping system remain up-to-date, the 10.25-inch dash-mounted screen can receive the latest software over-the-air, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the long overdue addition of USB Type-C charging ports, completing the changes on the latest Mazda 3.
This is accessed from a brilliant driving position made all the better thanks to a good range of seat and steering wheel adjustment. As for the dash, it is both fuss-free and nicely presented, while the clutch and accelerator are perfectly weighted and the gear lever has a resistance-free action.
