Engine revolution

Mazda3 game-changer with e-Skyactiv X tech

I’d forgotten how much I liked this car. The Mazda3 is one of the best-looking hatchbacks you can buy – better looking than a Golf and the Ford Focus.

In a world in which cars tend to all look the same or at best share the same basic features, this Mazda stands out as being a bit different. There’s a hint of Alfa Romeo Alfasud in it and a line or two of Vauxhall Astra Mk2. It’s refreshing inside, too.

Mazda likes to do things differently and buck trends (as we’ll see under the bonnet in a moment) so it doesn’t fit the 3 with a huge touchscreen or a bank of 3D digital instruments. Instead there’s a small screen on top of the dashboard and conventional dials with only the central speedometer containing digitally displayed information in its centre.

No ambient lighting or other gimmicks. Just a straightforward attractive cabin that’s as well put together as any rival from Germany.