REVscene Automotive Forum - 2014 Mazda 3 - we go from stupid smiley to puppy dog with big nose.

Driving.com REVIEW: 2014 Mazda3 hatch

HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. — For Mazda Canada, no other vehicle in its stable is as important as the Mazda3 — it accounts for more than half of all sales. This means reworking the crown jewel has to be done very carefully. An evolutionary upgrade may satisfy the loyal, but it does little to conquest new buyers. Push too far and there is a risk of alienating all. In redesigning the third-generation Mazda3, the stylists got it about as right as it gets — edgy without being over the top.

As such, it’s a much sharper-looking car than the outgoing model, which was no slouch in the looks department either — I liked the smiley-faced grille, but that sentiment was far from universal. The latest Mazda3 has a much stronger, more expressive and planted appearance. While the sedan looks like a mini-Mazda6 (not a bad thing), the Sport (hatchback) has a much tidier look from the side and back-end — it has, to quote the lady bellhop, “a great bum.”

Regardless of the trim level selected (both versions are offered in GX, GS and top-line GT) all inherit a full slate of Mazda’s Skyactiv technologies. The underlying thrust is to improve the handling and overall efficiency of the car. In this instance, the Mazda3 grows significantly in stature. Not only does the body’s stiffness jump (31% for the hatch and 28% for the sedan), the wheelbase has been stretched by 60 millimetres to a long 2,700 mm and the car is 40 mm wider, all of which improves the handling and brings more interior space — the hatchback’s cargo capacity increases by 3.2 cubic feet. The Skyactiv technology also allowed the upsizing while reducing the Mazda3’s overall mass — on average the new car is 45 kilograms lighter than its predecessor.

The Mazda3 arrives with 2.0-litre and 2.5L Skyactiv-G engines, both of which are available with six-speed manual and six-speed automatic transmissions. The entry-level 2.0L engine delivers 155 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque, which is on par for the compact course and enough to deliver an enthusiastic drive. However, the larger engine puts better zest into the drive. With 184 hp and 185 lb-ft of torque on tap, this engine is stronger over its entire operating range. It pulls nicely in the low and mid-ranges without feeling strained. A big part of the new-found performance in both engines boils down to the outrageous 13:1 compression ratio and the 4-into-2-into-1 exhaust manifold — it is like a good old-fashioned header.

When the 2.5L engine is paired with the automatic transmission, it hauls the Mazda3 from rest to 100 kilometres an hour in 8.5 seconds and accomplished the more important 80-to-120-km/h passing move in 5.3 seconds. Both are strong times that do not come at the expense fuel economy — the 2.5L engine with the automatic transmission is rated at 7.2 litres per 100 kilometres in the city, which is a massive 2.0 L/100 km improvement over the outgoing engine.

Where the Mazda3 really impressed me was how it tackled the twists and turns running through the canyons northeast of Hollywood. There was very little body roll yet the ride was entirely comfortable. Likewise, the steering was sharp to the feel and it was perfectly weighted, which made corner carving a precise affair. More importantly, understeer has been moved so far out the Mazda3 has to be pushed to the limit to get it to plow and even then, it retains a degree of composure not expected of a front-drive car.

Remarkably, this was in the base 2.0L with a manual transmission and P205/60R16 tires. The Sport GT and its larger P215/45R18 tires took it to a higher level. Nobody is going to mistake the Mazda3 for a Miata and its sweet handling characteristics, but for a front-driver, the Mazda3 does an incredible impression and, as such, is without peer in the compact segment. On a scale of 1-10, the improvements ranks as a 10, and the previous car was darned good in its own right.

The sporty exterior flair flows gracefully into the redesigned cabin where the materials take a big step forward and there’s a raft of new technology. One of the neat features in the GT is a clear screen that rises up from of the top of the instrument binnacle — when the Active Driving Display screen is deployed it gives heads-up capability. Also on the uplevel models is a new central controller mounted on the centre console. It controls all of the information displayed in the seven-inch touchscreen — from the navigation to the multimedia system and everything in between. The screen also recognizes hand gestures like swiping and so on, which simplifies matters further.

The latest Mazda3 also adopts a broad array of safety technology — all are part of the Technology package on the top-line GT. Mazda’s i-Activsense is an all-encompassing system that uses radars and cameras to assist the driver. Blind spot monitoring and lane departure warning are new, as is high beam control and cross-traffic alert. Also new is Forward Obstruction Warning, a system that warns the driver if there’s an impending risk of a crash. If the crunch is unavoidable Smart City Brake Support, which is active between four and 30 km/h, softens the blow by applying the brakes should the driver fail to hammer the brake pedal.

As it stood, the Mazda3 was the benchmark in the compact segment being both sporty and family-friendly. The new car has been improved in every area — better looks, greater comfort (and the new seats do work very well with the suspension’s compliance), superior handling and decidedly perky performance. Throw in the vastly improved fuel efficiency, and Mazda has a recipe for success.