We tested quite a few absolute delights on our snow-ridden Belgian roads recently, and one of these gems was the Mazda3MPS. One might think that a 260 horsepower 2.3 engine let loose on two front wheels is too hot to handle, well, the (snow) white Mazda test car proved quite the opposite.

Hans Knol ten Bensel  

Well mannered 

The engine surprised us with uncanny docility, being happy to pull away smoothly from 900 rpm onwards, and did not protest to  long city driving in almost standstill (snow) traffic. Fortunately, the test car was shod with winter tyres, which proved their worth in the many very slippery hilly city roads in Brussels, which were left untouched by the road services. On the (snow free) open road, the engine could show its mettle, and acceleration was delightfully smooth throughout the rev range, with power setting in gradually, albeit with a lot of urge.

Understandably, as one knows that the engine is (force)fed by a single-scroll turbo charger. Torque of the 2.3-litre DISI engine is about 10 percent higher at 3,000 rpm, because of the cooling effect caused by injecting petrol directly into the combustion chamber. The engine is optimized even further by the introduction of a new bonnet scoop.   

Smooth and fast

The Mazda pilot can monitor the turboboost under acceleration... if he has the time!

The excellent torque characteristics of the engine with no sudden power surges were realized by adjusting the electronic throttle and intake volume, readjusting how the electronic boost pressure system interacts with the car’s torque-sensitive super-limited slip differential (LSD) and optimizing the left and right drive shafts to minimize torque steer.

The excellent torque is very well supported by well-chosen gear ratios, and the figures amply show this : the Mazda will catapult you from 0 to 100 in a mere 6.1 seconds and suffice to say that in any gear the car will sprint forward with uncanny urge. The car will speed further to a top of 250 kph. Alas, we could not use this delightful power very often, the 90 km imposed « smog » limit on Belgian motorways during the test forcing us to glide along at a mere 2000 rpm in sixth gear. The MPS was able to show its frugality under these conditions, and even with a more than fair amount of city traffic, the test average of just below 9 litres/100 km proved amply the point.

Daily delight

Pleasant, easy to use controls and an excellent sound system...

The daily pleasure in driving this Mazda starts already with firing up the engine. Like any true thoroughbred befits, the idle sets in at close to 2000 rpm (when cold of course) and a deep growl accompanies you while you settle in behind the wheel. The sporting seats do not squeeze you uncomfortably, and soon you will find a proper seating position. The controls are well placed, and also very well lit at night. The gearlever sits close at hand, and in good Asian tradition the gearbox has an exact and positive feel. With a beautiful growl one sets off, the clutch being also reasonably progressive.

The car steers with good precision, and the chassis copes quite well with the ample torque and power, showing neutral behaviour. The suspension is not unduly hard, and the car can be used on fast and long journeys with ease.

We liked of course the amenities like seat heating, and the easy to use and powerful Bose audio equipment. (A 10-speaker Bose® premium surround-sound system )The « aux » entrance is lodged in the central console « box », where a PM3 player can fit in nicely, together with several audio CD’s. Unfortunately, the box is not lit and very dark at night, making it very difficult to find the « aux » imput jack, even with the central roof light on, which you mask anyway while opening the central console box. Amplification of the « aux » signal is excellent, by the way, as one would expect from a system of this quality.

Zoom, zoom, with safety…

The car is well finished and laid out with good taste. We liked the touch of the leather steering wheel, the classic round dials, the finish and stitching patterns of the leather seats.  We already mentioned the excellent handling of the car, with torque reactions however being felt on wet surfaces when accelerating (very) hard. Suffice to say that when developing the MPS, the Mazda Motor Europe’s engineering team (based in Oberursel, Germany) spent weeks with the new conducting test-drives all over Europe to establish just right the ‘European’ suspension and steering settings that will ensure the new flagship model meets the demands of European customers. They focused on making the new model exceptionally easy to drive under the following four situations that are prevalent in Europe: high speed driving on the motorway, bad weather conditions including strong winds and heavy rain, poor road surface conditions, and merging traffic on main roads.Extensive testing on the Nürburgring Nordschleife was done, and this indeed this shows in the handling and balance of the car.

Electronic brake assist replaces the former mechanical assist, and works with four-wheel ABS and dynamic stability control (DSC), all standard equipment. But there is more: A new adaptive front lighting (AFS) system with pivoting bi-xenon headlamps illuminates the curves at night. One  always knows the status of their tyre pressure as well, with the introduction of a new tyre pressure monitoring system

We appreciated very much a rear-vehicle monitoring system (RVM) that warns the driver before he changes lanes when a car is approaching from the left or right rear, or is in the blind spot, which is also standard, as is an emergency stop signal (ESS) that flashes the hazard lights if the driver suddenly and strongly brakes in traffic. A parking sensor system makes it easy to park in tight spots.

We – and with this I mean the Association of Belgian Car Journalists of which I am a proud member, - gave Mazda Belgium a safety prize for offering this rear-vehicle monitoring system (RVM) on a car in the segment of the Mazda3.

Our conclusion? If you want a very fast compact hatch outside the obvious choices, then just try the Mazda3 MPS for a change...

Hans Knol ten Bensel

The Mazda3 MPS is very well finished, including a leather covered steering wheel...

... and seats.