| Taking my terrier for a walk is never a | | | | and hooded main dials are well protected from |
| relaxing experience. It's go, go, go all the | | | | light pollution, Alfa style. |
| way, with no time to sit back and admire the | | | | |
| scenery or even slow down for a second. | | | | Like all Mazdas, most displays are neat, |
| | | | simple and easy to follow, though some of the |
| Much like taking the Mazda3 MPS hot hatch for | | | | heat-ventilation markings are confusing and |
| a spin, really. With a jaw-dropping 256bhp | | | | set low down. |
| from a turbocharged 2.3-litre turbocharged | | | | |
| four engine, there's an almost obscene amount | | | | The worrying thing for Mazda is that although |
| of power to tap into for such a modest-sized | | | | it's hottest of the hot, today's opposition |
| five-door. | | | | has some really high-grade contenders, many |
| | | | of which actually look more impressive. |
| And performance is equally as devastating - a | | | | |
| lightning 6.1 seconds from standstill to | | | | The Focus ST, Golf GTI and Astra VXR all have |
| 62mph, making this the quickest hatch around | | | | more presence than the Mazda, which has |
| and a limited 155mph top speed that's | | | | rather unconvincing side skirts, fussy bumper |
| comfortably more than double the legal limit. | | | | adornments around the foglamps, a rear |
| | | | spoiler and big-bore exhaust. And there's no |
| Yes, the Mazda3 MPS is very, very quick ad it | | | | three-door version, usually favoured by hot |
| also proves itself a compulsively attacking | | | | hatch purists. |
| drive - this is one car that doesn't really | | | | |
| want or deserve to trundle around town and | | | | On a purely practical note, the Mazda 3 MPS |
| belongs out on the open road. | | | | has a wide, unobstructed and useful boot and |
| | | | an easy-release system ensures the rear seat |
| Flooring the accelerator and lifting the | | | | tip forward easily to free up more space. |
| clutch is a brave thing to do on a car like | | | | |
| this and I was rightly wary of the power | | | | But there's no double-tumble action, so the |
| blitz this unleashes. The initial | | | | load space ends up almost flat rather than |
| disappointment is that there just isn't | | | | horizontal. |
| enough steering feedback dialled in at lower | | | | |
| speeds, which distances the driver from | | | | As an understated hot hatch with the most, |
| what's happening between tyres and tarmac. | | | | the Mazda3 MPS is a firebrand that can see |
| | | | off all class rivals on the road. But its |
| But steering does firm up better at higher | | | | low-key image could prove a curse rather than |
| speeds and there's the bonus of a | | | | a blessing in a market where image really |
| lightning-quick, springy six-speed gearbox to | | | | counts. |
| whip through the changes as you progress. | | | | |
| | | | Factfile: |
| But with traffic as it is on our roads, I | | | | |
| rarely got the chance to sit the car | | | | * Mazda3 MPS sports hatch, £18,995 |
| comfortably in top gear for long without | | | | (£19,495 with Sports Aero Kit). |
| having to change down, though this would | | | | |
| obviously be a bonus on a long-haul journey. | | | | * BOSE sound system standard on all MPS |
| | | | models. |
| Manoeuvring the little Mazda is a consistent | | | | |
| pleasure. The hatch tackles everything with | | | | * Most powerful front-drive car on the |
| supreme confidence that you can throw at it | | | | market, with 0-62mph in 6.1 seconds and |
| and relishes the opportunity to snap through | | | | electronically-limited 155mph top speed. |
| bends while remaining stubbornly horizontal | | | | |
| rather than dropping a shoulder. There's a | | | | * Powered by 2.3-litre, four-cylinder engine |
| huge amount of reassuring grip, and the | | | | with a turbocharger and advanced |
| balance is there to add to the driving | | | | direct-injection spark ignition. |
| experience. | | | | |
| | | | * Class-leading 260PS and 380 Nm of torque. |
| Ride is generally good for this type of car - | | | | |
| bumps are more heard than felt - and firm but | | | | * Stiffer springs, larger anti-roll bars and |
| comfortable, supportive sports seats are | | | | high-performance dampers. |
| finely adjustable, shoring you up in all the | | | | |
| right places. | | | | * MPS-branded sports seas, leather-wrapped |
| | | | steering wheel, gearknob and handbrake. |
| Inside, the MPS is sportily themed without | | | | |
| going overboard into boy racer territory. A | | | | * Climate control air-con, high-power Xenon |
| bulky but low-lying black dashboard is | | | | headlamps, auto lights and rain-sensing |
| adorned with a grey and silver centre stack | | | | wipers. |