2023 Mazda 3

The G20 Pure comes with the following standard features:

• 8.8-inch infotainment screen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and satellite navigation
• DAB+ digital radio
• Head-up display
• 16-inch alloy wheels
• LED head- and tail-lights
• Automatic headlights
• Automatic high beam
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter
• Electric parking brake
• Eight-speaker sound system
• Push-button start
• Power-folding exterior mirrors
• Electric windows
• Rain-sensing wipers
• 60/40 split-fold rear seat
• Air conditioning
• Tilt-and-telescoping steering column
• Tyre-pressure monitoring

Moving up to the G20 Evolve brings:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Dual-zone climate control
• Rear air-conditioning vents
• Paddle shifters (auto)
• Auto-dimming rear view mirror
• Rear seat armrest

The G20e Evolve receives the Vision Technology package as standard, plus:

• M Hybrid 24V mild hybrid system
• Keyless entry and start
• 10-way power driver’s seat with memory
• Auto-dimming driver’s mirror
• Exterior mirrors with memory and reverse tilt-down function

The G20 Touring moves the Vision Technology package back to the option list but receives black leather seats.

The G25 Evolve SP is based on the G20 Evolve, but also includes:

• 2.5-litre engine
• 10-way power driver’s seat with memory
• Keyless entry
• Exterior mirrors with memory and reverse tilt-down function
• Black 18-inch alloy wheels
• Black exterior mirrors and grille
• Black cloth seats with red accents

The G25 GT gains:

• Black leather seats
• Heated front seats
• Heated exterior mirrors

The G25 Astina and X20 Astina include:

• Surround-view camera
• 12-speaker Bose sound system
• Adaptive LED headlights
• LED daytime running lights
• Front cross-traffic alert
• Sunroof
• Front parking sensors
• Driver attention monitoring
• 18-inch alloy wheels with gloss-black finish (hatch only)
• Cruising and Traffic Support

The Mazda 3 is available in the following finishes:

• Platinum Quartz Metallic
• Sonic Silver Metallic
• Deep Crystal Blue Mica
• Jet Black Mica
• Snowflake White Pearl Mica

The following finishes cost an additional $495:

• Polymetal Grey Metallic
• Soul Red Crystal Metallic
• Machine Grey Metallic

In addition to a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, Mazda offers five years of capped-price servicing. Servicing is required every 12 months or 10,000km.

One topic much talked about of late has been turbocharging: specifically, the lack of it in Aussie-spec Mazda 3s.

It’s becoming a spectre that looms about the subject of the Mazda’s small-car experience on road, even if what it’s actually got is, for the most part, fairly decent.

The 2.5L four-pot has a typical naturally-aspirated character that’s quick in response if lacking a decent low-range shove as backup. It doesn’t lack for energy, per se, but it does make smooth driving off the mark more concerted than it ought to be.

As noted in past reviews, the inclusion of the conventional six-speed auto is nigh on a godsend, if mostly because the engine can make a bit of a racket under full load and you wouldn’t want the CVT to pin 4000rpm hard and long in your ears.

As a powertrain it’s smooth and refined, save for a strange and fairly faint buzzing vibration at a standstill with the transmission in drive, which is borderline annoying.

There’s a Sport mode to sharpen its senses and tighten the muscles, but given it makes throttle response perkier without injecting much in the way of extra tractive effort does leave it feeling a fit flustered and less useful than you might expect.

The steering is nice and clear, the oversized wheel adds a sheen of input accuracy and delicacy, though the weight is a touch hefty and the rack ratio a little slow. It’s no deal-breaker, mind, if a noteworthy observation.

Fidgety ride quality is a bit of a Mazda trait demonstrated widely throughout its stable, undoubtedly to inject a sporty feel to the drive.

The new ‘3’ has made strides in improving noise, vibration and harshness minimisation over its forebear and still stacks up quite well. The efforts injected into the hatch do bring about a sense of premium-ness in the driving experience.

There’s a real quality vibe to how it goes about traversing A to B patently lacking in some of its competition.

The available $1500 Vision Technology package, available on automatic G20 and G25 models, adds:

• Surround-view camera
• Cruising and Traffic Support
• Front parking sensors
• Driver attention monitoring

This equipment is standard on Astina models.

Mazda has previously said that stock of its 3 small hatch and sedan is a bit tight, with dealers not able to stock all grades and variants as yet.

The Mazda 3 competes in the declining small car segment where it competes against the ever-popular Toyota Corolla, as well as the Hyundai i30, Kia Cerato, Volkswagen Golf and Honda Civic.

In 2021 Mazda sold a total of 14,126 3 sedan and hatch models.

It was outsold by the Toyota Corolla (28,768 sales), Hyundai i30 (25,575 sales) and Kia Cerato (18,114 sales).

In many ways the Mazda 3 is a cut above the average, particularly in presentation, the amount and types of kit offered, and the safety features and upmarket vibe. In other ways, it does look expensive to buy and to run as a naturally-aspirated prospect with less-than-perfect torsion beam underpinnings.

Thus, it’s a mixed bag of what you hope a semi-premium small mainstream hatch might represent and room for improvement, particularly on the topic of turbocharging and chassis sophistication.

As it currently sits, and given there’s such a broad choice of trim and mechanical variation on offer, we’re more inclined to look further down the Mazda 3 range for its most compelling blend of quality and value.

It took two years to design the side profile of the current-generation Mazda 3 according to the Mazda North America director of design, Julien Montousse.