Mazda 3 Sportback: Entry-level was never this good

At P1.32 million, this isn’t the most affordable compact unit out there, but if you’ve been drooling over the hatchback body — Mazda actually calls it the Sportback — let me tell you why it’s worth every centavo.

Inside and out, this entry-level hatchback just exudes luxury, from the way the map light begins faintly glowing before hitting full brightness, the curt and crisp sound of the turn signals, to how the glove compartment gently opens and doesn’t just drop down, it’s plain to see that a lot went into putting it all together. Let's take a look at the Mazda 3 1.5L A/T Sportback Elite.

Exterior

Mazda zoom-zoomed in 2003 with this model and they truly outdid themselves again with this fourth-generation unit. They took the look of the Kai concept car from 2017 and used their nine-year-old Kodo design concept to make the body of the all-new 3.

Save for the strakes and very subtle air channels on the fascia, there are virtually no other breaks or pinches on the sheet metal, which gives it one of the sleekest exterior bodies you’ll see on the road today.

But what designers are most proud of is how smooth the side panels are and the way they’re rounded out where the character lines are supposed to be. The effect is a mirage-like play of hue and texture using light and shade, which constantly changes depending on the angle and reflection of the light.

To enhance the stance, wheels are now positioned flush along the sides and a new appendage under the rocker panel has been added to reduce what designers call "chipping" noise from the road.

It has an extra wide grille — this time with black, glossy trim borders and looks a lot better with mesh than the slats in the previous generation. I just wish there was a way to put the license plate below the grille instead of on it because ruins the look.

The headlamps are slimmer and look absolutely gorgeous with a darker shade and comes with daytime running lamps.

Swing around the rear setup and it’s just as dazzling. It has a sexy spoiler extending from where the roof ends, and then the beautiful compact hatch that opens via a latch located under the logo. There are two exhaust pipes, a blacked-out and glossy lower rear panel, and taillights with a deep dark red finish around it to match its Soul Red Crystal color.

Look at the photo and see the finish and glow of the side and rear quarter panel. It still has sheen three days since it was last washed and used daily under rainy conditions.

Interior

Everything down to the key fob is so ingeniously designed that even the handle is shaped so that the lock/unlock buttons are discreetly tucked along the sides. Just reach for the door to unlock or touch the right side of the outer handle to lock.

The new-gen hatchback body is now shorter in overall length by 11mm but, surprisingly, the wheelbase grew by 25mm. That means it’s more compact yet with a bigger cabin, but it looks small once you step inside.

Its low ceiling is the main culprit. It does give off that sports car vibe but I needed to crouch down to get in. Despite the low-slung body though, it negotiates heavily angled ramps without grazing the underbody.

The cabin is curated to look like an upmarket unit. This multi-level dashboard design and make up belongs in a two-million-peso car with padded surfaces, visible stitching, well placed and understated chrome and glossy black trim.

Even the orientation of the buttons and switches were cleverly devised to make operation as clear and easy as possible (of special note is the climate controls’ horizontal layout).

It comes with an 8.8-inch LCD display that Mazda has switched to a non-touch unit for safety. Use the Command Control rotary dial by the center tunnel to navigate the operating system from connectivity options, navigation, various settings, including the menu for the eight-speaker infotainment system.

There is nothing is out of place in the cabin and every single layer and component fits firmly together, giving off a very premium fit and feel.

Seats are only leatherette with an all-black motif, accommodates five, but does not have substantial legroom. Even the cargo hold appears to only fit three to five medium-sized bags.

But  for a base hatchback model, it already has an electric glass sunroof.

Engine

What makes the 1.5-liter petrol SkyActiv engine simply wow is its high compression ratio of 13:1. There’s a lot of math involved and I’m not going to take you through that but it essentially means that there’s more force exerted on the piston and more thermal energy generated for the same amount of fuel.

And that is exactly how it felt from behind the wheel. Granted, I had to go a little heavier during overtaking maneuvers but the figures — 108hp and 146Nm of torque — don’t really paint a picture of how well the power is managed.

Response is way better than a small-displacement turbo engine because there is no lag and the rush is instantaneous. It comes off swiftly from standstill and accelerates smoothly through the SkyActiv-Drive six-speed automatic transmission.

Ride and handling

The ultra-high-strength steel it uses makes the body three percent more rigid than before. Add to that its low center of gravity and handling becomes almost sports car-like with very little rollover effect on the body around fast corners.

There will be some stiffness as a trade-off, especially around potholes and cracks on road surfaces, but nary any noise, vibration and harshness gets through the new two-wall structure between the body and floor carpeting.

Verdict

Elegant looks, drives like a roadster, feels like it's turbocharged, comes with luxury-level cabin appointments and, best of all, fuel efficient — capable of hitting 18kpl on the highway, but averaged out to 8kpl on seven working days along EDSA.

The only thing is that it’s not as affordable, but trust me, there isn’t a finer entry-level mass market subcompact out there today.

Photos by Eric Tipan