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  Some of the previous 3s have brought complaints of a little more interior noise than ideal, but the new 3 is smoother and quieter than its predecessor. Photo Gallery

• The Mazda3 SP25 carries a 2.5-litre four-cylinder with variable valve timing to make the most of both fuel economy and outputs.
• SP25's safety features list includes - stability control, anti-lock brakes, dual front, side and curtain airbags.
• Over a million kilometres of testing has sorted the 3's chassis out nicely - it's ride is firm.

The Mazda3 SP25 sits at the top of the Mazda3 range, until we get an MPS version.

The Mazda3 line-up has been a star in the strong, consistent performance of the Japanese carmaker’s passenger cars here, with sales reaching the million mark faster than any other of their models.

Drivetrain

The Mazda3 SP25 carries a 2.5-litre four-cylinder with variable valve timing to make the most of both fuel economy and outputs. This has allowed it to boost power and torque while maintaining pretty much the same claimed fuel consumption of 8.6l/100km and emissions of 204g/km.

Power is up 7kW at 122kW, while the torque has increased 24Nm to hit 227Nm, and can be tapped into 500rpm earlier, giving improved response earlier on the accelerator.

The engine is mated to a six-speed manual transmission, which drives the front wheels.

Appearance

It's immediately apparent that the new Mazda3 is a bigger vehicle, looking larger than the actual numerical increase would suggest.

The open-mouthed styling follows family lines and will be a little extreme for some, but it works for me.

Equipment and safety

If there's anything missing from the SP25's safety features list it's not obvious - stability control, anti-lock brakes, dual front, side and curtain airbags.

The standard equipment list is similarly good, including 17in alloy wheels, cruise control, bodykit, dual-zone climate control, satnav and Bluetooth, fog lights and a 6CD in-dash sound system controlled from the helm.

The satnav/audio/trip computer screen is small - 11cm - but is still clear, with the only gripe being its light reflecting off the dashboard and onto the windscreen at night, which might take a while to tune out.

Our test car had the Luxury pack option, which adds leather trim and a top-notch Bose 10-sp sound (with sub, that reduces bootspace to 300 litres) and a sliding centre console.

Driving

Firing up the car up is accompanied by tricky dash lighting that pulses as things get underway, as well as reacting to climate control changes, which is a neat touch for the kiddies.

The optional leather trim is nice and the seating is comfortable, although the MPS will want more lateral support if the SP25 is anything to go by.

Over a million kilometres of testing has sorted the 3's chassis out nicely - it's ride is firm but it is the sports model, so the payoff in the bends is worthwhile.

Cornering is one of the 3's strong-points and the chassis balance is well above shopping trolley status.

The six-speed manual is a light shifting gearbox, although not as clear-cut as some of the other Mazda manual models.

It's still a nice shift but Mazda has models that carry lofty shifting standards; the other problem is the close proximity of reverse to first gear.

The downward push for reverse isn't really enough to guarantee no mis-selected gears, so care is required to maintain the desired direction of travel.

The 2.5-litre engine is flexible and smooth, with enough torque to remove the need to keep revs in the top half of the tacho, unlike some of its opposition which require a bootfull of revs for any significant progress.

The 3 can accommodate four adults in comfort, or three rugrats across the rear bench.

The boot loses a little capacity (about 24 litres) with the subwoofer but has 300 litres on offer without it - which is still better than the segment yardstick, Toyota's Corolla's 283 litres.

Some of the previous 3s have brought comments of a little more interior noise than ideal, but the new 3 is smoother and quieter than its predecessor, having been given the once-over on the NVH front - which could explain some of the extra 46kg of weight.

Complaints about the 3 are few, beyond the thick rear pillar that restricts vision.

The new 3 feels solid and tough and it's easy to see why it has improved on its predecessor's small-car sales chunk.

Snapshot

Price: from $30,690.

Engine: 2.5-litre 16-valve DOHC four-cylinder.

Transmission: six-speed manual or five-speed automatic, front-wheel drive.

Power: 122kW @ 6000rpm.

Torque: 227Nm @ 4000rpm.

Fuel consumption: 8.6litres/100km, on test 11.3litres/100km, tank 60litres.

Emissions: 204g/km.

Rivals: Toyota Corolla Levin ZR, from $29,990; Hyundai i30, from $19,390; Mitsubishi Lancer, from $21,990.