I think Mazda's upped the ante with this model, it definitely looks fresher than the CX-5 and the CX-3. It has that whole tapered, sporty back thing going on that really updates their old shape.
It’s more in the Toyota C-HR territory looks-wise, but not too crazy, because it’s still Mazda and it still looks respectable enough for my mother to drive it.
Inside looks good, and I wouldn’t have guessed this was a base model on first glance. There are cloth seats which are comfortable and don’t feel budget at all.
But there is a fair bit of man-made material on the dash, doors and steering wheel which can bring things down a notch. Still, at this price I’d be more inclined to pick up this model for the modern styling than, say, a Mazda3 sedan.
The centre console is designed nicely and clearly set out, and even with the large controller for the multimedia the design is functional. It felt good to sit in on the road.