Mazda might be one of the most idiosyncratically Japanese brands there is, but this is a very European way of doing things: a car that looks like a painfully mild update on the outside, but with next-generation technology underneath. Mercedes-Benz would approve.
In many respects, the Mazda3 is a small car caught between two worlds. Styling-wise, especially. You might remember all the fuss about the brand's "Nagare" styling philosophy, the signature of one-time chief designer Laurens van den Acker - a look that was supposed to resemble liquid flowing across the body of the car. The Mazda3 was Nagare's most explicit expression in Mazda's mainstream lineup.
But Van Den Acker has gone to Renault and Nagare is on the way out, to be replaced in forthcoming models by something called Kodo - more sporty, less swoopy.
Late-2011's Mazda3 facelift was an attempt to bridge the gap between the two and I can't say it's worked all that well. As it was, the Mazda3 was idiosyncratic but honest; now, with the most obvious curves and creases smoothed away, it seems to be neither one thing nor the other. A bit bland - something you'd never have accused the old car of. That's a shame when the new Kodo generation - led by the CX-5 crossover this year - looks cohesive and striking.
Never mind. Because beneath the muddled exterior of this Mazda3 GSE is the maker's next-generation SkyActiv engine and transmission technology. The GSE is a brilliant drive and arguably the best car in the Mazda3 range, even if you forget about the eco-appeal and just focus on driving pleasure.
