Mazda New Zealand seems to be embedding itself in environmental relevance. After years of having some of the thirstiest cars in their respective segments, the Japanese brand has gone all green with the introduction of SkyActiv technology.
First came the reduced-friction, high-compression engine and slick transmission in the Mazda3 GSE, and this month the whole SkyActiv package (engine plus lightweight chassis) arrives in the CX-5 crossover.
Change is a scary thing. So it's reassuring that Mazda continues with an old-school hot hatch like the $49,195 Mazda3 MPS. The 2.3-litre direct-injection turbocharged engine is from the gone-but-not-forgotten Mazda6 MPS. It goes extremely fast (0-100km/h in 6.1 seconds) and uses quite a lot of fuel, with combined consumption of 9.9 litres per 100km (on a good day). Demands premium unleaded, too.
I'm not sure how much power you can push through the front wheels, but it'll be slightly less than the Mazda's 190kW. The MPS engine has a delightfully linear character that fools you into thinking you can use all of the grunt, all of the time. Which you can't, because despite a limited-slip differential and an engine management system that limits torque output in lower gears, the MPS can still be a wild ride of turbo whoosh and torque-steer. The chassis is tied down tight: fantastic on smooth tarmac but worryingly interactive on undulating surfaces.
The Mazda3 MPS gives you performance anxiety and, for that reason, I've always loved it. Hot hatches on the whole have become more sophisticated and less interesting in the past decade, but the Mazda proves it's OK to go crazy now and then.
