Road Review: Mazda CX-3 (2016) Active Auto

We can now reveal that Mazda 2 was SA Car Fan’s 2016 Car of the Year, so it stands to reason that the slightly larger Mazda CX-3 would effuse these same qualities.  Mazda’s first small SUV in the segment dominated by Ford EcoSport and Nissan Juke is yet further proof that this Japanese manufacturer is on a roll, which after its divorce with Ford nobody would have predicted.

Longer and lower than its competitors but sharing almost identical widths, the Mazda CX-3 fields modern sharp lines with some of the Juke’s eccentric styling filtering through to the large grille and slim lights sculpted within a collage of angles.

The Mazda CX-3 however might be classified as an SUV but it leaves off a lot of the black plastic panels and scuff plates for a lean urban look. Ground clearance is the least in the segment and some steeper driveways still snag the front lip if approached without care. Even in Active spec, you wouldn’t accuse the CX-3’s visuals of cutting corners and always looks well groomed and confident, bound to pique some interest from other motorists.

One of the few cars still wielding a normally aspirated engine (a diesel is available in the higher model) Mazda CX-3 is adamant that its high-compression SkyActiv technology is every bit as good as turbo charging, and with a somewhat old fashioned configuration of 2.0-litres spread across 4 cylinders, we tend to agree.

Class-leading outputs are delivered across a gradual rev range in a quiet and smooth fashion. The six-speed auto might hold gears longer than the ‘boxes mated to turbo engines but that’s because torque is produced around 2800rpm – a whole 1000rpm later than the downsized turbo units. You might think this adversely affects fuel consumption but that’s a recent motoring fallacy and Mazda CX-3 gave us some of the best fuel figures in class.

Yet the Mazda’s secret weapon is not the balanced engine or the creased lines but rather the build quality evident every time you close a door, thumb the steering controls or come to face to face with a gravel road. Handling circumvents the squishy top-heaviness of other small SUV models and mimics the furious cornering of the Mazda 2.

You’ll know you’ve landed in the base model by its basic infotainment which excludes the conveniently located ergonomic scroll wheel and while it’s not as neat as systems fitted to the Opel Mokka, like the clear digital display behind the wheel  it has great viewing angles and truth be told with steering controls we never had to reach out and interact with it.

So what’s not to like? The air conditioning system (manual in the Active model) wheezes cold air with futile results and the Mazda CX-3 is tight in the back seat and on boot space.  At 264-litres its boot space is far less than the improved Juke and EcoSport – the Mazda 2 has a larger boot and is equally comfortable in the back seat.

The CX-3’s problem is that Mazda hasn’t quite decided where this car is positioned. As a small hatch rubbing shoulders with the Mazda 2 it offers a slightly raised seating position, unobstructed view ahead and pothole-proof tyres but as an SUV the dimensions are cramped. The best in class for now but we anticipate a far roomier version for the second generation.