DEBUT test driver discovers what it is like to step across the threshold of time from his 12-year-old vehicle into the new and improved machinery of today in the guise of the Mazda 3 2.0 Sport hatchback.

As the owner of a 1994 two-litre 16-valve car, I was intrigued when Mazda invited me to Sardinia for a two-day road test of their updated Mazda3 range.

This was the first time I have undertaken such a task and had just 48 hours to cross the generation and credibility gap created by the tectonic drift of 12 long years between the aforementioned vehicle, a Volkswagen Corrado, and present-day motoring technology.

After I headed for the Cagliari airport car park, laid out with a selection of Mazda3 models to choose from, I chose (as you do) the 2.0 Sport hatchback, a two-litre 16 valve petrol version and was given a credit-card sized key fob.

Except it lacked a key-shaped piece of steel for inserting into a lock anywhere.

I was told the car unlocks automatically when you are next to the vehicle. Great. Saves fumbling in pockets. Good idea there.

However, Japanese ingenuity defeated me on a home for the fob, as the only visible slot was the one for inserting CDs into the stereo, so I had to ask the question you never want to: 'How do you start it...?'

A smiling Mazda representative directed me to a chunky ignition lever on the steering wheel column.

It seems I have a lot to learn about modern metal - nowadays most high-spec vehicles such as this come supplied with technological additions described by a multitude of abbreviations such as ABS, EPS, EBD and the like.

This alphabet spaghetti poured into the spicy cooking-pot of the engine bay and chassis makes the Mazda 3 two-litre a whole bagful-of-weasels kind of fun on Sardinia’s twisting roads.

The solitude of the mountain passes ensured generous time and space to test out the operating limits of the freshly-tweaked engine and its newly beefed-up chassis.

It becomes an enjoyable passage of time seeking out the edge of the envelope as you swiftly tear along the switchback dotted edge from A to B in a quick tempo.

As you do so, the grin never slips off your face in the knowledge that getting lost - or hot under the collar - is not an option thanks to the clear and concise sat-nav console and the air conditioning (setting: arctic) built into the modern and stylish central column of the cabin.

This is fitted throughout in a tactile semi-matt leather trim and beneath the elegant symmetry of the centre column there is an ergonomically-placed centre-console twin cup holder.

This is the perfect location for those bottles of spring water which become essential, owing to all that dry-mouthed excitement, broken by frequent intervals spent gawping at Sardinia’s Cezannesque vistas.

In addition to all this, both model shapes - the five-door hatchback and four-door saloon - are equipped with a choice of alloy wheels (which house a set of decent brakes with a predictable and progressive feel) plus a cavernous boot.

Any caveats? The steering can be a bit light at times, with a fleeting sensation of oversteer if you ride the corners at pace, and being a two-litre 16 valve it can fall between the stools of on-tap performance and sluggishness if you change up too early (though easily remedied by changing back down - in third gear, the engine has a superb 'man for all seasons' torque range - be it overtaking, pootling in traffic or making light work of steep inclines.).

Oh, and on reaching instinctively for it - given the glorious Mediterranean climate - I discovered there was no sunroof.

All in all, the Mazda 3, in whatever guise you prefer - be it a 1.6 diesel saloon, or the 2.0 Sport hatchback or any of the other variants, it is a well-built ride with decent handling, peppery performance and a well-appointed cabin with all the screws properly tightened and few, if any, fiddly bits to glare at.

The Mazda 3 should be high on your list when deciding on your next mid-range hatchback or saloon.

Certainly, prior to the facelift and revamp, it was Mazda’s best-selling model range, and with several thousands of satisfied customers across Europe, you can’t go far wrong with this new and improved version.

FACTFILE:

Mazda 3 range

Prices: £10,800 - £15,750 on the road
Insurance groups: 3 to 8
CO2 emissions: 138 - 196g/km
Performance: [2.0 Sport] 0-60mph 9s
Fuel consumption: [2.0 Sport] (combined) 34.4mpg
Standard safety features: ABS with EBD, dual stage front airbags, side airbags, seatbelt pretensioners, collapsible steering column
Additional information: The Mazda3 series will have a new range-topping model in the first quarter of 2007, the 246bhp 2.3 MPS.