MAZDA, a maker famed for its class-leading sports cars, is venturing into the hot hatch market – but with a difference. discovers the Mazda3 MPS.

Hot hatch. Wouldn’t touch one with the proverbial barge pole for fear of being branded a boy racer hoodie?

It doesn’t have to be like that, as Mazda’s new 3 MPS proves.

MPS is the designation Mazda is giving to the sportier versions of its model range and first saw the light of day in Mazda 6 format. Now the marque’s five-door hatchback gets the treatment, and quite an eye opener it is.

We all know that Mazda makes stunning sports cars - the unequalled MX-5 and the RX-8 are the best-selling cars of their type in the UK, and for good reason.

Well, the makers are claiming that the 3 MPS will handle and perform just as well as its cousins. And they might have a point.

No-one will claim the Mazda3 MPS is a beautiful car, or even pretty. While it retains all the Mazda family design rules, it won’t ever win any 'Best Looking in Class' awards.

But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. While it’s going up against the likes of the Golf GTi, Focus ST, Astra VXR, Honda Civic Type R and Seat Leon Cupra R, it doesn’t look overly like a hot hatch, meaning it might well attract a slightly older buyer - the type who still yearns for speed and on-rails cornering while driving with due care and responsibility.

And it does drive well. Actually, maybe too well.

The turbocharged 2.3 litre petrol engine reaches 62mph in just 6.1 seconds and tops out at 155mph and the handling and steering are precise and effortless. And therein lies the, albeit minor, flaw. It is engineered so well that it takes a tiny bit of fun out of the driving experience.

Even Mr (or Mrs) Responsible occasionally likes to feel that they have forced their car through a particularly testing corner, that the car stayed straight and true because of their driving skill. I never quite experienced that in the 3 in the same way that I did in the Focus, for example.

Maybe that criticism is a little unfair, given Mazda’s target buyer. But in such a competitive market sector, small differences are crucial.

It may well be that the price more than makes up for that very minor disappointment. When the Mazda goes on sale at £18,995 next month it will be almost a full £2,000 cheaper than the Golf or Focus.

Of its immediate rivals, only the three-door Honda Civic will be cheaper. Add a Sports Styling Pack (lowered suspension, larger rear spoiler and two-spoke sports door mirrors) and the price goes up to £19,495.

But that doesn’t mean you miss out with the base model.

For your money you get (deep breath!): 18-inch alloy wheels with low profile tyres; sports styling with unique grille, bonnet, bumpers, side skirts and rear spoiler; body-coloured door handles; electric/heated door mirrors; body-coloured mirror housings; tinted glass; Xenon headlamps with automatic levelling; front fog lights; automatic lights and rain sensing auto wipers and chrome exhaust tailpipe.

Inside you get MPS-branded sports seats with black leather side bolsters and centre sections in black sports cloth; 60/40 split folding rear seat; centre armrest with storage and cup holders; leather steering wheel, gear knob and handbrake lever; height and reach adjustable steering wheel; BOSE® Premium audio system with six-CD autochanger and seven speakers; steering wheel mounted audio controls; trip computer and stainless steel scuff plates.

Jimmy Cricket will love this car, because there’s more!

Remote central locking and dead locks, folding jack-knife key, electric front and rear windows, climate control automatic air conditioning and power steering and cruise control all come as standard as well.

Only 1,000 Mazda3 MPS models will be available in the UK. The hot hatch market is a tough playground.

Mazda is playing a canny game by issuing a limited number and aiming at a slightly different niche. Time will tell, but they might just have come up with another winner.

FACTFILE

Mazda3 MPS

PRICE: £18,995 - on the road

INSURANCE GROUP: 17E

CO2 EMISSIONS: 231g/km

PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 5.9s Top speed 155mph

FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined)29.1mpg

STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: DSC, TCS, ABS with EBD, Dual Stage Front Airbags, Side Airbags, Seatbelt Pretensioners, Collapsible Steering Column.