It wouldn’t be understating the importance of the new Mazda3 to the Japanese manufacturer to declare it the company’s most important car in a generation. It’s largely tasked with reversing the fortunes of a company that has seen European sales slump from a high of 320,000 vehicles in 2008/2009 to 180,000 just three years later.

Following in the footsteps of other models in the Mazda range the new 3 is all flowing lines, tightly sculpted surfaces woven together to create a taught, purposeful stance. It’s a world away from the underwhelming design of the previous model and, in this increasingly competitive sector, it needs to be.

The net result is that Mazda have put together one of the best-looking cars in the class, whether you opt for the five-door hatch or the marginally more aerodynamic fastback.

There’s a choice of 99bhp 1.5-litre, 118bhp and 163bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engines or a 148bhp twin-turbo 2.2-litre diesel. The new 3 is a showcase for Mazda’s SkyActiv branding, which uses high-tech manufacturing methods and a reduction in the number of components to reduce weight and improve efficiency and handling, and is lighter, more efficient and better to drive than its predecessor.

That efficiency drive equates to a quoted 55.4mpg and 119g/km of CO2 for the 118bhp 2.0-litre version that I drove for the week. It’s also reasonably quick – although, of course, the car’s green credentials would suffer if you go chasing performance – with 62mph coming up in 8.9 seconds on your way to a top speed of 121mph.

So it’s pretty competent in a straight line then, but what about when those inconvenient corners start cropping up? Well, I’m pleased to say that’s where the new Mazad3 really excels. It’s nimble, fleet of foot (wheel) with excellent chassis control with excellent levels of grip.

The steering is positive and light, which means that it’s easy to exploit the talented chassis with confidence, while the brakes provide progressive and strong retardation.

The six-speed manual gearbox is a real joy, snappy with a nice, positive action.

The ride is absorbent, smoothing out all but the harshest of imperfections while the cabin is well insulated from wind, road and engine noise. It’s not quite on a par with, say, the VW Golf but the margins are very, very small.

The Sport Nav version that I drove came with plenty of kit including, unsurprisingly, sat nav with a seven-inch touchscreen, heated seats, keyless entry, parking sensors, head-up display (more on that later), Bose audio system with nine speakers and 18inch alloy wheels.

Options available on the Mazda3 includes the Safety which adds Land Departure Warning, automatic high beam assist and rear vehicle monitoring which alerts the driver if there is a vehicle approaching when reversing. I think the £700 price tag offers surprisingly good value for money. A theme that’s consistent right through the car.

The quality of the design and finish on the outside continues inside, with premium materials and excellent ergonomics. The instrument binnacle is dominated by a large rev counter with a digital speedometer in its centre. It’s flanked either side by displays carrying supplementary information.

Atop the centre console is the touchscreen with finger-friendly icons and largely intuitive functionality. It’s crisp, clear and easy to use. Below are the controls for the air con and just behind the gear lever is a jog dial which, I have to say, I found more convenient to use than the touchscreen.

I should just touch on the head up display (HUD), which is a small - about three by three inches - transparent screen that automatically rises up out of the top of the instrument binnacle. It displays your speed and, when programmed, sat nav directions. I’ve driven cars with HUDs before, with the information projected directly onto the windscreen and, while the system used in the Mazda3 is clever, it’s perhaps not quite as useful as they would like us to believe simply because the design means it isn’t quite directly in your line of sight. Room for improvement, I think.

The front seats are supportive and offer plenty of adjustment to help you find the perfect driving position. The rakish rear windscreen means that rear seat passengers are less well catered for in the headroom department but a couple of average height adults should be able to travel in reasonable comfort.

The boot, in the hatchback is a long way short of the best in class at just 364 litres, but it does have a nice wide opening making access simple and there is plenty of storage elsewhere in the cabin, including an air conditioned glove box.

The Mazda3 has a lot riding on it. Fortunately it’s properly equipped for the long road ahead. It’s good looking with a premium feel, efficient and refined but doesn’t sacrifice performance. Interior space falls short of some its rivals but it should be more than adequate for a small family.

I’d say that Mazda are on the comeback trail.

Mazda3 2.0 Sport Nav

Price: £20,195

As tested: £22,755

Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder 16-valve

Transmission: Six-speed manual

Power: 118bhp

Acceleration (0-62mph): 8.9sec

Maximum speed: 121mph

Urban: 43.5mpg

Extra urban: 65.7mpg

Combined: 55.4mpg

Emissions (CO2): 119g/km

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