Mazda 3 Hatchback

For a hatchback designed for the masses, the cabin of the Mazda 3 Hatchback feels very premium and upmarket, with good quality materials and fit and finish levels making it feel as if it belongs to one segment above. The interior cabin of the Mazda 3 Hatchback looks too elegant with the unique dual-tone black and burgundy theme for the leather upholstery. 

The driver’s cockpit of the Mazda 3 Hatchback looks futuristic with the three-spoke multi-functional steering wheel combining well with the full TFT instrument console. The rest of the dashboard has a curved design and carries a very likeable minimalist theme for the centre console.

There is a sleek looking infotainment system which is nicely tucked in a slim housing towards the upper layer of the dashboard, whereas the rest of the dashboard surrounding it has got a nice two-layered feel. The lower layer of the dashboard houses sleek looking panel for the climate control buttons with slim rectangular AC vents placed on its right sides across the width of the dash.

Being a modern-day hatchback which has a high emphasis on style, the Mazda 3 Hatchback naturally gets some premium features worth mentioning, such as 8.8-inch infotainment system with Apple Carplay and Android Auto, dual-zone automatic climate control, push-button start with keyless entry, powered driver seat and cruise control. 

Ever since its arrival on the scene, the Mazda 3 Hatchback has created new standards in the hatchback segment, with a stunning aerodynamic design which looks like a balanced mix of a traditional hatch and a sports coupe. 

The Mazda 3 Hatchback looks quite wide when head-on, with the major widened effect caused by the large hexagonal grille which looks rounded but has tapered edges. As like in all the Mazdas, this all-black grille has its lower edges finished in chrome and extend all the way towards the tips of the headlamps. The LED headlamps too look quite sleek with their bird’s eye design, and feature LED projectors and semi-circular daytime running LEDs around them.

The Mazda 3 instantly creates a very strong impression when you view it from the sides, with its extremely swooping rounded and curvy roofline flowing towards the rear catching your glimpse. Adding more sportiness to the side profile are the door-mounted rear view mirrors, machined alloy wheels and super-wide C-pillar design, the last one of which makes the hatchback look long and quirky, but in a poised way.

The Mazda 3 has a coupe-like profile while moving towards the rear, where it shows its smart personality with the highly rakish rear windscreen and a big roof spoiler at the top. The boot features horizontally laid LED tail lamps which look cool on the clean-looking hatch, thus giving the Mazda 3 Hatchback a squatted stance.

To match its sporty visual appeal, the Mazda 3 Hatchback gets a sporty setup for the suspension combination of Macpherson struts at the front and torsion beam axle at the rear. The driving dynamics of the Mazda 3 Hatchback becomes crisp and involving with the added presence of Mazda’s G-Vectoring Control Plus technology.

There are two engine options for the Philippines-spec Mazda 3 Hatchback. The base Elite variant gets a 1.5-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine (111 PS/146 Nm), while the other two variants get a larger and more powerful 2.0-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine (154 PS/200 Nm). Both these engines are available with a 6-speed automatic gearbox as standard.

Having some premium safety amenities onboard like seven airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, electric parking brake, brake override system and adaptive front headlamps, the Mazda 3 Hatchback feels a well-kitted car in the aspect of safety as well.

Easily one of the most striking and beautiful compact cars to look at, the Mazda 3 Hatchback totally deserves all the accolades it has received just for the way it carries its design language in and out so effortlessly.