Motors North

Mazda3 1.6D TS2 five-door hatchback

IF you want a family hatch with economy, performance, equipment and build quality – the Mazda3 1.6D TS2 has it all.

Like the rest of the family it's a big Scottish seller – so much so that Mazda is to start direct importation of new Mazdas to Rosyth to speed up deliveries to its growing number of customers north of the border.

When it comes to the Mazda3 the smaller of the two turbodiesels offered in this cracking five-door body is the more sensible of the pair and will not disappoint with its lusty 108bhp delivery and willing 177lb.ft of torque kicking in from 1750rpm.

Spend more and for an extra £1500 you can have an impressive 148bhp 2.2 litre Sport oil burning Mazda3 or another £3000 and grab an outrageous 183bhp high-powered version. But why would you need to?

The bigger capacity four-cylinder units are good, but the 1.6 turbodiesel is the star.

Where the others will average 52mpg and 50mpg respectively, the willing little 1.6D can manage nearly 63mpg – and it’s no slouch.

Rest to 62mph takes just 11 seconds and passing the vital 50mph to 70mph overtake slot is a quick and confident affair, even though the 1.6D is restricted to a five-speed manual transmission.

On test through the west Highlands, Moray and a tedious traffic-ridden drive on the A96 to Aberdeen, I averaged an overall 58mpg – not at all bad given the mixed conditions I experienced over a total of 500 miles.

The 1.6D is a lively little unit and to be fair you can drop your economy a little if you put the hammer down and use all of its performance – but it will still stretch a gallon of fuel oil further than most cars its size and does so willingly.

It’s not the quietest of small turbodiesels, but neither is it a rattle box or boomy. At worst it’s gruff under hard acceleration – but I don’t find that a problem. Far from it – it gives the unit some spirit.

Pulling power is excellent. I was not surprised to find this 1.32 tonne hatch has the guts to cope with a tow weight of 1.3 tonnes which makes it a good bet for smaller touring caravans or horseboxes and smaller boats and trailers.

Anyone buying the TS2 model will be looking for luxury. They won’t be disappointed. It’s remarkably well appointed and for £1200 more than the standard TS model it gives you great value.

I was particularly pleased to see it fitted with five-stage heated front seats and a superb heated windscreen that cleared ice and mist in the time it takes to start up, snap on your seat belt and get ready to drive away. This is a brilliant feature that was pioneered on mass-production cars by Ford and one that deserves to be standard on every car in Scotland’s damp and icy climate.

The fact that Mazda includes it as part of its TS2 kit is a tribute to the company’s reputation as a quality car maker that puts safety and comfort high on its priority list.

That same comfort message is extended to the wheels and tyres – sensible 16-inch alloys shod with 55-section tyres that help insulate road noise and soften the car’s ride. Sadly it can’t escape some road noise criticism because the Mazda3 will drum over some surfaces, but it’s certainly no worse than a Focus or Astra.

The current Mazda3 was launched nine months ago at Ackergill Tower near Wick. Its predecessor was already an accomplished family hatch that had won sales and plaudits thanks to its reliability and all-round practicality.

What Mazda did to improve it was update its styling, add refinement and raise levels of equipment to give this modest family holdall a real feeling of quality.

The new car certainly looks sharper than before with Mazda’s new wide-grin grille and overall noise levels have certainly dropped while general refinement is better – but it’s inside that the differences can be best seen.

The dash is superbly laid out with clear instruments and crisp switching. I don’t like the string of small buttons for the heated screens, air distribution and demist boost, but the rotary temperature and boost fan controls are large and easy to use. The steering wheel boss carries an array of switches to control cruise, radio and driving computer displays.

Plastics have a good look and feel and storage space is generous with a lidded twin drinks holder between the front seats and an armrest behind offering a deep box beneath.

The dash plastics and steering wheel are highlighted with satin finish alloy lookalike paint – all very well, but it scratches far too easily and unless you are very careful will not age gracefully.

Family cars need to be versatile – the new Mazda3 fits the bill perfectly.

The doors are large and open wide, the seating comfortable and visibility front and back is good.

Boot space is average for the class with 340 litres and a flat load floor. The standard split rear seat backs flip forward with one press of a button to boost maximum cargo space to 1360 litres, but it’s spoiled by a lip in the floor. It’s a pity Mazda hadn’t carried over the fold-flat system used in its bigger sister Mazda6 estate that leaves a totally unobstructed floor.

Interestingly, the large hatch is opened by a neat electronic push-switch just below the badge – a clever feature that avoids getting your fingers dirty.

Mazda does some fine petrol engines for the latest mid-range hatch – but if you want diesel and don’t need the near hot-hatch punch you can get from the 2.2 litre Sport Diesel model, this excellent 1.6 is the car for you.

Not only will you get economy and pulling power, but it’s smooth – and you’ll be driving a mass-production product from one of Japan’s most respected car makers.

Mazda is a few steps ahead of the competition in desirability and finish – and it showed on my hard-used press car. Apart from scratches on the silvered dash panels there was little evidence of six months’ heavy use in the hands of often unforgiving motoring writers. If a car can survive our attention the chances are a normal driver will have no problems at all!

The TS2 has a good specification. It comes with alloys, climate, four powered windows and door mirrors, power steering, heated seats and windscreen, cruise control and excellent electronic stability programming (Mazda DSC) and powerful ABS.

Safety is impressive with front and side airbags linked to strong construction with ample crush zones.

This is a superb five-door family car that sits in the high ground alongside its rivals – a quality buy that comes with a three-year or 60,000 mile warranty as standard and an oil-burning heart that needs servicing every 12,500 miles.

Rating: 8/10

FINAL THOUGHT: Few cars come as well equipped as the Mazda3 TS2 – the electrically heated windscreen and front seats are a real winter morning bonus. It’s breathtakingly frugal, powerful and drives well. A classy family hatchback with impeccable build quality.

Mazda3 1.6D TS2 five-door hatchback

Price: £16,960
Capacity: 1560cc
Power: 108hp
0-62mph: 11 seconds
Maximum speed: 115mph
Economy: Combined 62.8mpg; Urban 48.7mpg
CO2 emissions: 119g/km
ESP: Standard
Insurance: Group 5

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Mazda3 1.6D TS2 five-door hatchback