Heart transplant makes Mazda CX-3 stronger

Singapore

IF YOU ask me, men think about cars the way women think about weddings: they want the biggest, most expensive one they can afford, when it would be more sensible to think about the smallest one they can get away with instead.

Whatever your gender, if you're on the hunt for a compact car, the Mazda CX-3 ought to be in your sights. It's newly available with a 1.5-litre engine, which is a big deal because it previously came with a 2.0-litre, and a biggish engine in a smallish car is precisely the opposite of what the Singapore car buyer wants.

Given the heart transplant, perhaps a wider audience will now consider this five-seat, five-door crossover's good looks and generous equipment levels.

Cars this size tend to look toy-like, but the CX-3's well-defined curves and clever details give it some sophistication. Notice how the front grille has chrome projections that continue into the headlights, for example?

But if there's one thing Mazda is more obsessed about than how its cars look, it's how they drive. That's probably why the CX-3 gambols along in a way that feels nicely sorted, with the steering feeling just-so in terms of its weight and precision.

The suspension can feel thumpy at low speeds, but the ride improves as you pick up the pace, and instead of a bouncy small car the CX-3 feels like a slightly raised hot hatch.

Only it isn't very hot, at least in terms of acceleration. If you want to hustle a bit you'll have to cane the 115 horsepower engine, and you'll certainly hear it complain. Most other times, the CX-3 is pleasantly hushed, which makes it, somewhat unusually, a quiet car with a noisy engine.

But life in the Mazda is pleasant overall. The cockpit area is beautifully thought-out, not to mention beautiful in a minimalist and tidy sort of way. All the controls fall within easy reach, and the instruments are set in an appealingly racy binnacle.

The seating in the rear may be tight, but to some extent the CX-3 is a way to trade space for features, especially if you splash out an extra S$7,000 for the Elegance version, as tested here. It comes with everything from a head-up display system to blind spot monitors to a 360-degree parking camera to make life easier.

The doors lock automatically when you walk away after parking, and in addition to Android Auto the CX-3 has wireless Apple CarPlay.

Those are just some features worth mentioning, because it's surprising to see them at this end of the car market. The smart looks, slick interior and tidy handling are expected from a modern Mazda, but in the CX-3, it's what you don't expect that impresses.

Mazda CX-3 1.5L Elegance

Engine 1,496cc, in-line 4 Power 115hp at 6,000rpm Torque 149Nm at 4,000rpm Gearbox 6-speed automatic Top Speed 175km/h 0-100km/h 11.2 seconds Fuel Efficiency 5.8L/100km Price S$110,888 with COE Agent Trans Eurokars Pte Ltd Available Now