I could barely contain my excitement on the launch of the new Mazda3 – not only had I drove a pre-launch 2,0 Individual saloon, which I had actually liked apart from a few ride concerns. So there was little left to do but get behind the wheel of the current range-topping Mazda3 Sport 2,5 Individual.
Although Mazda has been on a roll of late, with the multiple award-winning Mazda2 and Mazda5 still strong favourites in the local market, the company has kicked its global operation into the next gear with controversially-designed concepts like the Taiki and Furai to usher in the new Nagare design language – which has considerably upped the ante on what used to be a relatively meek-looking machine.
In fact, the styling of the Sport (denotes five-door hatchback bodystyle) 2,5 Individual, complemented by the standard Sports Appearance Package, is nothing short of aggressive – notably so up front, where the trademark gaping five-point grille dominates, flanked by additional vents that also house the fog lights and swoopy headlamps further up. Apart from the sporty new side skirts and clever character lines, much of the rest of the Mazda3 is familiar fare, including a protruding rear bumper (now slightly restyled to house twin exhaust tailpipes), recognisable side window shapes and high shoulder line.
Once on our loop between Knysna, De Rust and George, the Sport 2,5 made its menace apparent as soon as the heavens opened, and like its predecessor, the lack of driver aids make it a tricky drive when pressing on.
The 2,5-litre in-line four-cylinder unit, which produces 122 kW at 6 000 r/min and 227 N.m of torque at 4 000 r/min, provides more than enough shove when needed, and should deliver decent overall consumption mated with the company’s speed manual gearbox – which features an optimised sixth gear for exactly that.
The one criticism I do have is that perhaps the lower ratios (particularly first and second) are too short to avoid unnecessary wheelspin on pull away – especially in the wet. Once going however, the Sport 2,5 displayed good roadholding capability despite the stormy conditions, though the lack of steering feedback didn’t inspire any confidence.
With an impressive performance by its predecessor – the Sport 2,3 Individual in our July 2007 test, the Mazda3 Sport 2,5 Individual had even bigger shoes to fill than I initially thought – not to mention set the bar for the upcoming MPS model…
