An Elegant Hot Hatch for a More Civilized Age
What’s not to love about the hot hatchback? They’re practical, fuel efficient, easy to drive, easy to park, and most importantly of all – affordable. But they often carry with them an air of youthful vigour. Or for some drivers…immaturity. Even hot compacts from the likes of Mercedes Benz suffer this consequence. It’s not always a bad trait, but like an Audi RS or an E39 BMW M5, sometimes subtlety speaks volumes. Enter the Mazda3 GT.
We’ve said it before and our tune has not changed. This is an exceptionally handsome vehicle. Curvaceous in all the right places, clean, elegant and just the right about of flair. Stylistically, we really cannot find fault. It’s refreshingly clear of superfluous bulges and vents and in this stunning Soul Red paint, stands out among a sea of monochromatic traffic. Unlike some of Mazda’s other offerings on their newest generation of KODO design language, the Mazda3 GT makes minimal use of plastic fender cladding and cheap-looking trim. This design wouldn't look out of place among other examples of entry level luxury. In fact, it might supersede them.
The praise extends to the inside as well. The simple, clean and almost minimalist approach to the interior, coupled with differing materials and colours, gives the Mazda3 quite an upscale look. We’d have liked to see the optional Garnet Red interior available with Soul Red. Or an optional brown or light grey shade of seating available to contrast against the largely black interior. Thick pillars make what could have been an airy inside feel cramped at times, and the rather generously curvy backside of the car also means poor rear visibility for the driver. We’d have loved to see a panoramic sunroof on the Mazda3 Sport as well, but there’s always the CX-30 for that.
We decided to see if the GT lived up to its implied name by embarking on a lengthy jaunt to Canada’s beautiful East Coast. We’re glad Mazda includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard these days. But it’s no gripe against the new generation of Mazda’s infotainment system. The wide, but short display doesn’t get in the way of the driver’s visibility, and is quite simple and intuitive to navigate, even if you’ve never stepped foot in a Mazda before. As well, unlike other manufacturers, Mazda has made it a simple feat to leave the Android Auto/Apple CarPlay menu to access the vehicle’s built-in settings. In other vehicles, this sometimes meant disconnecting your device altogether.
With a destination plugged in and a poor choice of podcast keeping the entertainment value low for the next 17 hours, it was time to set off. The Sport GT Turbo bucks the usual 4-banger turbo trend by opting for a larger 2.5L engine, over the expected 2.0L. You’ll get a very respectable 250hp on premium fuel, and 227 on regular. We went through numerous tanks of gas along this journey and found little discernable difference in smoothness along the way, but the extra power boost is noticeable.
Turbos once hinted purely at performance, but in modern times, their presence often indicates an affinity for economy. Not so much here. The addition of the turbo does mean fuel economy takes a hit compared to the Sport GT’s naturally aspirated siblings. Over the course of several thousand kilometres, we averaged a respectable enough 8.4 L/100km on premium fuel, largely done on highways and higher speed roads.
Our tester also enjoyed the addition of All Wheel Drive – which contributes to the hit in fuel economy. The impact of the extra weight is lessened to the point of unnoticeability with the turbo engine. While we had no opportunity to test the AWD in poor weather, the lack of torque steer and sense of security when cornering around Nova Scotia’s curvy, sometimes bumpy roads proved to be a welcome addition. We’ve no doubt the FWD model would have done just fine, however. To add to the safety, our tester featured adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring (which you need with that massive C-pillar), and a lane keeping assistant that even on its highest intensity, did little more than the occasional audible nag. We’d have liked to see some steering intervention integrated.
From a stop, the Sport GT Turbo can sprint to 100 in just under 6 seconds. A few decades ago that’d be almost supercar performance. But it’s not a few decades back, is it? Still, it’s a perfectly punchy powerplant that can more than hold its own on the highway. But you might not even realize how potent the engine is. The Sport GT Turbo drives in such a luxurious, quiet and refined manner, the excitement of that power hardly translates to the cabin. Make no mistake, this is not a Mazdaspeed3 replacement. This is so much more. It’s grown up and matured. But it can still hold its own. It effectively straddles the grey area between hot hatchbacks and compact luxury. But it doesn’t feel like a compromise. We still wish we could get the 6-speed manual paired with the turbo AWD setup. There’s nothing wrong with the equipped 6-speed automatic. It’s smooth enough as it is. But for those vocal few that miss the Mazdaspeed3, a manual could be the salve for that wound that may never heal.
On such a long drive, you really begin to feel the potential drawbacks of any seat design. We do enjoy Mazda’s interior on the Sport very much. Realistically, most people probably won’t be driving theirs this long. But hey if you’re gonna call it a GT, we’ve got to take it on a Grand Tour. These are supportive and comfortable seats, but certainly on the firmer side. That becomes even more apparent when you try to sleep in them. A few hours of rest, and the continuous degradation of our youth resulted in some stiffness and soreness. But we doubt Mazda designed these seats to be a home away from home. Go get Malaise-era American car with velour bench seats for that. Over the course of the journey, the cargo space begins to fill. With the back seats up, you get 569 litres of room. Fold them down and it expands to a hefty 1,334 litres.
It drives well, looks magnificent, offers practicality and economy, and after a trip to the Canada’s eastern coast and back again, can indeed complete a grand tour. So what’s the downside? For some, it might just be a matter of finances. The cheapest Mazda3 Sport GT starts at $33,281. Opt for the turbo, and you’re forced to take the optional AWD system with it, pushing the cost up significantly to $38,981, before any options or additional fees. We know Mazda is making an effort to move upscale, but $40,000 for a hatchback will be a hard pill to swallow for potential buyers – especially since North Americans are rapidly losing their taste for hatchbacks in lieu of crossovers. However, this proves just how much magic Mazda’s engineers can find in the mundane. The hatchback has long been a symbol of economic practicality. But the Sport GT Turbo is first class.
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