MAZDA 3 Turbo 2021

Body and cabin

Do not go looking for a huge wing or hood air dam on the Mazda 3 Turbo. This time around, the distinctive touches are much more subtle than on the Mazdaspeed 3 of ten years ago. A gloss black grille, black mirrors, larger tailpipes and Turbo badging are the only indicators of the extra horses under the hood.

The cabin is identical to that of all the other Mazda 3 GT’s. Occupants are treated to good-quality leather for the category, a profusion of soft-touch materials and contrast stitching on the dash.

Redesigned in 2019, the seats offer a pleasing combination of comfort and support for most physiques, mostly thanks to a longer cushion and enhanced lumbar support. The driving position should suit tall and short drivers alike thanks to the long telescoping steering wheel range and ideal positioning (finally) of the armrests and dead pedal.

Well-below average legroom makes for much less accommodating rear quarters. Tall occupants will also suffer from tight headroom. The sharply angled rear hatch limits cargo space in the hatchback, whereas the sedan’s trunk holds about 100 litres less than a Honda Civic’s. Its low height and narrow lid opening also hinder cargo loading.

Unchanged this year, the infotainment system that was unveiled two years ago is still a big improvement over that of 2018 and previous models. An enlarged screen (now non-touch, even when stopped), immediate response and contemporary design make the Mazda CX-3, CX-5 and CX-9 systems look totally out of date.

However, you do have to become comfortable with the functioning of the main rotary wheel control behind the gear shifter and take the time to examine the unusual structure of some of the menus before driving off. Despite claims to the contrary, the learning curve is steeper than with the best touch screens currently on the market.

On the other hand, the Bose audio system is very good, notably since the front base speakers are mounted inside the front fenders rather than the bottom of the doors. That allows full performance without the risk of rattling the trim.

Safety

Like the other Mazda 3’s—except the base GX, unfortunately—Turbo GT’s come with the latest driver assist technologies. That includes automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure alert with lane keeping assist and automatic high-beams.

This year’s Premium package adds automatic reverse and rear-cross traffic braking, surround-view monitoring and automatic traffic jam steering up to 64 km/h, in combination with adaptive stop-start cruise control.

We did not test the system in our open test environment. It is appropriate to remember that electronic driver assist devices can never totally replace driver judgement and that they can quickly become overwhelmed in winter driving conditions.

Both the US government (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety have awarded their highest marks to the Mazda 3 in all aspects of collision avoidance and impact protection.

Mechanical overview

Five years after its introduction, Mazda’s widely used and only turbo engine almost seems like an old acquaintance. Based on the automaker’s equally ubiquitous 2.5-litre four-cylinder, it counts on several technologies to improve both performance and fuel economy, including a higher-than-average compression ratio, cooled exhaust gas recirculation valve and dynamic turbo pressure management between cylinders.

What that yields is 250 horsepower but especially 320 lb-ft of maximum torque at 2,500 rpm—provided you use super premium 93 octane fuel, which is both rare and expensive. Even the 227 horses and 310 lb-ft of torque delivered with regular gasoline largely surpasses the 186 horsepower and pound-foot values attributed to the 2.5‑litre normally aspirated engine.

Fuel-economy wise, the turbocharged engine requires 8.9 L/100 km in combined city/highway driving, according to Natural Resources Canada. That is 7 percent more than a non-turbo AWD model. We were not able to calculate the result in our one-day test of the 3 Turbo. However, our trip of more than 12,500 km in a Mazda CX-5 equipped with the same engine showed that you can easily better the official rating in highway driving, even with a heavily loaded vehicle and a varied itinerary.

As with all four-wheel-drive Mazda’s, the only available transmission is a six-speed automatic with a clutchless manual mode. The front-biased all-wheel drive can transfer up to 50 percent of power to the rear in case of loss of grip, during acceleration and in sharp curves.

In other respects the 3 Turbo is mechanically similar to the other Mazda 3’s. That includes a rear torsion-bar suspension but with firmer damping to take into account the 80‑kg extra weight of the turbo engine. Sport mode adds a bit more steering effort and slightly sharper dynamic torque management in turns relative to non-turbo models.

Driving impressions

In light of the pandemic, Mazda decided to deliver a Mazda 3 Turbo right to the door of the journalists taking part in the press launch to avoid crowded gatherings. We thus were able to become acquainted with the car over 300 km of familiar territory rather than on super-smooth roads in British Columbia or California.

You can feel the extra power of the turbocharged engine the moment you take off. The 0-to-100 km sprint takes just over 7 seconds, or 1.5 less than with the 2.5‑litre non-turbo engine. The engine also responds more energetically and seemingly effortlessly to every stab of the accelerator. You get the torque of a good turbo V6 but with the advantage of lower fuel consumption.

Another benefit is low-rev performance that spares you this engine’s noisy acceleration during the daily drive, especially since Mazda decided to amplify the engine note when you hit the throttle. The effect delivered by the audio speakers is rough rather than sporty, and more annoying than seductive.

As quick as it is, Mazda’s big turbo four does not generate the same excitement as Volkswagen’s Jetta GLI engine or even the much less powerful Honda Civic Si powerplant. It is almost pointless to push it above 4,500 rpm: Mazda consciously chose to optimize low-revolution performance for enjoyable everyday use.

The transmission works toward the same end by rapidly shifting to the higher gears. It functions smoothly and without hesitating, downshifting immediately when necessary, and always hitting the right gear. In this respect it outperforms some eight- or nine-speeds that sometimes hunt between the gears.

The solid platform and finely tuned suspensions easily channel the extra power. That preserves the famously neutral, sharp and balanced handling that has characterized the Mazda 3 since its beginnings. Turbo engine or not, the steering is still a little less lively than on the former generation; it seems to be the trade-off for the driver to feel more isolated from the knocks of bad road surfaces.

Despite the accent on refinement, the Mazda 3 is still clearly one of the most enjoyable compacts you can drive today. The boosted engine simply makes the experience more serene and satisfying, if not as inspiring as the numbers suggest.