REVIEW | The Mazda CX-3 is old but certainly not cold

Mazda caused quite a stir when it launched the CX-3 towards the end of 2015. It looked fantastic, even if its svelte shape made it less practical than certain peers in the crossover segment.

And there were many peers. In December that year, we held a comparison test involving the Mazda CX-3, Renault Captur, Honda HR-V, Citroën C4 Cactus, Peugeot 2008, Jeep Renegade, Fiat 500X and Suzuki Vitara.

It came out on top, praised for its road manners, build quality, interior design that was (at the time) quite premium for the class, and those looks.

We even said we could live with its normally-aspirated motor when rivals offered turbocharged petrol (and diesel) alternatives.

Live with it we did, when in 2016 a CX-3 2.0 Individual automatic joined our long-term test fleet. In that time we put about 20,000km on its odometer hassle-free.

One particularly torturous drive in the accelerated usage journey of an average long-termer stands out. On a Friday, I left Johannesburg for Idutywa for the funeral of a family friend and returned on Sunday.

That Tuesday I left on another loop, to meet owners of high mileage bakkies for a feature. It took me from Johannesburg to Gqeberha, to Port Shepstone and back again. In all, that week, I did about 4,331km. It was crazy.

Truth be told, it was a pleasant trek overall and the most dramatic aspects of the drive involved avoiding an errant goat and being caught out by an unmarked speed bump in Mthatha that could have been taken at a lower speed. Luckily the car was fine.

Some of these fond CX-3 memories came flooding back when the latest example arrived for testing last week.

Well, latest should not be inferred to mean “all-new” — Mazda has made slight revisions to the crossover throughout its life cycle. When you look at the vehicle, it is almost difficult to believe it is just shy of being a decade old.

Surveying newer contenders and how the segment has evolved, however, the CX-3 has certain giveaways as to its age.

That cabin, for example. Quality remains commendable, but the layout and execution cannot match the uncluttered, digitised cockpits of fresher alternatives. On the infotainment front, Mazda seems committed to soldiering on with its rotary controller, inspired by the BMW iDrive concept of two decades ago.

In the powertrain department, Mazda has foregone turbocharging or hybridisation. The 2.0l four-cylinder petrol (115kW/206Nm) is OK, but makes quite a din when you press on and can err on the thirsty side, averaging about 8.2l/100km in the real world. The six-speed automatic does what it needs to, nothing more, nothing less. The entire range is powered by the 2.0l engine. A six-speed manual can be had with the base Active and middle-tier Dynamic.

But the overall refinement, ride quality and insulation of the CX-3 still leaves a favourable sense. Jumping into it from the diminutive Mazda 2 (which is starting to show its age more severely), affirmed the impression that more care (and more investment) was allocated to the larger, more expensive product.

Whereas the 2 is pipped by competitors such as the Volkswagen Polo, the CX-3 among its peer group still feels accomplished on the road.

The new flagship of the range is the Hikari, positioned above the Individual. It is replete with just about everything you can think of, from leather upholstery to standard navigation, wireless smartphone charging, head-up display, a sunroof, Bose audio, keyless-entry and on the outside, 18-inch alloys. You’ll pay R532,600. The range kicks off with the Active for R390,500. In 2015, the Active carried a price tag of R254,900. That’s inflation for you.

It might no longer be at the cutting-edge of things, but the CX-3 remains a pick that you’re not likely to go wrong with. Though the Mazda brand appears to have stagnated locally from an innovation perspective, their reputation for durability and quality remains firmly intact.

Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.