Irish Daily Mail

TAKE IT AS RED!

The vibrant Mazda CX-3 stands out in this colour, but I still want more

- Philip Nolan

RED is a difficult colour to get right in a car. Ferrari manage it effortless­ly, of course, but in the mass market, reds often suffer either from a lack of depth and brilliance or, even worse, end up looking as garish as a cheap lipstick. Above all carmakers, Mazda has it nailed down – the soul red crystal paint job is a stunner, and now makes its debut on the CX-3.

On many internatio­nal launches, I arrive to a line of 20 or 30 test cars in various shades and have difficulty deciding which I prefer. With Mazda, there’s always only one choice for me, and that’s the red, especially when the sun is out.

It certainly was on Tuesday and Wednesday (well, except for one heroic drenching, a test the wipers passed with flying colours) in Malaga, where the CX-3 was presented to European media. In that lovely Andalusian light, the car looked pretty spectacula­r.

We drove it from Malaga Airport up the hills to Ronda, and from there to the hotel at La Quinta, close to Puerto Banus, and the verdict is slightly mixed. Mazda always lives up to its Jinba Ittai philosophy, the notion that the car and driver are one, and the handling is taut and responsive, even in the tightest hairpins on winding country roads.

I was driving the new 1.8-litre 113hp SKYACTIV-D diesel version (it replaces the 1.5litre that was fitted when the car debuted three years ago), and the problem was an odd flat spot between third and fourth gears where the power seemed to fall away slightly before re-engaging. That wouldn’t be a problem on the open road, but when I wanted to do a quick slippery past a truck on a limited stretch of road, I found it difficult to gauge exactly what was in the car, so largely waited it out until the longer straights.

There’s also a 2.0-litre petrol SKYACTIVG that is naturally aspirated rather than turbocharg­ed and delivers a fairly paltry 120hp as a consequenc­e. In Ireland, we will get the front-wheel drive version only, though an all-wheel drive is available in other territorie­s, as is an uprated 148hp 2.0litre petrol powertrain.

The line-up is available with both manual and automatic transmissi­ons, but the latter is a continuous variable transmissi­on (CVT) set-up. I’ve never been wild about them, as only Honda seems to have pulled them off with any degree of sophistica­tion, and definitely would opt for manual if buying.

All three engines are homologate­d according to the requiremen­ts of the new WLTP/ RDE test cycle (everyday testing for genuine emissions figures rather than the discredite­d bench tests), and meet Euro 6dTEMP emissions regulation­s.

As far as design goes, this is a facelift rather than a new model. There’s a new front grille that features fins comprising two lines of differing thickness, which Mazda says helps the headlamps and signature wing stand out from afar, giving the front face a sharper look.

The fog lamp bezels, pillar garnishes and side garnish mouldings are finished in gloss black and the rear combinatio­n lamps now have a ring shape. New 18-inch aluminium alloy wheels with multi-faceted spokes give the profile a considerab­le lift, and the long front overhand that culminates in a delightful snout certainly adds presence to one of the most individual­istic designs in this class.

Inside, there’s now a choice of three colour schemes – grey with real leather seats in black or white (impossible to keep, I’d imagine, but very attractive); grey with black leatherett­e seats; and black with black fabric upholstery. High-damping urethane foam is used in the front seat cushions, insulating against vibrations (and noise, harshness and vibration are kept to a very bare minimum here). The adoption of an electric parking brake across the range sees an centre armrest with a console box added, and there’s also a new armrest with cupholders in the rear passenger bench. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto also are available for models equipped with the MZD Connect multimedia system. It’s all very tidy and attractive.

Boot capacity is average at 350 litres (1,260 with the bench dropped).

Safety is very well addressed, with Mazda Radar Cruise Control allowing for seamless traffic jam stop and go. There also are adaptive headlights, city brake support, blind spot monitoring with rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, traffic sign recognitio­n, and driver attention alert.

Fuel consumptio­n and emissions are, naturally, best in the diesel version, at 4.4 litres per 100km in the combined cycle, and 114g/km.

Mazdas have a tendency to be pricey, but the CX-3 is competitiv­e. Four trim levels will be available – SE, Executive, Executive SE and GT – with pricing between €21,295 and €27,495 for the petrol version (€390 motor tax), and €24,770 to €29,495 for the diesel €200 motor tax).

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