Beaming in

In a potential retrograde step, a torsion beam rear suspension layout has been adopted for all frontwheel-drive variants, rather than the more desirable independent set-up of the outgoing third-gen car. Refinement is the cited reason, though future-proofing the platform with space for a hybrid battery pack is likely to have had an impact. Whether Mazda has managed to maintain the 3’s dynamic capability with a torsion beam remains to be seen, though Peugeot and Renault – amongst others – have demonstrated that a well-tuned torsion beam is no impediment to great handling.