2019 Mazda 3 (Gen 4)

DRIVEN: Mazda3 Astina is a breath of fresh air but needs some forced induction

In fairness, the Astina’s price tag of R565,700, while far from cheap, is still way below the Golf GTI’s R781,800 tag. The Mazda’s most direct rival is in fact the Corolla Hatch 2.0 XR, at R561,200.

Among a sea of SUVs in that price range, the 3 is very much a breath of fresh air, and its superior aerodynamics make it more efficient too, with our car averaging just below 10 litres per 100km during a few days of often spirited urban driving.

The Astina is really well stocked too, with standard features including a 12-speaker BOSE sound system, black leather seats, with 10-way power adjustment for the driver, dual-zone climate control, powered sunroof and built-in navigation, to name just a few of the features.

If you’re not insisting on something ferociously fast, or fast at all for that matter, the Mazda3 2.0 Astina hatch is an interesting option.

 
Mazda Spirit Racing sub-brand launched with racier MX-5 and Mazda 3

‘Spirit Racing RS’ and ‘Spirit Racing 3' concepts tease new line of hotter Mazdas. Consider us intrigued...

Mazda Spirit Racing - an all-new sporting sub-brand of the Japanese marque - has been teased via a pair of hardcore, track-focused variants of its MX-5 and Mazda 3 models at the Tokyo Auto Salon. Oh hello.

Such a thing hasn't existed since the days of the Mazdaspeed performance arm, which peaked in 1991 with victory at Le Mans with the (blisteringly loud) 787B.

Christened the ‘Spirit Racing RS’ and ‘Spirit Racing 3’, details are few and far between - even a potential release is yet to be confirmed. But if they do make production, Mazda says they'll demonstrate its learnings from the Japanese Super Taikyu endurance series, which it has been competing in since 2021. Tasty.

Kicking off with the world’s best-selling roadster, the MX-5 has been given a Nardo Grey-like coat, while a Gunmetal Grey pinstripe stretches from the mid-point of the bonnet to the end of the boot. Mazda Spirit Racing vinyls are tucked in just past the front wheel arches, while bigger Brembo brakes sit behind the six-spoke Ray’s alloys and Bridgestone Potenza rubber. So far, so good.

 
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