2009 Mazda3 Launch in New Zealand

The old Mazda3 was something of a revelation, especially in ultra high powered MPS form, but that left Mazda with a problem; how do you improve on it? Apparently you give it a big fat smiley face.

To be honest, it only looks extremely awkward in the pictures - see the vehicle in natural light and it does look a lot better, even if it still looks like a car The Joker would be driving through Gotham City.

Happily it drives more like the Batmobile, although it lacks the machine guns and grappling hooks. Wisely, Mazda hasn't done too much to the suspension, which was good enough in the old car. The result is something that handles almost as well as a Ford Focus, and yes, that is a good endorsement.

Better still, one of the priorities of the design team was to reduce the noise, vibration and harshness. While the old Mazda3 was great to drive it was very noisy on the road and thanks to plenty of sound deadening features the new one is much better, being notably quieter at all speeds on all roads.

The dashboard has been redesigned to angle slightly towards the driver to give that 'cockpit' feel, and it's easy to get comfortable behind the wheel thanks to the reach and rake adjustable steering wheel.

The range opens with the GLX hatchback, powered by a slightly re-engineered 108kW/182Nm 2.0-litre four pot with six speed manual (NZ$30,895) or five speed auto (NZ$31,995), glides through the NZ$34,595 GLX sedan or hatch with the 2.0-litre engine with five speed auto only, then steps up a notch with the SP25 sedan and hatch with - you guessed it, an enlarged version of the old 2.3-litre engine.

The SP25 is available with either a six-speed manual (NZ$38,625) or five-speed auto (NZ$40,125) connected to the 122kW/2237Nm 2.5-litre four cylinder. Topping the range is the NZ$44,285 SP25 Limited, which is auto only, and has the usual leather upholstery and sunroof.

All models come with dynamic stability control, traction control, ABS, emergency brake assist, and dual, front side, and curtain airbags. The entry level GLX doesn't skimp on the spec with air conditioning, remote central locking, CD stereo with MP3 capability and auxiliary jack for mobile music players, and one-touch up and down power windows.

The GSX adds 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, steering wheel mounted controls, and a 3.5 inch multi-function display. Move on to the SP25 and you get 17-inch alloys, body kit, dual zone air con, paddle shifters for the auto, and 4.1 inch multi-function display. The top end SP25 Limited adds the aforementioned full leather trim and sunroof, as well as a centre armrest console with a sliding tray.

The new Mazda3 should do at least as well as the old, which made up just over 27 percent of all Mazda sales in New Zealand. The new face may or may not put people off, but the driving experience is just as good as before and the refinement levels have markedly increased.

You'll forgive me though, for holding out for the turbocharged MPS due sometime later this year.