Mazda CX-3 review

Mazda's weight-saving 'SKYACTIV' engineering template has worked wonders with streamlining its car build processes and guilt-edging their dynamics, but it's exposed where Mazda does need to invest - interior perceived quality. The general ergonomics are spot on, the touchscreen infotainment a bit Fisher Price but usable, and there's no doubt the initial sketches would've looked great. But to keep it under twenty grand, the finished car has too many varied plastics where the designers obviously desired carbonfibre and aluminium, resulting in a car that feels a little cheap 'n' nasty inside.

There's adequate space for a big supermini (a Yeti rival this is not, after all) and the boot's 100 litres up on the Mazda 2. Watch the rear visibility though - styling has won out over rear window real estate. Given how many are likely to be used in city centres, the parking sensors standard on SE-L and above may prove invaluable...