Adam Daly, director at Glenavon Care Ltd, visited Mack Mazda in Chelmsford to try the new Mazda CX-3 and found that there was much more to this sporty and spacious motor than he first thought
As a keen driving enthusiast and owner of a high performance vehicle, my first thoughts of this vehicle before driving it were not ones of particularly high expectation. But these pre-conceived opinions were quickly proved wrong.
The all new Mazda CX-3 is described as a small crossover that combines strong and bold style features with comfort and practicality for everyday life. For this reason, I feel Mazda are perhaps targeting the mother on the school run as well as individuals who want the practical yet sporty appeal that other bandwagon jumpers in this category have yet to satisfy.
What strikes me immediately upon sitting in the driver’s cabin is the quality of the finish. Old-fashioned plastic finish dashboards are nowhere to be seen. Instead I was met with two-tone stitched leather throughout, which would have not looked out of place in a vehicle twice its price.
And it didn’t end there, as I found the driving experience to be beyond my expectation too. Wherever I took the car, from country roads to the inner city, it was able to deliver a good overall level of performance. The steering was sharp, the handling agile and the gearbox compact and nimble.
Mazda have also gone to great lengths to get the technology right and again they have succeeded. The innovative MZD-Connect infotainment system gave me easy, fingertip control over everything — all my music, my phone, navigation and vehicle settings. As a techno-phobe even I found the system easy to use, which is saying something!
In summary, if you are looking to test drive cars in this particular sector, such as the Nissan Juke, Renault Captur or Dacia Duster, I would urge you to give this car a try, as I am confident that it will succeed in becoming the standout prospect of its class. n
