First drive: Mazda 3

Mazda is readying its latest 3 family hatchback for launch early next year, and is looking to steal European sales from the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf. It is the third model in the Japanese manufacturer's range to feature its fuel-saving Skyactiv technologies and also wears its new design theme. We headed to Germany to drive a pre-production prototype.

What is it?

A pleasingly non European hatchback. Where even the Korean marques such as Kia have somewhat conformed to the styling conventions of the dominant German manufacturers, the Mazda 3 is different. Penned using Mazda's 'Kodo' design language, it features the same stretched bonnet and face as the larger Mazda 6 saloon, making for a handsome sight on the road. Unlike rivals, which have all largely followed the turbocharged route to engine downsizing, Mazda is instead offering larger normally aspirated engines, which are competitive in the fuel economy and emissions stakes thanks to the company's SKYACTIV tech, which features detail engineering revisions along with brake energy recovery and other systems to make big efficiency gains.