The hot hatch league is easily starting to divide.In one corner we have the VW Golf VI GTI which is more comfortable and relaxed like a grand touring car and in the other corner we have the Ford Focus RS for those wanting more extreme sensations.The cousin of the Focus the Mazda 3 MPS hasn’t decided yet in which corner it stands so it sits somewhere in the middle.

I can’t forget my first encounter with the Mazda 3 MPS, the first generation.Back then it was considered a hot hatch with a very strong personality, intimidating all kind of drivers even if it has only 260 HP.Even to this day I haven’t driven a car with more torque steer than that.The first generation of the 3 MPS was one of the few sport cars which necessitated a well above average driver interaction with the steering and even though it was so challenging to drive it was all camouflaged in a very discreet body.

Well since then many things have changed in the hot hatch universe.Some changes were quite dramatic.Renault raised the Megane RS to the top of the food chain in Europe regarding performance.Ford decided that the ST isn’t enough and later launched the Focus RS and in a limited edition the very rare RS 500.With its 350 HP its the ultimate beast of the hot hatches, a complete monster on the European hot hatch market.

As we all know Mazda is owned by Ford and they shared many platforms for their models over the years so they’ve launched in 2009 the cousin of the Focus the Mazda 3 MPS. Now our goal is to extensively review the facelift version.For the MPS version the facelift is very hard to notice.The exterior changes are minor in some places too minor to notice.The few technical upgrades of the facelift are the new reinforcements of the body which increase the level of stiffness and therefore improve handling and small adjustments to the suspension.In rest the recipe is basically the same as the first Mazda3 MPS.

Under the “Subaru style” we find the same old 2.3 liter 4 cylinder turbo engine now producing 260 HP at 5.500 rpm and 380 NM of torque at 3.000 rpm.Mazda3 MPS was the first hot hatch to come with a mechanic limited slip differential for the front wheels.The second generation also came with electronic torque management system which limits the value of the torque sent to the wheels in the first three gears.This should have completely solved the torque steer phenomenon which plagued the first generation but it only ameliorated it by 60 %. Don’t get me wrong its definitely not as violent and brutal as the one in the first generation but its still annoying.Our test with the Mazda3 MPS in the winter revealed many things about the potential of this model.The steering offers, even on a wet road, a great percent of fun compared to other rivals.

Okay so the car is great fun but the interior is also very important when thinking about buying a car.For start the driving position is absolutely great for a hot hatch.Even if we can’t talk about racing seats the ones in the 3 MPS offer very good lateral support and they’re extremely comfortable in long journeys.The pedals are great for a sporty car.The steering wheel is little bit to big but it might be just my weirdness talking.

The suspension might be a little bit to rigid for some but for me it seems optimal for a hot hatch.The gearbox’s ratio is very good and the engine has a great power supply at almost any rpm.The limited slip differential does a great job at preventing the car from killing you when taking corners at high speed.Sometimes it ever gives you the feeling of a RWD car.
This car model is a cocktail between the most important cars in its segment.The Mazda3 MPS has real chances to become a classic of its segment but it still needs a few small touches from Mazda.The important thing is that no matter what you won’t get bored driving this car.