The original Mazda3 MPS

the powertrain remains largely unchanged, the turbocharged 2.3-litre four-pot still developing 256bhp but gently reworked for a little more mid-range torque and, importantly, lower emissions and improved economy – CO2 output is down by 5g/km, and the engine now meets Euro 5 regulations. Leaving the power figure unchanged isn’t a problem: even now, 256bhp is right up there with the new RenaultSport Megane, Seat Leon Cupra and Vauxhall Astra VXR.
Under the newly-steroidal metal, Mazda has heavily revised the MPS’s bodyshell, improving torsional stiffness by 41 per cent. The chassis has been beefed up too, with much thicker anti-roll bars and stiffer shocks and springs. Weight is down by 50-odd kilos. All good stuff, but how is it out on the road?

Fast. Really, significantly fast. The new MPS will crack 62mph in just over six seconds, barely a tenth slower than the Focus RS. Though not quite as ballistic when it gets on turbo as the Ford, it’s still an indecently rapid thing, noticeably quicker than TG’s Slightly Sensible Hot Hatch of Choice, the Golf GTI. Find a straight piece of motorway, bury the throttle in third and feel the horizon hoover you in as the MPS gets on boost at around 2,500rpm and keeps pulling hard to 6,000rpm – it’s clear you’re in a serious bit of machinery. Mazda has improved sound deadening in this new 3, which is great for motorway cruising but not so good for maintaining a squeaky-clean licence: it’s the sort of car where you can be happily pottering at 60-something in the inside lane, absentmindedly squeeze the throttle to pass a caravan and suddenly find you’re hauling triple figures and have mysteriously acquired a full police escort, a lengthy jail term and a new soap-wielding best friend called Chopper.

A proper base-spec MPS, a car that undercuts the Focus ST, Golf GTI, Renault Megane et al while offering more pace and power would be a tempting prospect for the committed hatchist. But at this price it’s tough to see why you wouldn’t forgo a bit of kit and opt for the Golf, or save up for a few more months for that proper hot-hatch supercar, the Focus RS.

Unlike the last-gen Mazda3 MPS, the new version manages to be as interesting on the road as it is on paper – in a good way, for the most part. But in a market packed with glitteringly brilliant hot hatches, it’ll remain a niche choice. Tough crowd.