Believe it or not, more than a million Mazda 3s have been built over the last three years. The small family hatchback has been a competent performer, despite lacking the sparkle of some of its rivals.
Things are changing with Mazda's new hot hatch, the 3 MPS. We sent Stuart Milne to Germany to put this 'bahnstormer through its paces ahead of its February launch.
No range of hatchbacks is complete without one offering blistering pace. Ford has the Focus ST; Volkswagen has the Golf GTi and R32, while Seat has the Leon FR.
To create the power today's practical petrolheads demand, it needs to look good, go fast and steer well. And a huge turbocharger is essential too.
With that in mind, I edged out on to the sunny Munich roads to see how it performed.
The first thing you notice is the MPS is a seriously quick car. Mazda state an official 0-62mph time of 6.1 seconds, but insiders admit it will blast to the UK standard 60mph in less than six seconds.
That's an identical time to the Lotus Elise.
Mazda 3 MPSNo speed limits
On the fabled speed limit-free autobahns, we were able to put the claimed top speed of 155mph to the test, with the MPS feeling stable and composed; if a little noisy.
The 3 MPS uses the same 2.3-litre, turbocharged engine as the 6 MPS, which means it packs a muscular 256bhp and a huge 280lb/ft of pulling power.
That's 31bhp and 44lb/ft more than the Focus ST; and it shows, with instant response to a prod of the accelerator regardless of which gear you're in.
At more sedate speeds, it's clear Mazda boffins have worked hard to make the 6's 260bhp usable through the front wheels.
Sadly it falls just short of our favourite fast hatch, the Focus ST with over light steering and a propensity to follow grooves and dips in the road under hard acceleration and braking.
The power can still catch the car sleeping if you pull away with the wheels pointing off-centre, leaving the electronic brain to pick up the pieces making the car wag like a bucking bronco.
The ride is good, considering the stiffened suspension and low profile tyres; although the road noise can get intrusive over uncared for surfaces.
At more sensible speeds, little of this emerges as a real issue. The hatch feels planted when powering through corners, with only a whiff of understeer. The lack of the-wheels-are-turned-but-I'm-still-going-straight sensation is thanks to some advanced chassis systems, which Mazda have worked hard on to maximise drivability.
Mazda 3 MPSGrip
As well as the de-rigeur traction control and dynamic stability control systems, the Mazda 3 MPS also packs sophisticated torque management systems to get the power down.
These systems vary the amount of grunt from the turbo to avoid too much power going through the front wheels at once, particularly in the first three gears. It can detect the angle of the steering wheels; if they're not straight, you won't get 100 per cent power.
A newly-developed limited slip differential helps to channel engine power to the wheel with most grip, while unequal length drive shafts help to control the MPS' wayward habits under full acceleration.
Mazda say it will cover around 29 miles per gallon, but drive it at pace and this figure drops. The real world consumption is likely to be governed by how much you can resist the adrenaline shot of vicious acceleration.
Parking up to get the shots of the car you can see here, I had the chance to survey the bodywork. It lacks the hardcore road-racer edge of the Focus ST, adopting a discreet, and vaguely menacing stance.
Like the Mazda 6 MPS we drove recently, the Three puts subtle looks at the top of its agenda.
It gets bespoke bumpers, side skirts and a rear spoiler, which as well as looking great, helps to improve aerodynamics and engine and brake cooling. Three under-floor panels have been adopted to help the MPS to slice is way through the air.
A set of pretty 18 inch multispoke alloys hang off the stiffened suspension, while its huge brakes do an excellent job of reigning in its huge performance.
Aficionados of modifying will revel in the huge baked bean-shaped exhaust, which has been tuned to deliver a racy sound. It looked slightly out of place on an otherwise restrained car to us.
Mazda 3 MPSFully loaded
But as us Brits like our hot hatches served with extra spice, Mazda will offer a £500 styling pack, which includes a larger spoiler and lowered suspension. Around 70 per cent of models are expected to be ordered with the pack.
The dashboard looks a lot like any other Three, save for some sporty pedals and chrome paraphernalia. Far better are the supportive seats, which have the MPS logo embroidered into the backs.
Our test car came with keyless entry, electric windows all round, electric mirrors, bright xenon headlamps, climate control, automatic lights and windscreen wipers and seatbelt warning buzzers.
Safety-wise, the MPS is equipped with driver, passenger, front side and front and rear curtain airbags and a host of driver-aiding acronyms such as ABS.
Brits love the combination of performance and practicality which hot hatches bring. The Three can swallow 290 litres worth of gear, rising to 1,465 litres with the seats folded. There was plenty of space around the cabin too, and a couple of obiligatory cup holders.
So, do we recommend the Mazda 3 MPS?
It’s one of the highest performing front wheel drivers in the world - and it's easy to drive fast. The prices are still to be announced, but it will fall between £19-20,000, and with more power than the £24,000 Golf R32, it's pretty good value.
The biggest problem the Mazda 3 MPS has is the Focus ST, which gets you 90 per cent of the MPS' ability for less money.
But if you want something different and discreet, the Mazda 3 MPS is well worth a look.
