The new Mazda 3 MPS chucks subtlety out the window with its aggressive looks and fiery performance, writes The Wheel Deal.

Throw the evolution of the hot hatchback under the microscope and you’ll notice that in the past few years the breed has become increasingly refined. Once the tasteless reserve of frustrated boy racers, these souped-up shopping trolleys now wear the sort of understated styling cues that make them appeal to everyone from kid-carting housewives to thirty-something IT whizzes. But while the latest crop of high-performance hatches continue trading their spiky hairdos and Nikes for neat side-partings and smart leather brogues, the lairy Mazda 3 MPS recently made an unexpected break down leftfield and returned sporting a Mohawk and steel-capped army boots. Seriously, where the previous MPS was something of a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Q-car, the sculpture of this second-generation model is shamelessly in your face.

The antidote to the GTI’s Teutonic restraint, Mazda’s wild child is a modern throwback to the hatched heroes of yesteryear; an era in which big wings, deep side-skirts and massive alloys mattered as much as sheer performance. Giving a nod to the radical Mazda Furai concept that wowed the world back in 2007, the new MPS seems to ooze speed even when it’s sitting still. Few machines are injected with so much visual aggression and – especially when viewed from the front – this blacktop bruiser looks like the sort of car that’ll devour any auto silly enough to get in its path; sucking them up through that gigantic bonnet scoop and spitting their shredded remains out through those two chromed exhaust tailpipes nestling in the rear diffuser.

Angry and intimidating on the outside, the MPS easily backs up its Jet Li swagger what with that monstrous engine bolted between its front wheels. Comfortably out-muscling the Ford Focus ST, Golf GTI and even the Astra OPC in the kilowatt stakes, the turbocharged unit throws a serious punch and one that makes the MPS impressively quick in point-to-point driving. There might be a significant, and even frustrating, amount of lag below 3000rpm but once you get above that mark and the digital boost gauge lights up with its full allotment of orange bars, the way this Mazda gathers speed is nothing short of epic. Being a front-driver you often find your arms battling massive amounts of torque-steer, especially when throttling hard out of tight corners, however this just adds to the experience of putting foot. Strangely enough though, for all its mechanical firepower, the MPS never feels especially quick in a visceral sense. Yes, that speedometer needle may rise quicker than a twenty-something-year-old overdosed on Viagra, but a disappointing engine note and over-dampened exhaust means that the sensation is rather soulless. A little more bark would make the Mazda’s bite so much sweeter.

Fortunately that’s about the only thing lacking in the MPS as the rest of its packaging is practically flawless. Riding atop an updated version of the Ford Focus chassis and kitted out with a special sports suspension system and limited-slip differential, its handling is the sort that’ll allow you to cling to the tailpipes of much more expensive machinery through the most challenging of twisties. Stickier than a limpet on the bow of a boat, the MPS’s grip is so unshakable that such corners can be taken at the sort of speeds that’ll see your passengers’ lunging for the nearest grab handle and your lips curling back in cackles of delight. Yet most impressive of all is the fact that Mazda has been able to accompany all this poke with such a competitive price tag. For not only does it undercut its nearest rivals, the Mazda 3 MPS also comes standard with the sort of kit – read Bose sound, cruise control, keyless entry, multifunction steering wheel, leather – that other manufacturers only specify on the options list. Now that’s real evolutionary progress.

Mazda 3 MPS Fast Facts:

Engine: 2261cc, four-cylinder turbo

Power: 190kW at 5500rpm

Torque: 380Nw at 3000rpm

0-100km/h: 6.1 seconds (claimed)

Top Speed: 250km/h (claimed)

Fuel Consumption: 9.2 (claimed combined)

Price: R310 000

Twin exhaust system could definitely sound more enthusiastic, more raucous.

Interior is solid and well put together. Not the most ergonomic with all those buttons though. Seats provide plenty of support.

That digital boost gauge nestling between the speedometer and tachometer is nice touch and adds to the MPS’s sporty character

Excellent Bose sound system comes standard on every Mazda 3 MPS

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