If you asked me to name an auto brand that might best be able to transition from the mainstream volume sector to premium

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status I’d have to put Mazda on top of the list. Certainly Volkswagen would be up there too, but VW already owns Audi, not to mention Bentley, Lamborghini and Bugatti, amongst others, so moving the brand much further upmarket would hardly make sense. Mazda is already a niche seller in most segments, however, and therefore wouldn’t be losing much ground if it decided to shoot for profits instead of overall market share. What’s more it wouldn’t have to do much to qualify its model lineup for the luxury class.

As a bit of a luxury brand 101 overview, premium auto brands need a highly identifiable image, good performance chops, higher than average refinement, high tech mechanicals and electronics, plus of course luxurious appointments, and Mazda

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has all of the above covered as well as all-important standalone dealerships renowned for excellent service. The Japanese brand’s new Kodo design language makes their cars and crossover SUVs some of the more attractive in the industry, ideally balancing sporty elements with an understated elegance that punches way above its models’ various price points, while they not only offer one of the most loved and respected sports cars in the MX-5, not to mention have historically built some of the more desirable Japanese collector cars, most of which are rotary-powered, and may soon add a future collectible to that list if the recently unveiled RX-Vision is any indication, but they infuse much of that performance DNA into the rest of their lineup. Along with a go-fast attitude that Mazda has long dubbed “Zoom-Zoom” its vehicles get many of the same types of fuel-efficiency technology used by the top German

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brands such as auto start-stop and regenerative braking, their infotainment systems could be right out of an Audi or BMW, and even their smallest cars and SUVs offer leather-lined, aluminum intensive interiors with soft-touch surfaces that put some premium brands to shame. You may remember Mazda once had aspirations of producing a Lexus-fighting luxury division, the result of which was the mid-size Millenia sold from 1992–2003, but as noted its cars and SUVs have since all worked their way upmarket. Certainly Mazda is ripe for the transition.

Take this Mazda3 GT as an example of doing most everything right. First off, its styling is spot on, looking every bit as classy as its bigger mid-size Mazda6 brother

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yet smaller and sportier, with its own version of the brand’s bold trademark trapezoidal grille up front, bending a chromed lower trim element right into its sophisticated set of bi-xenon HID headlamps with signature LEDs. A simple set of circular fogs sit below, 18-inch multi-spoke alloys at each corner, a discreet body-colour spoiler atop the rear deck lid and stylish LED taillights at back, the 3 sedan making a sharp visual statement from front to back, especially in my tester’s greyish-brown Titanium Flash Mica paint.

Proximity-sensing keyless access gets you inside where ambient lighting shows you the way to its aluminum ignition button, my top-line loaner replacing the model’s

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standard six-speed manual gearbox with a six-speed automatic featuring driver selectable Sport mode and sequential shifting via steering wheel paddles. Settle into the comfortable power-adjustable perforated leather-clad driver’s seat that comes standard with the automatic, press the start button and witness the 3 GT’s exclusive 2.5-litre four come alive. A standard head-up display unit powers a translucent screen out of the dash top to receive key projected info, while just below are Mazda’s elegant trademark wing-style digital and analog primary gauges, lit up with TFT displays to each side, all framed by a comfortably thick tilt and telescopic red-stitched leather-wrapped multifunction sport steering wheel.

Atop the centre stack, the 3 GT fixes a standard tablet style colour high-resolution infotainment screen filled with navigation, a backup camera, audio controls, phone connectivity

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and more, all controlled via a large rotating dial on the lower console surrounded by various go-to buttons and audio volume control knob, whereas a stylish dual-zone auto HVAC interface hovers just below two backlit three-way seat heater toggles back up on the centre stack, the former standard with the auto and the latter standard with all GTs. The optional Bose audio is very good as well, the type of system you’d normally find in a pricey premium sport-luxury sedan. Additionally, a nice tidy overhead console features a handy sunglasses holder, map lights, and controls for the standard powered glass sunroof.

There are plenty of soft-touch surfaces throughout too, including pliable plastics across the entire dash top as well as the front door uppers, while the door inserts are

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soft and padded both front and back, as are the armrests that get red contrast stitching like other key areas around the cabin, whereas eye-catching metallic accents highlight other surfaces to good effect. I know, I could be describing any Audi, BMW or Mercedes-Benz, let alone a Lexus or Infiniti, but the almost as well equipped base Mazda3 GT starts at $25,350 plus freight and dealer fees for the six-speed manual equipped model or $27,450 for the as-tested six-speed automatic with paddles.

To clear up any confusion regarding standard and optional features, when the auto is chosen you also get the Luxury package at no charge, which includes the already noted leather upholstery with leatherette trim, six-way powered driver’s seat with manual lumbar support, dual-zone auto climate control, and nine-speaker

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Bose audio upgrade with Centerpoint 2 surround, AudioPilot 2 noise compensation plus SurroundStage signal processing. My tester also included the $2,500 Technology package that added active grille shutters, adaptive cornering headlamps with auto leveling and auto high beams, an auto-dimming rearview mirror with an integrated HomeLink universal garage door opener, satellite radio with a free six-month subscription, aforementioned i-ELOOP regenerative braking, blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, and Smart City Brake Support that uses a near infra-red laser sensor to detect and react to a vehicle up to six metres (20 feet) ahead before applying the brakes automatically to avoid a potential accident. So equipped the Mazda3 earns the IIHS’ best Top Safety Pick + rating, whereas all 3s get the NHTSA’s 5-star seal of crash test approval.

The

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confidence of knowing you and your family are well protected is comforting, especially considering how quick and nimble the car is in GT trim. Its base trims are already strong performers in the compact class with a direct-injection 2.0-litre Skyactiv four-cylinder capable of 155 horsepower and 150 lb-ft of torque plus claimed fuel economy of 8.0 L/100km city and 5.8 highway with the manual or 7.9 city and 5.7 highway with the auto, but the GT’s more potent 2.5-litre Skyactiv mill puts a wider smile across its driver’s face thanks to 184 horsepower and 185 lb-ft of torque and doesn’t turn that smile upside down due to fuel economy equaling 9.3 city and 6.4 highway with the manual, 8.4 city and 6.1 with the auto, or 8.2 and 5.9 with the auto and as-tested i-ELOOP brake regeneration, while the engine is really responsive to throttle input and the Skyactiv six-speed automatic a joy to row through the gears with nice quick shifts, especially when in Sport mode.

The

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Sport button is down on the lower console beside the shift lever, and now that we’re on the subject of the transmission you can pull that lever to the left to engage manual mode for even greater performance feel. The 3 is ultra-fun through the corners, with very impressive handling, while it’s braking is also strong and overall balance confidence inspiring. This is the compact car to get if you are a driving enthusiast, as it really likes to wind through the curves yet it doesn’t beat you up during the process. Its ride is smooth and comfortable, the 3 an excellent all-rounder.

You may have noticed the term Skyactiv mentioned a moment ago, and if you’re not already familiar this is the coined name

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Mazda uses for its various fuel-efficiency focused technologies and overall approach to engineering. Skyactiv is more of a philosophy than a collection of parts, mind you. Certainly there are components to meet its highly efficient ends, such as lightweight yet rigid Skyactiv body structures (providing better handling and improved crash protection); lightweight but strong Skyactiv-chassis designs (ditto, due in part to rpm-sensing variable electric powered rack and pinion steering); Skyactiv-G (gasoline) and Skyactiv-D (diesel, not available in Canada) low friction and high compression engines (with a lofty 14.0:1 compression ratio achieved by using 4-2-1 exhaust, cavity pistons, multihole injectors, and yet more technologies, resulting in up to 15 percent better fuel economy and torque); the compact and lightweight Skyactiv-MT (manual transmission: with no reverse idle shaft and a shorter secondary shaft); compact and lightweight Skyactiv-Drive (automatic

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transmission: which Mazda claims incorporates the benefits of all competitive transmissions including the conventional automatic, continuously variable and dual-clutch automated types, due to a “dramatically widened” lock-up range that improves torque transfer efficiency resulting in a “direct driving feel that is equivalent to a manual” as well as a “4-to-7 percent improvement in fuel economy” compared to the previous automatic); and with the Mazda3 GT, the availability of i-ELOOP regenerative braking. A gearhead will immediately notice that such technologies not only improve fuel economy and emissions, but also performance, which is perfectly in tune with Mazda’s longstanding adherence to fully engaged driving enjoyment.

Important for a performance-oriented car, the 3 GT’s driver’s seat is quite supportive with decent side bolstering plus good inherent lower back support and was

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therefore wonderfully comfortable throughout my weeklong test, whereas the car’s overall ergonomics are excellent. The rear seats are also spacious and well designed with good overall comfort. They fold flat 60/40, expanding on an already accommodating 350-litre (12.3 cubic-foot) trunk.

Like the majority of premium brands, Mazda not only offers a lot of options with the 3 GT sedan but also some nice accessories including four alternative 18-inch rims starting with a set of $1,189 satin black alloys that are followed up by a $1,179 quad of black alloys with milled trim, or alternatively $1,199 for matte gunmetal wheels or $1,209 for gloss black alloys, this list including a couple of sets that would look fabulous next to the $1,990 gloss black aero kit also available from the accessories catalog. My tester’s metallic paint was a no-cost option as are

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four additional colours, while Mazda also offers Snow Flake White Pearl for $200 and Soul Red Metallic for $300.

Only a lack of fabric-wrapped roof pillars and soft-touch rear door uppers disqualify the Mazda3 GT from Tier 2 premium status, and such shortcomings could easily be remedied by adding a bit more to the car’s bottom line, plus of course the reality that with a total of 34,811 3s sold throughout Canada last year Mazda delivers about three times as many 3s as Mercedes’ or BMW sells C-Class and 3 Series respectively due to a well-equipped base model that starts at just $15,550.

I don’t think Mazda will want to give up on such a strong fifth placement in the compact segment, with only four competitors beating it to first place including the various

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Hyundai Elantra models combining for 47,722 sales, the Corolla plus the Scion iM and tC combining for 49,996 Toyota compact deliveries, Jetta and its three compact VW siblings joining ranks for 53,206 sales, plus the Civic sedan, coupe and performance models ringing in 64,950 compacts down the road. This means the Mazda3 sedan and Sport hatchback lead the rest of the field that was comprised of 31,958 Chevy Cruze sales last year, 21,101 Ford Focus deliveries, 19,848 combined Subaru Imprezas and XV Crosstreks sold, 14,940 Nissan Sentras, 6,008 Mitsubishi Lancers, and 3,061 Dodge Darts down Canadian roads (no wonder that last one just got cancelled). Then again, while Mazda may be sitting pretty with a 5th placement out of 12 compact models here in Canada, it’s the U.S. market that drives most everything in North America and therefore many global decisions as well, and Mazda gets little sales traction there. Even the mighty

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3 only managed a paltry 9th place out of 12 with just 107,885 unit sales, which sounds like a lot until you factor in their approximate three-times market size.

Moving the 3 and other Mazda models upmarket might be exactly what the brand needs in the U.S. and therefore what might happen here in years to come, yet after another week with the fabulous 3 GT it certainly wouldn’t be much of a stretch to imagine it competing directly with the Acura ILX, Audi A3, Buick Verano, Mercedes-Benz CLA and other premium four-door models. That we can buy it for such a great price right now is the shocker. Make sure you put the Mazda3 on your shortlist when shopping for your next compact, as I’m sure you’ll appreciate what I’m talking about after spending a little time in the driver’s seat. Its combination of high style, great interior design and superb quality, strong performance, wonderful handling and myriad features raise it far above most mainstream competitors. The Mazda3 GT gets my highest recommendation.
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