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Malcolm Flynn
Editor
17 Mar 2015
7 min read

Remember that feeling on the first day back at school, where you were so chuffed with the hi-top sneakers you got for Christmas, until you suddenly realised that the cool kids’ parents didn’t buy theirs from Kmart? 

Your shoes looked pretty much the same as the ones on every kid’s wishlist, but lacked the NBA provenance and all-important embroidered silhouette of Michael Jordan on the ankle. 

Those who bought a small SUV of late might find themselves in a similar situation. Compact crossovers like the Honda HR-V, Nissan Qashqai and Renault Captur do tick all the important boxes for their class, but Mazda has now hit the blacktop with the all-new CX-3. 

Aside from the Kodo looks and Skyactiv efficiency tech that have made the Mazda2, 3, 6 and CX-5 so successful, the CX-3 brings a cheaper entry price than any of its immediate rivals, plus refreshing choices between petrol and diesel, two and all-wheel drive, manual and auto, and four different trim levels. 

Read the full Mazda CX-3 Akari 2015 review.