Mazda 3 Hatchback

2.0 e-SkyactivX MHEV [186] Exclusive-Line 5dr Auto [2025]

SUVs may be all the rage nowadays, but there’s still plenty of competition in the mid-size hatchback segment of the leasing market.

So much so that Mazda even offers a saloon version of the car we’ve got here, the Mazda 3 hatchback.

Admittedly, when the latest model was ushered in, it was based on an all-new platform, which many suspected was introduced to enable Mazda to produce an SUV version.

Not long later, behold the Mazda CX-30 crossover.

But the hatchback version has always been capable of holding its own, with funky looks that depart from the average metal box on wheels.

The Japanese car manufacturer doesn’t do things for the sake of it – so despite the surging popularity of SUVs in recent years, the Mazda 3 isn’t just there to make up the numbers. Far from it.

Although in practice, Mazda is competing with the likes of Ford's Focus and Volkswagen's Golf - two long-standing cars that excel in this sector - Mazda wants to aim even higher.

It aspires to compete with the premium brands and, at the very least, offer a level of refinement that's impossible to beat without going to Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Now, it's given its trim levels a makeover and has added a few upgrades to make the Mazda 3 even more appealing to lease.

So, has it succeeded? We are aiming to find out.