On the outside, the MPS stands out with the wide "smile" of the front bumper, flared front arches, 18-inch alloy wheels, and a massive air intake on the hood.Comments Late October, a gloomy morning. Instead of drinking tea in the office and writing another review while glancing at the drizzling rain outside the window, I head to the Moscow region's "Leader" race track near Podolsk, where the Russian presentation of the new Mazda3 MPS is taking place.
 |
| Compared to the standard Mazda3, the MPS version received an aggressive bumper, side sill covers, widened front fenders, a large air intake on the hood, and 18-inch alloy wheels. |
At first, we were let onto the track in 15-horsepower karts, and then allowed to do a few laps in the test MPS cars. "Leader" is considered difficult even for karting, but in the tightness of this track, the Mazda3 MPS performed admirably. The steering responds clearly, and the car holds its line excellently in corners. The main thing is not to enter a narrow turn too fast: then understeer appears, and the front end drifts toward the outer curb. But with proper technique, even on a narrow karting circuit, the Mazda3 MPS delights with its obedience and sharp responses.
 |
| On the karting track, which even experienced drivers consider difficult, the Mazda3 MPS demonstrates surprising agility. |
At the European presentation near Hamburg, I was impressed by the car's behavior on high-speed autobahns: it holds the straight flawlessly, and the steering pleasantly fills with effort during lane changes. But how will the Mazda behave on the bumpy Moscow region highways with their patches and cracks?
The previous Mazda3 MPS was uncompromising: a stiff suspension, piercing turbo whistle, harsh impacts on potholes, and tire roar. All honest, no discounts. The new "matryoshka" has matured. The Mazda received quality trim materials, became quieter and smoother.
 |
| That you're in an MPS is reminded by the red stitching on the seats, steering wheel, and gear shift boot. For style's sake, the seat and door upholstery features fabric with a crimson tint. |
Inside, as before, there are red threads on the sport seats, steering wheel, and manual transmission boot. A nod to fashion — crimson tints on the door cards and seat cushions. The firm front seats please with their profile, but lateral support is clearly lacking. In corners, you have to grip the wheel and brace your left foot against the footrest to keep your body in the seat.
On the center console — a convenient audio system block and three signature "Mazda" rotary knobs for the dual-zone climate control. On the instrument cluster with red backlighting from the civilian Mazda3, a boost pressure indicator, the MPS inscription, and a speedometer scale up to 280 km/h have appeared.
 |
| In a corner, the Mazda holds like glued. The main thing is not to overdo the entry speed: despite the limited-slip differential, understeer hasn't gone anywhere. |
On the outside, the MPS is recognizable by the wide "mouth" grille of the front bumper, widened front fenders, 18-inch alloy wheels, and a large air intake on the hood that improves intercooler cooling. All this worsened aerodynamics to 0.32 Cx, but the enlarged rear spoiler helped reduce lift.
 |
| On a straight, the MPS can easily compete with a small airplane. The 260-horsepower 2.3-liter DISI turbo engine accelerates the Japanese hot hatch to 100 km/h in 6.1 seconds. |
Under the hood — the same 2.3-liter DISI turbo-four with 260 hp. Acceleration to "a hundred" hasn't changed — the same 6.1 seconds. Electronics artificially limits torque in first, second, and third gears, so acceleration has become noticeably smoother. It's no longer an explosive wave, but a gradually building avalanche. Throttle response is instantaneous, and dosing the thrust is a pleasure. However, the clutch isn't very informative and requires getting used to: the stiff pedal drops at the end, so starting without jerks didn't work out the first time for me or my colleagues.
 |
| The element of the Mazda3 MPS is smooth high-speed tracks. But thanks to suspension refinements, the new generation calmly handles our broken roads as well. |
The suspension was refined with stiffer springs and enlarged anti-roll bars. Officially, the shock absorbers became stiffer, but by feel, the hot hatch has become more comfortable. The previous MPS wandered on bumpy Moscow region highways and required constant steering correction. Now the Mazda3 MPS has clearly settled down: it still transmits all road irregularities into the cabin, but does so more delicately, and importantly — without compromising handling.
 |
| For passenger comfort, the rear exhaust was made dual. The exhaust system is now 10 dB quieter. |
In a long sweeping corner, the MPS no longer jumps off its trajectory after every bump, but clearly follows the road profile, maintaining the set direction. But the most pleasant thing is that now you can drive the Mazda3 MPS calmly! Like a regular car — to work or to the store. The new generation doesn't require constantly attacking corners, flooring the gas, and fighting traffic. The driver decides how to drive.
 |
| Suspension refinement — stiffer springs and enlarged anti-roll bars. |
The spontaneity, the deafening turbo whistle at launch, and the exhaust roar on downshifts have disappeared. Now the boost rustles quietly, and improved sound insulation barely lets it into the cabin. At the rear — two exhaust tips, which have become 10 dB quieter. All grown-up.
 |
| On the instrument panel — the proud MPS inscription, a speedometer scale up to 280 km/h, and a boost pressure gauge. |
The gear shift lever is still comfortable and informative. Gears engage with a pleasant effort, reminding of the MPS abbreviation on the trunk lid. The powerful brakes are good, but precisely dosing the pedal effort isn't always possible: it seems you've barely touched it, and the Mazda is already chattering with ABS.
The final chord of the test drive was a real surprise — I was entrusted with a seat in a training two-seater Yak-52. At the controls were pilots of the Russian aerobatic team, who for many years have maintained the bar as some of the world's strongest performers of advanced aerobatic figures.
 |
| The base price of the Mazda3 MPS in Russia is 1,203,000 rubles. Even in standard form, the MPS is equipped with everything necessary. Paying an additional 71 thousand rubles will add a navigation system and a Bose audio system with 10 speakers and a CD changer. |
As soon as the engine came to life, a powerful acceleration followed, then we flew a parallel course, rolled a "barrel," and performed Nesterov's "dead loop." Just 12 minutes in the air — and emotions and impressions would have been enough for a month. Returning to the parking lot, I caught myself thinking that a Mazda3 MPS awaits me, capable of delivering the same explosive acceleration and repeating many aerobatic figures, but in its own element — on asphalt. It turns out that behind the wheel of the Mazda3 MPS, you find yourself in two dimensions — between sky and earth…
 |
 |
Ruslan Galimov