The Mazda3’s greatest strength is its looks.

With its Manga-style cutesy smile, sleek lines and stylish rear, it stands out from its relatively bland-looking competitors. It offers something a bit funkier than the norm to those looking for a good value-for-money hatchback.

Banish all thoughts of the previous Mazda3, which was a bit on the dreary side – this is all new for 2010 and looks the part. Both sedan and hatchback versions are available – we tried the former, in the mid-range V trim, which comes with a decent level of kit. 

Step into the car and the environment is very familiar to anyone that’s been inside a recent Mazda. The dash is very similar fare to the larger Mazda6, which is no bad thing. The 3’s identifying feature is the dash, which features a swooping line across the car surrounding two little display screens that show trip information and settings for the stereo stereo. The line swoops from the top left of the steering wheel around to the right and then down towards the centre console and looks very swish, separating the driver’s area in a cockpit sort of way.

The steering wheel feels good in the hands, but is very busy – there are at least ten buttons adorning the wheel and it does look very cluttered. Some of the buttons feel very plasticky and cheap too, which is a shame.

Generally, the cabin is a very pleasant place. All the components feel solid but the interior doesn’t have the premium feel that you might get from some other brands – Ford, in particular, springs to mind here. Blue Oval cars of this kind of segment feel a little classier to the touch. Although the Mazda feels well screwed together, in some areas – mostly lower down in the cabin, such as around the door pockets – the quality of materials is a touch disappointing.

The seating position is really good – you can get the seat nice and low for the ideal driving position, which makes a nice change, especially for taller drivers such as myself. Being able to sit low down in the car is becoming increasingly rare in modern cars, but no such worries in the 3. The seats are also fairly comfortable.

The quality of the steering around town strikes a nice balance – it’s not too light, but nor is it a nightmare to wrestle the steering wheel around. There’s some heft to the wheel but no too much – you can happily spin the wheel to get into tight parking spaces – but there is the sense that there’s a physical connection to the wheels, even if, when filtered through the power steering system, it feels a bit artificial.

I was worried before I got the car that the 1.6-litre, 105bhp engine would be underpowered for the size of the car. But around town, in an urban environment, it’s not bad at all – it’s peppy and responds well; you don’t need to wring it out to get all the power from it. It's a shame that the four-speed gearbox is a bit archaic though. It feels old and clunky and Mazda would do well to put a newer five-speed unit in there instead.

The engine performance is not quite so good on the motorway - you really need to stamp on the pedal to get any sort of decent acceleration. During our brief time with the car we didn’t get a chance to take it on any fun roads, which is a shame bearing in mind Mazda’s (infuriating) ‘Zoom-Zoom’ philosophy. Based on my experiences in town I would expect it to be mildly entertaining on twisty bits, as the chassis is impressively nimble but the steering probably won’t instil huge confidence, and the engine is far from sporty when you want to open it up.

It’s a shame that more engines aren’t available on the Mazda3 in this region, as with a bit more power this could be a very enjoyable, reasonably priced and sporty car. As it is, it’s still very capable, comfortable and stylish, especially in an urban environment, but take the car away from the town centre and the performance can’t quite match up to the looks.

Mazda3 sedan

Price (AED): From 59,000

Engine (litres): 1.6 

Max power (bhp): 105 

Max torque (Nm): 145

Driven wheels:  Front wheel drive

Standard safety features: Four-wheel ABS, electronic brake force distribution, dual front airbags, rear child seat anchors.