THIS is the new Mazda CX-3. No, really, it is. From the outside, there may be nothing to distinguish the new CX-3 from the old, but all of Mazda’s improvements have been made under the sheet metal.

Autonomous emergency braking is now standard across the range, as is Mazda’s G-Vectoring Control to increase the fun factor of the CX-3 through the corners and improved noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels.

Higher grades get more gear, including blind-spot monitoring, head-up display and a 7.0-inch colour touchscreen with satellite navigation, and buyers can opt for a petrol or diesel engine, a manual or automatic transmission and front- or all-wheel drive.

However, has Mazda done enough to stave off the ever-growing competition in the small SUV segment to retain the much-coveted sales crown?

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