MAZDA'S 323 Astina hatchback belongs to the new school of thinking that has swept though the Japanese company in the last few years. Eschewing the avant garde shapes of the early 1990s it tends towards the practical, "look, gaining in passenger space and comfort at the same time. The well-proven driveline and suspension systems are competent if not inspiring and the voluminous hatchback lines make it a totally different proposition to its slinky predecessor.