- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
1.8i, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
92kW, 163Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 7.4L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Manual
- Warranty
3 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
Built to a budget
FOR: Stylish and practical. Generous front and rear space, and decent boot. Strong performance from 1.8. Better than average dynamics and brakes. Comfortable seats and bright interior.
AGAINST: Feels underdone in terms of refinement. Engine noise and cabin resonance. Harsh, thumping suspension provides poor ride comfort. No anti-lock brakes option or centre rear lap sash belt.
VERDICT: The Japanese hatch is built down to a price these days. The new 323 is a prime example.
RATING: three (out of 5)
The Japanese car makers have faced difficult times over the past decade. None better illustrates their problems than Mazda. Ten years ago, Mazda wrote the style agenda with the likes of the cute 121, the sporty MX-5 and curvaceous 626/929 models. It was regarded as a standard setter, and its model repertoire grew large and various.
Then the yen went berserk, Mazdas became expensive, sales and cash flow slowed as a consequence. It was impossible to sustain development and production costs on such a wide mixture of models. The accountants and Ford, a 35 per cent stakeholder, moved in. Rationalisation and cost cutting became necessary for survival. Style which didn't sell was out.
Compare the new 323 range with its predecessor and the extent of the knife-wielding and enforced pragmatism becomes obvious. The previous 323 line-up, launched in 1994, comprised 14 model variants, three body styles and three engine choices - including a high-tech 2.0-litre V6 which cost a bomb to engineer and produce.
The sheet metal was adventurous and svelte - the hardtop and hatch in particular were beautifully sculpted - but no panels were common across the range. Prices were, by today's bargain benchmarks, ridiculously expensive: $23,900 for the 1.6 litre Protege sedan, $26,900 for the 1.8 Astina hatch. The V6 hardtop was an eye-watering $36,000.
Just four 323 variants are now on offer. The V6 has disappeared; the two four-cylinder engines remain. Two bodies - still Protege sedan and Astina hatch - share skin forward of the centre pillar and the same dimensions. The Astina's avant-garde lines have been replaced by a safe, conventional, but still attractive and much more functional, squarish hatch profile.
Current 323 prices are more realistic - $20,990 for the 1.6 Protege and Astina. The 1.8 Protege costs $24,490; the Astina is $25,690. Air-conditioning - $2,000 worth - is standard across the range, as is a driver's airbag.
The 323 is also sold with different panels and a Ford badge as the new Laser - an association that goes back to the 1980s. Laser prices start at $19,990.
Despite its retreat in design and choice, the new 323 range is still representative of Mazda's skills and, in some important areas, a move to place substance ahead of style.
The new shape is less challenging to look at, but much easier to live with. Despite being slightly shorter from nose to tail, the new Astina feels, and is, considerably more spacious. Its pretty predecessor had a low roof, steeply raked at the rear, which restricted headroom, made entry and exit a squeeze, and didn't allow you to carry a bulky load.
These problems have been fixed, and the Astina now ranks as one of the better hatchbacks for passengers, who enjoy generous legroom and headroom throughout, and convenient access. The lap-only belt in the centre of the back seat, however, is a cost-cutting measure that's off the pace by current class safety standards. The load area is larger and more versatile, with a 60/40 split double folding rear seat.
Up front, the driver sits higher than before, with superior vision around the car, also aided by taller windows and a thinner rear pillar. The very comfortable driver's seat, upholstered in soft, luxurious brushed cloth, has a greater range of fore-aft travel and height adjustment, while the wheel is also height-adjustable.
The interior is light grey tones - bright, attractive and well finished. The stylishly curved, dimpled dash has everything where you want it; there is plenty of oddment storage; and the controls operate with a soft touch typical of the classier Japanese hatchback.
The 323's more pragmatic focus extends to 18 per cent cheaper front-end repair costs - though, according to the NRMA's low-speed crash tests, the Astina is still a relatively expensive car to straighten after a minor front-end hit. There are also an upgraded immobiliser system and higher passive safety levels.
The 1.8 Astina also features power windows and mirrors, front foglights, two front airbags, remote central locking and a four-speaker stereo. Anti-lock brakes, however, are not even on the options list.
The 16-valve 1.8 produces more power and torque than most competitors. Mazda claims improved fuel efficiency and bottom-end pulling power, plus smoother, quieter operation; in this last respect, however, its 1.8 is still no standard setter.
The Astina goes hard with a few revs on board, covering the 0-100 km/h sprint in a quickish 11.4 seconds. Noise under acceleration, particularly resonance in the cabin, plus vibration and harshness at high revs, are still quite intrusive, especially when working the lower gears in city traffic. In this respect, the Japanese makers (Honda apart) have made little progress in recent years; the Europeans - Holden's Astra being the prime example - are leading the way in refinement.
Fuel economy (manual transmission) is class average at 10.6 litres/100km in the city and 7.9 litres/100 km on the highway.
The manual's shift action is light and precise, but the clutch is a little grabby.
The Astina is a confident, enjoyable car to drive quickly, with a more sporty, tactile character than most competitors. Body rigidity has been improved, but the Astina is still light and agile. A firm suspension set-up, which delivers taut body control, is complemented on the Astina 1.8 by quiet, grippy 195/55 Michelins on 15-inch alloy wheels, while the steering is also more direct and rigidly mounted.
The Astina's four-wheel discs are also more responsive to light pressures, and pull the car up quickly with no fade during repeated applications.
Despite an increase in low-speed compliance aimed at curing the previous model's billycart ride, the 323's suspension tuning still trades off comfort for handling, though the relatively low-profile Michelins also contribute to this emphasis.
Out on the open road the Astina is tolerably firm on good surfaces but too sharp and harsh on rough roads; around the suburbs the suspension sometimes thumps hard and noisily, shaking the cabin and steering rack. This led on the test car to a couple of squeaks and rattles from loosened interior fittings.
The new 323 Astina is big on practicality and offers more driving enjoyment per dollar than most competitors, but is let down by an engine which is still too noisy, suspension which fails to smooth out the road, and a general lack of refinement.
For around the same money Holden's Euro-sourced Astra is a far more civilised, comfortable drive, and the clear class leader.
Mazda 323 Astina
Engine: 1.8 litre 16-valve fuel-injected four-cylinder.
Power: 92 kW at 6000 rpm (above average).
Performance: 0-100 km/h in 11.4 seconds (quickish).
Brakes: Discs (excellent, but no ABS option is silly).
Economy: 10.6 litres/100 km city; 7.9 highway (average).
Prices: Recommended retail 1.8 Astina $25,690 (1.6 $20,990);
1.8 Protege sedan $24,490
(1.6 $20,990).
Street price: Mazda is throwing in a six-stack CD. Some dealers are throwing in on-road costs.
Main options: Four-speed automatic $1,850.
Alternatives:
Citron Xsara 1.8 $26,990
Ford Laser GLXi 1.8 $21,990
Holden Astra CD 1.8 $23,490
Nissan Pulsar Q 1.6 $21,490
Toyota Corolla Conquest Liftback 1.8 $23,320.