BBC Topgear Road Test - May 01 1999 Mazda - 323 1.5 GXi

It’s hard to decide whether the Mazda 323 is a leader or follower of fashion. In 1995, at a time when most manufacturers in the family hatchback sector were producing competent yet uninspiring cars, along came the daringly different 323. The curvy teardrop was a real looker, boasted some pretty details and suffered only from a gloomy interior and a weedy ventilation system.

Since then, there has been a real change of direction towards introducing personality and interesting detail into car styling – a trend which Mazda seems, sadly, to have ignored. Having once led by example, the new 323 now melts into the background alongside the likes of the sharp-suited Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf.

However, quirky looks aren’t everyone’s flavour of the month and there are plenty of points in the 323’s favour. On the road, the revised 1.5-litre engine revs freely and zips along nicely, punctuated with neat gear changes. It’s a pleasant little motorway cruiser, though it needs a bit of right-footed encouragement to pick up when overtaking. Thanks to a new chassis, handling is sharp, while the stability and lack of body roll on twistier tarmac is worthy of a sportier model. The standard ABS has good feel but, on the down side, ride quality is firm and becomes even less refined over bumps and uneven road conditions.

Despite its compact appearance, the new 323 has an almost Tardis-like quality when it comes to interior space. External dimensions may be smaller this time round but passenger space and boot capacity have been enhanced to class-leading proportions – most noticably in the rear, where there’s plenty of leg- and headroom for six-foot tall passengers, even when stuck behind a six-foot driver.

The interior itself is comfortable yet desperately dull and the layout of the switchgear and controls lacks any inspirational style tweaks – they’ve even lost the neat flip-top door bins. The passenger seat does fold forwards into a flat table to extend luggage space and inject a modicum of innovation, but that’s pretty much your lot.

The 323 1.5GXi does come as a comprehensively well-equipped package with air-conditioning, traction control, ABS, electric front windows and wing mirrors, and driver/ passenger airbags all standard issue. It’s just a shame that the quirkiness that distinguished the Mazda from its rivals has been totally lost. You would be happy with the Mazda, just not that excited by it.