2026 Mazda 3 G25 Astina hatch review
After years on sale in Australia, the Mazda 3 hatch is a common sight on Aussie roads. While only little has changed over the years, the sophisticated 3 maintains its appeal against competitors.
2026 Mazda 3 G25 Astina
The 2026 Mazda 3 hatch is something of an outlier.
While the popularity of hybrids and EVs continues to expand, this simple, traditional small hatchback manages to hold its own. Even with small SUVs commanding more sales, small hatches and sedans still matter.
Although it may not be the newest kid on the block, the Mazda 3 was the third-best-selling small car in Australia in 2025, less than 400 units behind the second-placed Hyundai i30.
Mazda’s positioning of the Mazda 3 range has always been something a little more lofty. Not always the cheapest, but with a handful of touches that look and feel more premium than rivals can offer.
| Key details | 2026 Mazda 3 G25 Astina |
| Price | $43,610 plus on-road costs |
| Colour of test car | Snowflake White pearl |
| Options | None |
| Price as tested | $43,610 plus on-road costs |
| Drive-away price | $48,394 (Vic) |
| Rivals | Hyundai i30 | Kia K4 | Toyota Corolla |
Is the Mazda 3 good value?
The range-topping Mazda 3 G25 Astina is priced from $43,610 plus on-road costs as either a sedan or hatch.
The Astina grade comes fully loaded. Your only options are a choice of nine paint colours (of which three will cost an additional $595), and on the hatch, the choice of black or burgundy interior trim. Sedans are, oddly, limited to the black interior only.
The range starts from $31,610 plus on-road costs for the cheapest Mazda 3 G20 Pure, but moving up to the top-spec car adds things like a powered driver’s seat, leather trim, seat heating, a sunroof, and a larger, more powerful 2.5-litre engine instead of a 2.0-litre unit.
The step from base-trim to top-spec isn’t small, but four variants spanning in between make the model-walk more palatable.
Exclusive Astina equipment includes a 12-speaker Bose sound system, a tilt/slide power sunroof, and adaptive headlights with LED daytime running lamps.
Equipment shared with other trim levels includes features like leather seats, electric driver’s seat adjustment with memory, heated seats and steering wheel, 360-degree cameras, 18-inch wheels, auto lock/unlock proximity key, dual-zone climate control, and a 10.25-inch infotainment screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Under the bonnet, the Mazda 3 comes with a 2.5-litre non-turbo four-cylinder engine producing 139kW and 252Nm with a six-speed automatic.
The mainstream Hyundai i30 range is without a hatchback variant at the moment, leaving only the i30 Sedan. The range is topped by the N Line Premium priced from $42,500 before on-road costs.
Hyundai offers a turbocharged 1.6-litre engine producing 150kW and a quick-shifting seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.
The i30 Sedan is longer overall yet has a similar wheelbase. But, despite this, it’s roomier inside. Hyundai offers some interesting tech, like the ability to record up to 70 minutes of voice memos and individual user profiles for multiple drivers, plus it comes with ventilated as well as heated front seats.
The newest of the Mazda 3’s rivals is the Kia K4 hatch, a replacement for the outgoing Cerato. The name change brings a more upmarket look and feel, with a price of $43,790 plus on-road costs for the flagship GT-Line.
The K4 uses a version of the 1.6-litre turbo in the i30, except it’s rated at 142kW and drives through a traditional eight-speed automatic.
At the top of the mainstream Corolla range, the ZR hatch is priced from $39,100 plus on-road costs. The bargain buy of this assortment, if you will.
The 1.8-litre hybrid is more efficient, but less powerful, and the Corolla lacks some of the Astina’s features, like a sunroof and full-leather trim, and comes with an eight-speaker sound system instead of 12, which is also the case for the Kia and Hyundai.
How fuel-efficient is the Mazda 3?
The official fuel consumption rating for the Mazda 3 with a 2.5-litre engine is 6.6 litres per 100 kilometres, but the real-world result sat higher, coming in at 8.6L/100km.
Mazda doesn’t offer any form of hybrid on the Mazda 3, but does include a stop-start function to shut the engine off when idling, and a cylinder deactivation system that allows it to run on two cylinders in low-effort driving.
While those features no doubt help, the tendency to rev the Mazda’s naturally aspirated engine hard to get a more willing response from it can harm overall economy, especially in city driving.
If nothing else, keeping a lid on fuel costs can be helped with the Mazda 3 accepting regular 91-octane unleaded and not more expensive premium petrol. E10 ethanol-blended fuel is also suitable.
The 51-litre fuel tank would get you just over 770km of driving range at Mazda’s claimed consumption, but based on the usage we recorded that figure drops down to just over 590km. Expect it to be less in all-city driving.
| Fuel efficiency | 2026 Mazda 3 G25 Astina |
| Fuel cons. (claimed) | 6.6L/100km |
| Fuel cons. (on test) | 8.6L/100km |
| Fuel type | 91-octane regular unleaded |
| Fuel tank size | 51L |
How much does the Mazda 3 cost to own?
Mazda offers a capped-price service program for the Mazda 3. Each service is priced differently, starting at $370 for the first and fifth visits, up to $579 for the second and fourth services.
Over the first three years you’ll pay $1396, and if you hold onto your car longer, the five-year cost will come to $2345. Services are due every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.
At the same time, Mazda offers a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty and five years of roadside assistance.
Hyundai offers a five-year warranty on the i30 and $1812 capped-price servicing over five years. Kia runs a seven-year warranty, but costs $2459 to maintain over five years. Both the Hyundai and Kia have shorter 10,000km intervals too.
By comparison, the Toyota Corolla comes with a standard five-year warranty, but offers extensions to seven years for the engine and drivetrain and up to 10 years on the hybrid system if maintenance is kept to the service schedule. Servicing at a Toyota dealer will cost $1325 to service over five years with 12 months of 15,000km between visits.
Crunching the numbers on comprehensive insurance for a 35-year-old male driver, with a clean driving record based in Chatswood, NSW, revealed an annual premium of $1656 with a leading insurer.
The same driver would pay $1745 for an i30 N Line Premium, $1580 for a Kia K4 GT-Line, or $1561 for a Corolla ZR.
| At a glance | 2026 Mazda 3 G25 Astina |
| Warranty | 5 years, unlimited km |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 15,000km |
| Servicing costs | $1396 (3 years) $2345 (5 years) |
How safe is the Mazda 3?
The current-generation Mazda 3 has been on sale for long enough in Australia that its ANCAP crash test results have expired and not been renewed.
ANCAP results carry an expiry date, so although the model was tested in 2019 and received a five-star rating at the time, that result expired in December 2025. ANCAP makes its assessment criteria stricter every few years, meaning an ‘old’ five-star result is not directly comparable to a newer rating.
Mazda provides a strong list of standard safety features like blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, forward and reverse autonomous emergency braking, traffic sign recognition, rear cross-traffic alert, and lane-keep assist with lane centring.
The Astina also comes with camera-based driver monitoring, surround-view parking cameras, front park sensors (in addition to rear sensors), front cross-traffic alert, and a more advanced cruise-control system with low-speed/traffic jam capability. This system, collectively called Vision Technology, is optional on the two base grades and standard on all other variants.
Most of Mazda’s safety systems work well. The lane assist won’t fight the driver if they need to make a course correction, but can be a bit weak in its assistance at times. Speed sign recognition is accurate and helpful.
The adaptive cruise control can be a little clumsy at times, and doesn’t seem to confidently handle situations where another car would join or depart the lane in front, feeling unsure about when to slow down or speed up.
The 360-degree cameras are handy for parking, especially with over-the-shoulder and rear visibility so hampered by the car’s design. A taller centre screen would be useful, though, with the resulting small image not always revealing clear detail of what’s nearby.
| 2026 Mazda 3 G25 Astina | |
| ANCAP rating | Unrated |
| At a glance | 2026 Mazda 3 G25 Astina | |
| Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) | Yes | Includes cyclist, pedestrian detection (front), plus rear AEB |
| Adaptive Cruise Control | Yes | Include stop-and-go |
| Blind Spot Alert | Yes | Alert only |
| Rear Cross-Traffic Alert | Yes | Alert and assist functions |
| Lane Assistance | Yes | Lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, lane-centring assist |
| Road Sign Recognition | Yes | Includes speed limit assist |
| Driver Attention Warning | Yes | Includes distraction monitor via driver-monitoring camera |
| Cameras & Sensors | Yes | Front and rear sensors, 360-degree camera |
What is the Mazda 3 like on the outside?
Despite the current-generation Mazda 3 making its debut in 2019, it doesn’t look particularly dated, and if anything benefits from its rather simple design approach.
All models apart from the base-spec Pure get 18-inch wheels, helping give it a sporty stance, and hatch models are fitted with a black grille surround rather than the chrome of sedans.
The Astina is the only model to get LED running lights, and these look much more premium than the halogen DRLs on other grades. It also gets adaptive lighting that can turn with the steering wheel and includes auto high-beam.
The coupe-like roof and rear pillar make the Mazda 3 hatch range much more sporty looking than the blocky Kia K4, and the standard mica or metallic paint finishes (with no solid colour options) suit the flowing, almost creaseless design of the Mazda 3.
The design-first approach means some compromises, like tight head room, a high boot lip, and rear pillars that are hard to see past, but Mazda really wants to make an anti-SUV statement with the design of the Mazda 3 range.
What is the Mazda 3 like inside?
The interior of the Mazda 3 is not the newest around, but it still manages to feel premium and high-quality. Especially in top-spec Astina guise.
In an era where minimalism seems to drive interior design, Mazda has stuck with something more conventional. There are buttons, dials, multiple materials and textures, and somehow still a sense of plushness and cohesion.
I quite like the sporty stance, with a low driver’s seat that’s not too difficult to get in and out of, and offers a good mix of firm comfort and lateral support.
Front seats are heated, as is the steering wheel. The driver gets an electrically adjustable seat with two memory positions. It’s a decent level of equipment, but really should stretch to ventilated seats to help cope with Aussie summers.
The Mazda 3’s swoopy shape does define its interior space, though. The roof is low and in the rear the thick C-pillar cuts down outward visibility.
Rear seats are on the tight side. Leg room is quite tight, as is head room. At 169cm tall, I fit in fine, but much taller than me and the Mazda 3 might start to feel tight.
Rear seat occupants get a fold-down armrest and air-conditioning vents, but Mazda is quite stingy with USB ports. There are two USB-C slots in the front console but none in the rear.
Storage throughout the interior is just enough. Front door bins offer handy space for bottles, but the front cupholders have only a limited scope for the size of container they’ll fit. A wireless charge pad up front makes it easy to keep your phone topped up, but space under the centre armrest and in the glovebox is a little limited.
The story is similar in the boot. Boot space comes in at 295 litres on the Mazda 3 hatch. If you were to opt for the sedan you’d get a bigger 444-litre boot. A folding rear seat with a 60/40 split unlocks extra space if you need to carry bigger items, but you’ll likely need to slide the front seats forward to allow the rears to fold flat.
There’s a high load lip to lift over, and in the boot itself there are no hooks, nets or other additions. Under the floor there’s a space-saver spare tyre but no hidden storage.
Hatchback rivals are split on how practical the design should be. Like the Mazda, Toyota has decided sportier is better with a 333-litre boot in the Corolla ZR, while Kia is a bit more generous with 438L in the K4 GT-Line.
| 2026 Mazda 3 G25 Astina | |
| Seats | Five |
| Boot volume | 295L seats up |
| Length | 4460mm |
| Width | 2028mm (incl. mirrors) |
| Height | 1435mm |
| Wheelbase | 2725mm |
Does the Mazda 3 have good infotainment?
This is a little bit awkward. The Mazda 3 used to have good infotainment when it debuted, in an era where not every rival was intuitive and easy to use.
Since then, screens have become bigger, software has gotten slicker, and hardware has been upgraded by rivals. Mazda, meanwhile has sat rather still.
The basics are there. You get a decently sized 10.25-inch screen and features like inbuilt navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, and AM/FM/DAB+ radio.
Mazda’s input allows you to use the screen as touchscreen or use the console-mounted rotary dial. That’s actually rather slick and clever, but it’s designed to work with Mazda’s interface, not those of Apple or Android.
If the screen were mounted a little closer to the edge of the dash it might be near perfect, but it’s a bit far away, meaning you need to move forward out of your seat to reach. The hardware behind it is also a bit short on grunt, resulting in lag and boot speed issues that just shouldn’t be there.
The instrument cluster of the Mazda 3 range blends traditional dials with a 7.0-inch digital display, but it’s very limited in what it can show you and has no customisation or layout alternatives, which feels a bit short on a flagship model.
The colour head-up display is probably where you’ll be looking most of the time anyway, and it offers clear, easy to glance info.
Complimentary access to Mazda Connected Services is included for three years, switching to paid access after the free period. The Mazda 3 includes features like access to owner’s manual documents, roadside assist requests, service history, remote lock/unlock, vehicle location, and other location-based and remote functions.
What is the Mazda 3 like to drive?
On the road, the Mazda 3 feels very direct and responsive. Not hot-hatch swift, but lively with good driver feedback.
That responsiveness comes at a slight cost to refinement, however. Possibly another area where, as the Mazda 3 still sits, rivals have moved ahead.
The 2.5-litre non-turbo engine in the Mazda 3 is the biggest in its class, and the 139kW and 252Nm outputs are competitive, but rivals use smaller turbo engines or hybrid assistance to deliver their results.
To get the best out of the Mazda, you need to give it plenty of revs. And it loves to rev – but it can become unrefined and coarse-sounding, along with pushing up fuel consumption. Rivals, meanwhile, get similar results from torquey turbo engines or the boost from a hybrid system.
Mazda has concentrated on refinement elsewhere. Road and wind noise are well managed, and there’s no thumping or chattering from the suspension under compression.
The six-speed automatic is smooth and predictable. Mazda has developed its own engine and transmission combo to work together, rather than using off-the-shelf or shared components, and it’s a big part of the Mazda 3’s appeal.
Anyone seeking the ultimate in cushioned refinement may find the Astina a little firm-riding. The suspension is direct, giving a very close read of what the road surface is doing, though it never strays into a rock-hard ride.
In terms of drive modes, there are Sport and Normal settings. Sport gives the accelerator response a little more alertness, and alters transmission programming to hold gears longer before changing up and kicking down earlier when required.
As more and more cars move to almost finger-light steering, the Mazda 3 keeps some weight to it, with a front end that is quick to respond to driver inputs. It’s really rewarding on a winding road, but still stable on straight roads, finding a good compromise between alertness and steadiness.
I wasn’t always a big fan of Mazda’s fuel-saving tech. The stop-start system can be a little sleepy when it comes to restarting the engine. Again, this could be because newer systems are more alert, making the Mazda feel a bit outdated.
The fuel-saving cylinder deactivation can also make the engine run with a noticeable vibration in some situations. This particular car did it a little better than some other Mazda models I’ve driven, though the rough feeling is still there.
| Key details | 2026 Mazda 3 G25 Astina |
| Engine | 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol |
| Power | 139kW @ 6000rpm |
| Torque | 252Nm @ 4000rpm |
| Drive type | Front-wheel drive |
| Transmission | 6-speed torque converter automatic |
| Power-to-weight ratio | 97.3kW/t |
| Weight | 1429kg (kerb) |
| Spare tyre type | Space-saver spare tyre |
| Payload | 481kg |
| Tow rating | 1200kg braked 600kg unbraked |
| Turning circle | 10.6m |
What are the Mazda 3’s best deals?
Mazda cycles through different offers at different times. At the time of writing this review, the base-model Mazda 3 Pure is available as a $33,990 drive-away deal, but other variants in the range aren’t offered with any promotions or discounts.
With such a long model run, there are plenty of Mazda 3s available as either new, ex-demonstrator, or second-hand vehicles. Many of the latter still with remaining new car warranty.
You can find the full range of Mazda 3s for sale at trusted dealer partners around Australia on Drive Marketplace and search by price, location, body type, year or more.
If you’re ready to take a closer look in person, you can check out the Mazda 3 at your local Mazda showroom. Find your nearest Mazda dealer here.
With changes and adjustments to pricing and equipment happening across the Mazda range, it can be hard to keep a track of all the details. To quickly find the latest Mazda news since this review first published, including special offers and equipment changes, check out Drive News.
Should I buy a Mazda 3?
Even though newer small cars have arrived in the segment since the Mazda 3 first went on sale, Mazda has a fundamentally strong vehicle to offer Aussie buyers.
From enjoyable handling to an interior that feels like it’s out of a more expensive model, the Mazda 3 gives little ground to competitors. It’s aimed more towards enthusiasts, without going all the way in on being a sporty hot hatch.
As such, the rise of fuel-saving competitors and some newer tech features on rivals can leave the Mazda 3 feeling a little out of touch. Not that it’s a bad car, but Mazda’s priorities seem to lie elsewhere.
For all of that, though, the Mazda 3 G25 Astina is worth a test drive if you’re looking for a small hatch that’s premium enough to give expensive Euro hatches a run for their money.
The post 2026 Mazda 3 G25 Astina hatch review appeared first on Drive.
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