Mazda 323 2002 Review

Mazda Australia has dropped the 1.6-litre 323 from the range, replacing it with the more powerful 1.8-litre, four-cylinder version. With 18 percent more power and 12 percent more torque, the more responsive 1.8-litre engine strips 1.2 seconds off the 0-100km/h time, now 10.2 seconds.

Unusually, this move upmarket doesn't come with the associated price hike, Mazda actually dropping the ask below the market-sensitive $20,000 barrier - just.

The 1.8-litre 323 Protege sedan and Astina hatch, on sale June 2002, are priced at $19,990 with five-speed manual transmission, and come comparably well-equipped. Air-conditioning is standard, as is remote central locking, immobiliser, driver and passenger airbag, and CD player. Electric windows and electric mirrors are a $700 optional extra; a four-speed automatic transmission will set you back $1850.

The 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine remains in the lineup in the SP20 Astina hot hatch ($27,490), which is now accompanied by the SP20 Protege ($26,990). This engine's peak figures of 98kW of power and 174Newton metres of torque aren't a massive boost over the 1.8-litre version, but the proof of this performance pudding is in the driving.

The bigger engine feels stronger right throughout the rev range, and with 95 percent of its peak torque on tap from just 2000rpm it pulls strongly from standstill. It's also a lot happier to rev to the 6750rpm cutout, allowing you to make the most of the relatively high power peak at 6000rpm.

We can't count the number of times we hit the rev limiter on the launch, as this engine doesn't get aurally rough, or tail off in its power delivery as you near the redline. Coupled with the confident, direct five-speed manual, it's a relative doddle to keep the SP20 singing along.

What really impressed us with the SP20 we drove (the Protege) was how well it managed the compromise between sporty handling and comfortable ride. Our test road through the Royal National Park south of Sydney is renowned for its inconsistent and extremely bumpy surfaces. Potholes, hollows, bumps, this road has the lot. And it constantly changes from coarse chip bitumen to smooth blacktop and back again.

The SP20 not only rides well, isolating us from the road's nastier side, it also keeps a firm grip on the blacktop, tracking true and honestly over the roughest terrain. The steering is well-weighted, light and direct, helped no doubt by the bigger 16in alloy wheels and tyres fitted to the SP20, and the front end exhibited plenty of mid-corner grip, which made getting the power down much easier.

The SP20's brakes perform with the best in the class; in fact all 323 models receive a boost with disc brakes standard across the range.

Inside, the sporty SP20 models get a leather-wrapped Nardi steering wheel, sporty interior seat and door trim, silver-backed instrument dials, power windows and mirrors, and climate control air-conditioning. A four-speed automatic gearbox is optional, costing $1850, but why you'd want to temper the sporty nature of the SP20 is beyond us. The 323's automatic gearbox is a good example as autos go, changing quickly and smoothly every time, but one less ratio will impact on the performance of the SP20 no matter how you look at it.

This mid-life facelift ahead of next year's all-new 323 gives plenty of reasons to buy the 323 over its more fancied European and Japanese competition. The fact that it's competitively equipped and has a good reputation are two, but for our money the SP20 - which is now cheaper than the Astra SRi - is the best reason yet, with its mix of enthusiastic performance and solid value for money.