• High score when tested by Euro NCAP
• Emergency low-speed braking is standard
• Optional safety pack a worthy investment

Euro NCAP gave the Mazda 3 Fastback a five-star rating, with a particular emphasis on adult occupant safety.

You get driver and passenger airbags, front and rear curtain airbags, plus side airbags for the front, and a smart city brake system as standard.

• Fastback has a larger boot than the 3 hatchback
• Rivals trump the Mazda’s luggage space
• Seatbacks fold over to swallow longer loads

Four-door saloons will always lag behind their five-door hatchback counterparts on practicality grounds and the Mazda 3 Fastback’s no rule-breaker in this regard.

It’s not the size of the boot that’s the issue – the Fastback’s 419-litre capacity is more generous than the hatchback’s 364-litre offering – it’s the narrowness of the aperture when the bootlid’s swung open. Inserting a bulky load is never going to be as easy as when a wide tailgate’s opened up.

That’s not the Mazda’s only issue – its key rivals all offer more space, too. Although the Audi A3 Saloon’s not much further ahead at 425 litres, the Mercedes-Benz CLA and Volkswagen Jetta offer considerably more room at 470 litres and 510 litres, respectively.

Longer loads can be accommodated within the Mazda by folding over the 60:40 split rear seatbacks, with release levers located just below the rear window within the boot opening.

Elsewhere there are a few stowage facilities with a cubby under the front centre armrest being useful and serving as the location for USB sockets and memory card readers. Just a shame the hinged lid for it is one of the cabin’s low points, feeling a bit cheap compared with other fixtures and fittings.