The MPS gets uprated brakes to cope with the extra power as well as four-wheel ABS and dynamic stability control (DSC) which helps bring the car under control in a skid. An adaptive front lighting system with xenon lights pivots in corners or at junctions to improve illumination and a rear vehicle monitoring system (called RVM) warns you of any vehicles in your blind spot when changing lanes.

Like all other Mazda3 models, the MPS has front, side and curtain airbags, active front head restraints and front seatbelt pre-tensioners. It’s no surprise then, that it was awarded the maximum five star rating for crash safety by Euro NCAP with a high score for child safety.

The MPS version of the Mazda3 is equally as practical as the standard model. The boot offers 340 litres of load space, about average for this size of car and around the same as a Volkswagen Golf GTI. As you’d expect, the rear seats split 60/40 and fold down easily to create a larger load area of more than 1,300 litres. There’s decent storage in the front too including a large central cubby that doubles as a sliding armrest.

A sat nav system is standard, but the only way of controlling it is through buttons on the steering wheel which can be a little fiddly.