MAZDA has produced the equivalent of a Melbourne Cup winner, and then hobbled it.

It's all about torque steer, the bane of high-powered front-wheel-drive cars and it comes in for special attention in the latest version of the Mazda3 MPS.

    IN A WORD
  • Make: Mazda
  • Model: MPS
  • Price: $36,690
  • Road test: JOHN PARRY

Output from the turbocharged 2.3-litre engine is unchanged at a high 190kW and 380Nm, but the delivery is more refined than it was in the first MPS released three years ago.

The engine has boost pressure suppression and the gear ratios and engine calibrations have been revised in a bid to tame steering wheel tug and wheelspin.

Torque is electronically limited on take-off and when the front wheels are angled beyond a quarter turn on the steering wheel.

Other aids include stability control, traction control and a limited slip differential.

And it all works, to a certain degree.

Traction off the line is much more civilised, but when the full boost comes in from mid-range onwards, you had better be prepared to have a firm grip on the tiller.

Engine output is 35kW and 100Nm more than a front-drive Golf GTi, 5kW less but 37Nm more than an all-wheel-drive Impreza WRX and 13kW and 36Nm more than an all-wheel-drive Lancer Ralliart.

Spirited driving on anything other than smooth, level surfaces has the steering wheel tugging left or right depending on the camber and bumps. It also amplifies the wheel thump on lumpy corners.

Not helping is the design of the steering wheel. Its two thick spokes are laden with buttons for the audio and cruise control and make it difficult for the driver to get a decent (quarter to nine) grip.

So driving with verve on twisty secondary roads and gravel becomes something of a snatch-and-grab affair.

However, although devilish on the boil, the manual MPS is almost docile when pottering around.

It is easy to get off the line, has oodles of elastic lunge, a deep-throated exhaust note and cruises serenely on the open road.

Acceleration from rest to 100km/h is unchanged at 6.1 seconds, but fuel use has dropped a fraction to 9.9 litres/100km on the combined cycle.

Ride is firm yet composed and the handling is accurate, with excellent grip and traction and just a trace of understeer when provoked.

The slick and precise gear shift is angled closer to the driver, the big brakes are strong and confident and the steering pin-sharp and accurate.

Styling is bold and aggressive and sets the MPS further apart from other Mazda3s than the previous model.

It has a gaping grille, bulging bonnet scoop, fat front guards, a large roof-mounted rear spoiler and two big bore exhausts. There are two versions, the MPS hatch at $36,690 and the Luxury at $43,290.

Standard features include 18-inch alloy wheels, six airbags, stability and traction control, satellite navigation, six-CD audio, climate control, keyless start, cruise control, trip computer, colour screen, Bluetooth, eight-way adjustable driver's seat and sports front seats with active headrests.

The luxury version adds premium Bose audio, adaptive headlights, rain-sensing wipers and an anti-dimming rear view mirror.