While the all-new Honda Civic has been hogging the spotlight in the dwindling sedan market, the popular H badge isn’t the only one to keep an eye out for. With a higher starting price than the previous generation, the Civic FE encroaches into the Mazda 3’s price range.

The fourth-gen Mazda 3 is a favourite here in WapCar and apparently, Malaysians love it too. With 2021 units reportedly sold out, those wanting a brand-new Mazda 3 would have to wait until the 2022 update comes in.

3 years after its launch in Malaysia, the beautiful Kodo styling is still a sight to behold especially on the hatchback. Styling isn’t the only thing that makes the Mazda 3 stand out though, it handles like a proper sports car and though the ride is firm, it’s clearly geared towards the sophisticated enthusiast than a regular buyer.

Also read: Pros and Cons: Mazda 3 – Premium inside out but are you willing to pay for it?

But what lead to the Mazda 3 being known in such a way? We’ll take a look back at the history of one of Mazda’s prettiest cars ever but instead of going on every generation, which will include the 323/Familia it replaced, we’ll be focusing only on 3 generations. It's in the name after all.

These 3 generations of the Mazda 3’s predecessors are what we think helped influence the left-field rival to the Civic and Corolla. We’ll be basing it on three factors – design, handling, and lineage.

Design – Mazda Lantis

Rather than immediately dive into the history of the Mazda 3 and the model it replaced, the 323, we’ll focus on perhaps the most immediate factor of the Mazda 3 – its design.

The current fourth-gen Mazda 3 is no doubt a stunner and ever since it made its global debut at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show, it captured the hearts of not just the motoring world but non-car folks too. The sleek and futuristic design is no fluke after all since Mazda has been known for producing some of the prettiest cars for some time.

Also read: What are the prettiest common cars ever sold in Malaysia?

Part of that design brings back to the Mazda Lantis in the 1990s. The Lantis replaced the definitive playboy car of the late 1980s, the Astina and while the pop-up lights were removed for more conventional (and safer) headlamps, the cool aesthetic remains.

Also read: Favoured among playboys, the Mazda Astina is a headlight-flipping 90s icon

The Lantis is more recognisable in Malaysia as a 5-door hatchback and though it is sporty in appearance, it’s really the cool factor that attracted buyers. The Lantis sported pillarless doors that made it look more like a proper coupe.

Also read: 10 reasons why the Mazda Lantis is more than just another playboy car of the nineties

The designer of the Lantis formerly worked at Porsche where she was part of the Porsche 944’s design team. Some reviewers in Japan remarked that the Lantis looks a bit like a Porsche but we beg to differ.

Besides the hatchback, the Lantis was also sold as a hardtop sedan in a few markets but just like the current Mazda 3, the hatchback is more appealing in looks.

Handling – First-gen Mazda 3

Besides ‘jinba ittai’, another term associated with Mazda would be the “Zoom-zoom” tagline. The campaign was meant to show Mazda’s line-up as fun-to-drive and reinvigorated the brand in such a way that even when it focused on becoming premium, the tagline stuck on.

Also read: Lexus hijacks the reins of the Jinba Ittai horse from Mazda with its own man and steed concept

That fun handling persona is retained on the latest Mazda 3 which has been perfected on every generation since the first one was launched in 2003. The very first Mazda 3 replaced the 323 and was seminal in changing the fortunes of the Hiroshima-based carmaker.

Although the first-gen Mazda 3 shared the same platform as the Mk2 Ford Focus, it handled better and this superior handling prowess would be featured on every subsequent generation of the Mazda 3.

Of course, we can’t simply omit handling and performance without mentioning the most potent variant of the Mazda 3, the MPS, also known as the Mazdaspeed 3 in some countries. Though it was introduced on the first-gen Mazda 3, it would become infamous on the second-generation with its high torque steer.

Also read: Enthusiasts are wrong, reviving the Mazda 3 MPS could cripple Mazda’s future

Still, the regular Mazda 3 is quite fun around the corners and every generation improves on it while at the same time, evolving to match its Japanese BMW moniker. With a maintenance bill that is a little lighter on the wallet, that is.

Also read: Review: 2019 Mazda 3 Sedan/Liftback – Mind says no, heart says otherwise

Lineage – Mazda 323 BF generation

Though the Mazda 3 name is only nearly 2 decades old, its heritage stemmed all the way back nearly 50 years ago with the first Mazda Familia. Outside Japan, the Familia would be given various numerical names before settling on the 323 in 1977.

Just like the Honda Civic, the 323 was meant to be an economy car and there wasn’t anything that would fizz an enthusiast. But that all began to change when the BF generation was launched in 1985.

Also read: 50 years and 11 generations later, which is the best generation of the Honda Civic?

The third generation to receive the 323 name saw the introduction of a turbocharged variant that was building on the success of Mazda’s Group A rally competition. From this generation onward, the 323 began to hop onto the enthusiasts’ consciousness.

Available with either front-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive, the 323 Turbo or 323 GT/GT-X was Mazda’s first hot hatch and underneath it laid a 1.6-litre turbo DOHC engine (140 PS/187 Nm) that was paired to a 5-speed manual transmission.

Sadly, the 323 hot hatch would only continue for one more generation with the succeeding BG generation but Mazda never quite left out the sportiness. The introduction of the Lantis V6, and Mazdaspeed Familia in the final 2 generations respectively reflected that.

Subsequently, as part of a rebranding exercise under the “Zoom-zoom” campaign, the 323/Familia would be replaced by the Mazda 3. Unlike most models which saw a gradual progression with each generation that replaced it, stepping into each generation of the Mazda 3 is akin to stepping into a new dimension.

Though each generation sees the Mazda 3 becoming more and more premium, there are some traits that remain like the great handling. The Mazda 3 is one of those few cars that are beloved by both the motoring media and the general public. What Civic FE again?

Also read: Buying Guide: 2022 Honda Civic VS Mazda 3 sedan – Which to buy?