Mazda has announced that "the ultimate super-hatch" – the Mazda3 MPS – is on sale in the UK now.
According to the Japanese automaker, the 3 MPS model is the "fastest, best handling, best braking" vehicle in the range and matches the "handling prowess" of the Mazda6 MPS, the RX-8 PZ and the MX-5.
The car is capable of a top speed of 155mph and can reach 62mph from a standstill in 6.1 seconds.
Inside the new model are MPS-branded sports seats with black leather cushions, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, aluminium pedals and an instrument panel with blackout-finish dials, blue lighting and an MPS logo.
The car is available in a choice of four body colours – blue and black micas, a metallic silver and a solid red – and features 18-inch, ten-spoke aluminium alloy wheels as standard.
Rob Lindley, managing director of Mazda UK, said: "The Mazda3 MPS takes our brand’s Zoom-Zoom philosophy beyond our sports cars and applies that same spirit and performance to a model which has appeal to a much broader audience."
He concluded: "British motorists have had a long-term love affair with hot-hatches and our Mazda3 MPS ‘super-hatch’ offers them an unbeatable combination of performance, refinement, equipment, value and exclusivity."
