Review – Mazda 3 2.0 e-SkyActiv X 186 Nagisa (2026)

Gasoline engine with diesel characteristics

Mazda often does things just a little differently, especially when it comes to engines. Where many “downsize,” Mazda simply still offers a 2.0-liter gasoline engine without a turbocharger. Not only is that unusual these days, so is certainly the further engineering of this engine. It is, as it were, a gasoline engine with the good qualities of a diesel. You can read exactly how that works here. For a few years now, the SkyActiv X technology has also been combined with mild hybrid technology, in order to further reduce consumption.

Currently, the Mazda 3 is available with two engines: the 2.0 e-SkyActiv X 186 and the 2.5 e-SkyActiv G 140. Thus, despite its smaller displacement, the 2.0 is the more powerful of the two. Interestingly, the more powerful engine is also more fuel efficient according to the WLTP cycle. So along with the SkyActiv X technology, that is the variant we are interested in. Both engines are available with six-speed manual transmission and six-speed automatic. Then we choose the former, if only because manual transmissions are thus becoming increasingly rare in new cars.

Our Mazda 3

The Mazda 3 in front of us is, to be precise, an e-SkyActiv X 2.0 186 Nagisa. Either one of the most luxurious trim levels, with under the hood the most powerful engine currently available. With 137 kW (186 hp) and maximum torque of 240 Nm, you’ll be at 100 km/h in eight seconds, with a top speed of 216 km/h. That sounds like a great basis for a fun drive.

Plan versus practice

The idea: nice steering over the winding roads of Bavaria. The practice on arrival: Schnee, Schnee und noch mehr Schnee. Unfortunately we have to conclude that the planned route over winding country roads is off. Yes, the road is passable, but in this snowy muck the Mazda cannot fully show its capabilities. However, it is noticeable that the Mazda does not let the snow get in the way. It can be steered over it without problems and with confidence.

Nice steering with the Mazda 3

Fortunately, there is a plan B: the larger main roads. These may offer slightly less fun curves, but they are completely snow-free and still meander beautifully through the landscape. The Mazda 3 feels completely at home there. On the few roads with less good road surface, the suspension is perhaps a bit on the hard side, but on good asphalt the Mazda is nicely tight on the road. It must be said: the car, despite its ample power, is not super eager on the gas, but there is certainly life in the engine.

It releases maximum torque at 4,000 rpm, but even below that the engine delivers fine performance. Especially if you just drive slowly, you can quickly drive a gear higher than you think. Incidentally, the sixth gear is really an economy gear: then there is little oomph left in it. On the highway, the Mazda 3 finds it fine to drive higher speeds than are allowed in the Netherlands. However, above 140 to 150 km/hr it thinks it has had enough, unless you really have to rev it up.

What else strikes us about the Mazda 3?

The beautiful interior. Material selection and workmanship are really of a high level. Apart from that, the interior design also really appeals to us. Enough interesting lines, without being too busy. Also nice is that all the buttons are where you expect them. The infotainment may not be the most modern anymore, but it is a fast and pleasantly working system.

We even find the “old-fashioned” turn-and-press button for operation to be a plus over today’s common touchscreens. Only entering a navigation destination requires a bit many actions, depending on how quickly the system automatically completes the desired destination. Furthermore, we would like to see other brands return to this form of operation as well.

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Like many current cars, the Mazda has annoyingly beeping driving assistants; it is now mandatory. Fortunately, Mazda has also thought of a hotkey to silence everything at the beginning of the drive. If you want to turn off not only the sound but also the assistance system itself, you have to do so through a menu. Fortunately, the Mazda’s systems do a very pleasant job: we did not experience any unjustified warnings or interventions. Although, the edges of Dutch 60-km roads remain tricky for the lane assistant, but that is true for many cars.

In practical terms, the luggage space of about 330 liters is more than enough for our luggage for this trip. Keep in mind that above the parcel shelf you hardly have any space, due to the low roofline. Also, the side and rear windows are quite small. All-round visibility is better than you would expect, but it remains somewhat limited compared to the average car. In particular, the B-pillar you have to look around quite emphatically, if you do the shoulder check.

Practical consumption 2.0 e-SkyActiv X 186

On paper (WLTP), the 2.0 e-SkyActiv X 186 we drove has an average fuel consumption of 5.6 l/100 km. In the end, we ended up with an average of 5.7 l/100 km. That’s pretty close. Based only on the kilometers in the flat Netherlands, we even came out well below that value. In other words, a practical consumption of between just over 1 on 17 and even 1 on 19, which is really very good for a car of this size and with this driving performance.

Conclusion

The current Mazda 3 has been on the market since 2019 and has not undergone a facelift since then (though it has undergone a number of model-year updates). Still, the car does not come across as outdated by any means. At most, the infotainment, but the touchscreen-less controls are actually a plus as far as we are concerned. No outstretched arm to the screen, just a button in an ergonomically fine place. Furthermore, the Mazda 3 has once again proven to be a fine driver’s car, which is also quite economical.