I BET the design team working on the latest Mazda3 endured many a sleepless night before the car was finally unveiled in 2013.

Over the previous 10 years, the two earlier generations of the marque's family favourite had both proved to be a huge success story in this highly-competitive sector.

Following any successful model is always going to be something of a challenge, so perhaps a little bit of a gamble has sometimes got to be taken, but the staff at Mazda's design studios found they could quickly sleep easily again, for the latest Mazda3 has proved yet another winner for the Japanese car company.

Not only is the Mazda3 a great head-turner, with its low and wide stance and sloping profile rising from front to rear but there's a choice of a five-door hatchback or four-door fastback to choose from, something you don't see everyday in this sector.

The exterior theme used in both models came from Mazda's bold Kodo or "Soul of Motion" design theme first seen on the CX-5 and Mazda6 models.

Add to that Mazda's extensive SKYACTIV Technology package - also first featured on the CX-5 and the Mazda6 - and you have a vehicle that can give each and every one of its competitors a real run for their money.

SKYACTIV is Mazda's take on producing efficient, lightweight, powerful engines which offer great fuel economy with reduced emissions, reducing overall weight, optimising overall efficiency and improving safety for those both inside and outside their vehicles.

Mazda offer a wide range of engines for the car. First comes a 1.5-litre 99bhp petrol unit which returns 55.4mpg combined with overall emissions of 118g/kg.

Then there are standard and high-power versions of the SKYACTIV-G two-litre engine, which pump out 118bhp and 163bhp respectively. Emission figures come in at 119g/km and 128g/km, while combined fuel consumption is 55.4mpg and 48.7mpg - impressive figures indeed.

Finally, a 2.2-litre 148bhp diesel is also available in which fuel econony on the six-speed manual version works out at 72.4mpg while emissions are kept to a lowly 104g/km.

I remember putting the car through its paces on some ultra-smooth roads around Barcelona and the models I drove showed just why other manufacturers were then feeling a little anxious, for the Mazda3 performed beautifully.

In diesel guise the Mazda effortlessly chewed up the miles on the motorway and with not so much as more than a hint of noise. In fact, the engine was so quiet that most of what little noise there was came from the tyres.

With 148bhp on tap and 380Nm of torque pumping out from 1,800 revs, the oilburner is something of a flying machine, taking just 7.8 seconds to complete the standard 0-60mph dash and having a top speed of 131mph.

The higher-powered two-litre petrol machine offers similar performance to that of the diesel, but the 118bhp felt a little subdued and was certainly a bit lacking compared with some more powerful competitors.

But to be fair, with emissions at just 119g/km and fuel consumption in the mid-50s, there had to be a compromise somewhere down the line and this model still became the big seller.

What I did love about all the models I drove was the way they stuck to their task on twisting hilly roads. The amout of grip offered was pretty phenomenal, especially on the Sport model which was shod on larger 18-inch rubber.

A 2013 two-litre petrol example in SE Nav trim sporting a 13-plate will cost between £9,140 and £11,410, while a 2-2-litre diesel in the same trim level will come in at between £10,015 and £12,465.

Move on a year to 2014 and a 14-plate and prices rise to between £10,525 and £12,785 for a similar petrol model, while you will have to pay from £11,355 to £13,780 for a diesel.