SMALL SUVs seem to be in vogue at present, with more and more manufacturers adding them to their stables.

One of the newest is Mazda, which has created a mirror image - but in a more diminutive form - of its CX-5 with the smaller, more manageable CX-3.

With its dramatic deep grille, sculptured front and swept back headlights it's a car which looks just as striking as its bigger brother but has the advantage of costing less and needing less parking space.

But despite its lack of inches it still offers generous interior space for a family of five and - with its double-decker boot - plenty of luggage space for all of them.

In contrast to the exterior the cabin is a little more tame, with a predominance of black trim and brushed aluminium. It feels well made, however, and the presence of the centrally mounted seven-inch touchscreen through which most of the car's functions are accessed means a distinct lack of knobs and switches.

The large speedometer has a dominant position in front of the driver with the much smaller rev counter to the left.

A control knob sits by the gear shift to give access to the on-screen functions which include satellite navigation in 2D and 3D. And on this model you get three years of free European map updates.

You tend to sit quite low in the car despite the height adjustment on the driver's seat, which is something that wouldn't suit everyone, but high-backed heated seats are very comfortable and offer good support.

On the road the six-speed gearbox is exceptionally slick and pleasing to use and the car is light and easy to handle ensuring relaxed motoring.

The 2.0-litre engine is responsive enough and, while slightly noisy on start up, soon quietens down to a refined purr.

A digital guide set in the rev counter gives advice of which is the best gear to be in at any given time to ensure good fuel consumption and I recorded a reasonable average of 38 miles per gallon.

The SE-L Nav, while not being the top-of-the-range model, is very well equipped and has rear parking sensors, dusk sensing lights and rear privacy glass.

On the safety front you also get lane departure warning as standard - to let you know if you are inadvertently drifting over the white lines - and smart city brake support to help ensure you stop in a critical situation if you don't respond instantly.

The new Mazda CX-3 will be competing against the likes of the Vauxhall Mokka, Nissan Juke and the Renault Captur so it's a tough world out there.