Around £14,000 doesn't buy you very much when it comes to the search for a decently specified family hatchback. It certainly doesn't buy you anything particularly sporty. Or does it? Mazda would argue differently - and wheel out their latest special edition Mazda3 Tamura as evidence for the defence.

With this car, you get a body-coloured sports styling kit (new front and rear aero bumpers, side skirts and rear spoiler), front fog lamps, larger diameter 16-inch alloy wheels, a chrome exhaust trim, unique Tamura exterior badging and a choice of two colours - Aurora Blue Mica or Galaxy Grey Mica exterior paint finish. According to Mazda, all this extra kit is worth £2,835 yet at £13,795, the Mazda3 Tamura costs only £455 more than the standard 1.6-litre petrol model it's based on, a saving of more than £2,380.

Only 700 Mazda3 Tamura cars will be manufactured, so buyers are also offered a significant degree of exclusivity. Owners will also benefit from the original car's pretty complete specification which features black/red interior trim, climate control air conditioning, radio/CD with steering wheel controls, electric front windows, remote central locking with a Thatcham Category 1 alarm and immobiliser, plus electric and heated door mirrors.

The choice of the 1.6-litre petrol engine is a clever one as this is the powerplant that most Mazda3 customers go for. It returns some very respectable figures, getting to 60mph in 11 seconds and running out of puff at 113mph. An average fuel economy showing of 39mpg is around average for the class, although the 172g/km CO2 emissions figure isn't the car's standout feature. A low insurance cost is, however, with the Mazda3 Tamura slotting into Group 5E, making it a car that may well appeal to younger drivers.

This variant is based on the revised Mazda3 that was launched last year. Although the changes are difficult to spot, they're extremely extensive. The exterior benefits from tiny changes to the front grille, lights, alloy wheels and colour palette while the cabin gets a higher quality feel for the instrument panel, revised trim materials and the option of a keyless go entry system. Much of the development budget has been spent on targeting the three issues identified by existing Mazda3 customers as requiring attention, namely refinement at speed, fuel economy and luggage capacity.

"If the free sports kit sways you, you'll be buying into a surprisingly well engineered family hatch"

Sure enough, the area where Mazda can now really award themselves a gold star is refinement at cruising speed. Although a 1.4 decibel reduction in cabin noise may sound like pretty small beer, the scientifically-minded amongst you will know that 3 decibels represents a doubling of noise, so this model really is way quieter than its predecessor. There's additional soundproofing in the roof and under the bonnet, the car's generator has been replaced by a quieter unit, the tyres have been redesigned to run in a more hushed manner and the wheel rims have been revised to reduce noisy harmonics. The suspension has been modified to make it stiffer and allow the shocks absorbers and dampers to keep the tyres better planted on the tarmac. The geometry has been altered to reduce understeer during fast cornering and the Mazda3 does at last feel closer to the Ford Focus, a car which shares many of its underpinnings.

The shape will appeal to younger drivers looking for something with five doors but with a dash of panache. Mazda's designers are currently in a bit of a purple patch and it's been a while since we've seen a clumsy shape emerge from the company's design studios. Think of it as a longer and sleeker looking Audi A3 silhouette and you're not too far off the mark. The chunky C-pillar is probably the most distinctive styling signature and the complexity of the design suggests it would have been very easy to get wrong, but the little Mazda pulls it off nicely. The bold V-shaped front grille speaks the latest Mazda design language, although there are hints of other designs in the flanks and at the rear. The hips look very similar to the latest Astra design and the rear lights could have been purloined from SEAT.

If the exterior hits the spot, the same can be said of the cabin. The interior is very similar to the Mazda6 insofar as it offers a resolutely modern design with decent levels of equipment although the materials quality is rather variable. Although the fabrics are beyond reproach, some of the dash plastics are a little lightweight. The steering wheel and overlapping aluminium-rimmed dials look very sporting and there are some nicely detailed metallic touches dotted about the cabin. The minor controls on the centre console are also very easy to find.

Passive safety is also a big selling point in the Mazda3 Tamura, with driver and front passenger airbags as well as front side airbags all included in the package. The active safety features include four disc brakes with ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), EDB (Electronic Brake-force Distribution) and EBA (Emergency Brake Assist) for shorter stopping distances and safer braking.

The Mazda3 isn't huge in the back and the small rear doors don't open particularly wide. Still, headroom is very good, despite the swoopy styling. The front pair of passengers should have no difficulty getting comfortable, although one drawback of the thick rear pillars is somewhat limited rear three-quarter visibility when reversing or doing a 'lifesaver' check when switching lanes. The five-speed manual gearbox is one of the slickest in class, although as the sector is dominated by many Volkswagen Group hatches, that's perhaps not saying much.

Overall, whether this Mazda3 Tamura cuts the mustard the mustard really depends on the importance you attach to the free satellite navigation system. If that sways you, you'll be buying into a surprisingly well engineered family hatch.