IF the current generation 323 has impressed us before with its good engine characteristics and vehicle dynamics, the facelifted version in Astina SP20 guise goes a step further. Armed with a gutsy 2.0-litre engine and a raft of mechanical enhancements, the SP20 delivers the goods that its body adornments and interior presentation suggest. That's not often expected in a class where image is everything. But it's certainly welcome.

Mazda 323 Astina five-door
Released: July 1994
Ended: September 1998
Family Tree: 323Most of us are familiar with Mazda's sexiest 323 Astina, the BA model which appeared in 1994 and was replaced by an all-new, but more mundane looking 323 called the BJ in September 1998. A facelifted version appeared in February 2001, the same time as the SP20 version featured here.
Facebook Twitter Instagram