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First drive: Facelifted Mazda2. Image by Mazda.

First drive: Facelifted Mazda2
Blink and you'll miss the difference between this Mazda2 and the outgoing model, but it's still a fine little hatchback.

   



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| First Drive | Monte Carlo, Monaco | 2011 Mazda2 |

It's facelift time for the Mazda2. The Japanese firm's smallest hatchback has been on sale in its current guise for a couple of years, so it has come in for a nip and a tuck to keep it looking fresh. You have to squint to notice the differences, though.

In the Metal

The updates are subtle but they're there. On the outside, the Mazda2 gets redesigned front fog light surrounds, new 16-inch alloy rims (or 15-inch steel wheels with new hubcaps), two more paintwork options - Aquatic Blue Mica and Burgundy Red Mica - and Sport models add side skirts and a rear roof spoiler.

It's much the same inside, with a number of subtle tweaks rather than an all-out redesign. Expect various bits of piano black trim and silver throughout the cabin. Mazda also claims to have used more durable materials for the 'most touched' areas of the interior.

If anything lets the Mazda down slightly it's the interior. Again, it's not bad, but next to European rivals it lacks a little in quality. Anything from the VW camp (e.g. Polo, Ibiza and Fabia) betters the 2 in this area, and it also has to go up against the mighty Ford Fiesta, which has a simply lovely cabin.

What you get for your Money

The new model, which is available to order now, starts at £9,995, which isn't bad. There's a premium of a few hundred pounds over and above the outgoing Mazda2 - again, not much for a facelifted model - but considering that the changes are minimal at best, it seems like slightly false economy.

Driving it

Handling is something that Mazdas usually excel at, and we're pleased to report that the latest 2 is as sharp as ever. Mazda has made a few minor revisions to the suspension and the structural rigidity to improve the ride and tighten up the responses, including firmer lower bushes at the rear, longer arms at the front and softer trailing arm bushes.

You'd need to drive the old and the new cars back-to-back to notice the difference, but it's still great fun for a cheap hatch. The steering is quick to respond, there's not much in the way of body roll and the gear shift is pleasantly chunky. While we wouldn't go so far as to call it sporty, there's definitely an essence of MX-5 about it. The Mazda's suspension isn't so firm as to spoil the ride, though, as it copes rather well with rough surfaces.

We tried the 1.5-litre petrol engine (which has been mildly revised - more on that shortly) and found that it needed a bit of a thrash, but generally responded well.

Worth Noting

The engines have also been mildly tweaked to deliver better economy and lower emissions. Mazda assures us that they're all very much Euro V compliant and the smallest 1.3-litre MZR unit is now two percent more fuel efficient and emits five percent less CO2. The 1.6-litre MZ-CD diesel unit also uses two percent less fuel and kicks out only 110g/km, while the dirtiest engine of them all is 1.5-litre MZR unit in automatic guise, which creates 146g/km - hardly a lot.

Summary

Even if we'd driven the outgoing Mazda2 immediately before the facelifted model, we'd probably have a job to notice the differences - cosmetic or mechanical. That doesn't detract from its appeal though, as the 2 is one of the tidiest small cars on sale and a fine choice for keen drivers on a budget.

Jack Carfrae - 2 Nov 2010



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2011 Mazda2. Image by Mazda.2011 Mazda2. Image by Mazda.2011 Mazda2. Image by Mazda.2011 Mazda2. Image by Mazda.2011 Mazda2. Image by Mazda.

2011 Mazda2. Image by Mazda.2011 Mazda2. Image by Mazda.2011 Mazda2. Image by Mazda.2011 Mazda2. Image by Mazda.2011 Mazda2. Image by Mazda.



2011 Mazda2. Image by Mazda.
 

2011 Mazda2. Image by Mazda.
 

2011 Mazda2. Image by Mazda.
 

2011 Mazda2. Image by Mazda.
 

2011 Mazda2. Image by Mazda.
 






 

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