Mazda2



With smart looks inside and out, and possessed of refined cruising manners, the new Mazda2 muscles its way into the B-segment elite. It's an aesthetically pleasing machine that will find lots of favour with buyers in this market, although be aware it doesn't ever reveal a more entertaining side to the way it goes about its business.

Test Car Specifications

Model tested: Mazda2 Skyactiv-G 1.5 90hp Sport Nav
Pricing: range starts from £11,995; 90hp Sport Nav from £15,395
Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol
Transmission: front-wheel drive, five-speed manual transmission
Body style: five-door hatchback
CO₂ emissions: 105g/km (VED Band B, £0 first year, £20 annually thereafter)
Combined economy: 62.8mpg
Top speed: 114mph
0-62mph: 9.4 seconds
Power: 90hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 148Nm at 4,000rpm

What's this?

Mazda's fourth entry into the Kodo (that means 'Soul of Motion') design canon, this is its latest B-segment contender: the all-new 2. And isn't it a great-looking car? A huge part of the 2's appeal is going to be the way it looks inside and out, because it's certainly very eye-catching from the outside - those three sweeping side strakes are the best detail - and the cabin isn't too shabby, either; in fact, we'd go so far as to say that on the higher-spec models the interior is one of the best we've seen yet from a Japanese manufacturer. However, it's not all show and no go, as Mazda reckons this drives like a car from a much bigger class, giving it strong all-round appeal to the fashion-conscious young car buyer of today.

Interestingly, for a small hatchback that's likely to spend most of its time enduring city driving where a large spread of easily accessible torque is a boon, Mazda has eschewed forced induction - well, for the petrol cars, at least. There are three levels of petrol output from the Skyactiv-G 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine: 75-, 90- and 115hp, with Mazda expecting the 90hp to be the UK's preferred choice.
A 1.5-litre, 105hp/220Nm Skyactiv-D turbodiesel is also offered, but strangely, it wasn't available at the launch event. Trim grades for the UK run SE, SE-L, SE-L Nav, Sport and Sport Nav and all 2s come with a wealth of active and passive safety equipment as standard, while the higher spec cars include luxuries such as cruise control, satnav and leather trim. Cabin space is improved and the 2 has a useful boot out the back, albeit one with a high loading lip and a narrow aperture between the light clusters.

How does it drive?

For the sort of people who are going to buy this, little short of 'brilliantly' would be our answer, mainly because the 2 is incredibly refined and a cinch to drive in a non-committed fashion. The three main contributors to cabin noise - the engine, tyres and wind - are all magnificently suppressed, especially so in the case of the first two. Above about 55mph, there's a little more wind buffeting audible from the base of the windscreen and the gap between the door mirror and the A-pillar, but it's not disagreeable. The 1.5 is silky smooth at town speeds and the slick drivetrain is reinforced by a generally smooth ride that makes the Mazda supremely easy to get on with if all you're ever interested in doing is pootling about. There's an occasional feeling of the back axle bobbling over the worst ruts, a characteristic on which we'll reserve judgment until a UK test.

The issues arise if you're out on the open road, as Mazda's commendable dedication to normally aspirated petrol engines means the two lower-powered 1.5s - the 75 and the 90, which are both fine for urban conditions - can sometimes feel gutless if you're not attentive. Stay in too high a gear at anything even remotely beneath optimum revs and the 2 will labour up hills and take a fortnight to add 10mph to its forward momentum. They also become pretty harsh and breathless if revved beyond 5,000rpm up to the redline. OK, this is probably more noticeable to the driver who's always in a hurry, but in this forced induction day and age, it is markedly more demanding to keep up with general traffic flow in the 2 than in its downsized-engine competitors. The 115hp 1.5 somewhat overcomes this with a stronger top-end but the pay-off is an engine note that's gruffer and more intrusive in the passenger compartment.

The other minor gripe is that, through the bends, the chassis is neat but uninvolving, and the major controls are all city car light, an example of this being the direct-yet-numb steering. Also, both the manual gearboxes (the five-speed item on the 75 and 90, and the six-speeder on the 115) feel clunky across the gate when compared to the best of today's super-slick shift actions. However, we're well aware that driving hard along a B-road is hardly this car's chief remit. It's just that some competitors - notably the Ford Fiesta, SEAT Ibiza and Peugeot 208 - can at least entertain when the mood takes the driver. The Mazda2 never really provides that function.

Verdict

It's a great car, the Mazda2, and certainly one that upholds the brand's attractive current range. For target users, it drives perfectly acceptably and it can put on the airs and graces of much larger machinery, but dynamically it's a touch anodyne, so keener drivers might prefer something from another marque. That said, the Mazda's strong suit is visual appeal and for many that's half the showroom battle won. We reckon it'll be a popular motor in the UK.

Exterior Design

Interior Ambience

Passenger Space

Luggage Space

Safety

Comfort

Driving Dynamics

Powertrain