Mazda2 Mark 2 stands out from supermini crowd
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- Mazda2 1.3 TS £8,499
- Model range: from test car-£11,799
- Garage stats: 3.89m by 1.70m five-door hatchback
- Powertrain: 1,349cc/74bhp four-cylinder petrol unit driving front wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox
- Performance: top speed 104mph and 0-60mph in 14 seconds
- How green?: category-C and CO2 emissions/129g per km
- Official fuel figures: combined 52.3mpg
- Fuel tank: 42.8 litres/9.4 gallons
- Insurance group: 3
- Warranty: three years/60,000 miles
- Website: www.mazda.co.uk
- Others to consider: Chevrolet Kalos, Citroen C3, Daihatsu Sirion, Fiat Punto, Ford Fiesta, Honda Jazz, Hyundai Getz, Kia Rio, Mitsubishi Colt, Nissan Micra, Perodua Myvi, Peugeot 206 or 207, Renault Clio or Clio Campus, Seat Ibiza, Skoda Fabia, Suzuki Swift or Splash, Toyota Yaris, Vauxhall Corsa or new Agila and VW Polo.
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 Mazda Mazda 2
By Steve Loader
THERE is not much scope for stand out styling when the supermini design brief tends to be ‘seat five people within compact dimensions’.
So it is refreshing to lay eyes on the Mazda2 and even more so when you find that it drives as well as it looks.
But then Mazda learned the hard way that supermini buyers demand style and panache as well as practicality – the original Mazda2 drove well enough but erred too much towards load-lugging MPV-styling to be a big seller.
Mazda hopes for much more this time around and, in truth, the low slung, lightweight and aerodynamic new ‘2’ better suits the brand’s ‘Zoom-Zoom’ image and aspirations to be Japan’s equivalent of Italy’s Alfa Romeo.
And times are changing; witness the style cult built by retro stars like the BMW MINI and the new Fiat 500 – buyers may need to downsize, but they still want image.
For the moment, the Mazda2 offers this in five-door form only, though the forthcoming three-door promises to be even racier looking.
The slinky lines are not let down by the drive either; a slick gearbox and some lively engines mated with a neat and tidy chassis, balancing good grip and steering with a decent ride, makes the ‘2’ one of those rare cars you can enjoy without masses of power.
This bodes well for an almost obligatory hot model later on to wear the wide stripes with which you can already customise your Mazda2.
But it underlines the appeal of even our TS entry model. In its lower state of tune – 74bhp instead of 85bhp – the 1.3 petrol engine still responds in a lively way though, having driven all but the 1.4 diesel engine, I would urge you to go for the extra power of the 85bhp TS2 model (£9,999) without going the whole way to the 102bhp 1.5-litre petrol Sport (£11,799).
The 1.5 is lively alright but does not bring much more to the party for two grand more than our favourite.
Diesel models start at £9,499 and Mazda has stressed its intention to go after fleet/company car sales, though more and more private buyers are looking at small diesel models too.
Apart from attractive prices for a thoroughly modern supermini that stands out from the crowd, the Mazda is also well-equipped as standard: electric front windows, driver seat height adjustment, MP3 compatible CD radio with auxiliary jack and electric door mirrors.
But the more powerful TS2 not only brings more zip, but 15-inch alloys, side and curtain airbags, electric folding door mirrors, four-speaker sound system, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, leather steering wheel and gear knob and air con.
The interior is spacious and airy due to a relatively long wheelbase and low window line, while the dashboard is stylish and well-arranged too with the high-mounted gearshift falling nicely to hand for a sporty drive.
The seats are also comfortable for this class, but I think Mazda has cut corners with the quality and feel of cabin materials.
Extra interior space and style may also have been bought at the expense of the boot; 250 litres being behind the 285-ish benchmark set by three top-selling rivals, the Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa and Renault Clio.
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