The Mazda 2 brings style and appeal in spades to the Supermini segment backed up by space, a great cabin and a fun drive
The Mazda two is available with just one diesel option and one petrol engine option with two varying outputs. The diesel is a 1.5 SKYACTIV-D with 105bhp while the petrol is the 1.5 SKYACTIV-G that comes with either 75 or 90bhp. All engines come with either a 5 or 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed automatic. The manual suits the Mazda 2’s playful character best and is actually one of the smoothest manuals available in a Supermini today
The Mazda 2 goes up against rivals like the Ford Fiesta and Opel Corsa. If it’s the nippy and playful model you are looking for, the diesel option probably offers the best in terms of performance. For a diesel, its power delivery is quite linear while the petrol needs a bit more working and can sound slightly coarse at the higher end of the revs. Its steering is light but direct making the Mazda 2 quite a lot of fun through a series of bends. Perhaps not quite Fiesta fun, but it’s up there.
Mazda is now a multi-award winning manufacturer since the inspiration of its KODO design ethos. This design is instantly recognisable across the range with a defining front end on each and every model. The 2 is available with a choice of three specifications. These are SE, Executive and Executive SE. Standard equipment consist of some impressive items from air conditioning, cruise control, electric windows front and rear, start/stop tech and its user-friendly multi-media system. For the top of the range Executive SE, you get additional toys like a centrally mounted 7 inch touch screen with satellite navigation.
It is almost as if the Mazda 2 has jumped forward two generations when you compare the interior of this latest Mazda 2 to its predecessor. The top model Executive SE rivals some premium marques for interior finish. The Mazda 2 gets stitched leather on the doors, dashboard and seats with contrast carbon fibre style trim. All of the switchgear feels as high quality as it looks and it is a cabin you will never tire of as an owner. The 7 inch multi-media is the finishing touch to the dashboard making the Mazda 2 feel really quite special.
The Mazda 2 scored 4/5 stars in Euro NCAP crash testing. This is no disappointment however as this is more or less in line with the majority of its rivals. It comes with a wide range of the latest safety technology too that includes automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning and the first Mazda in Europe to feature blind spot monitoring. Standard features include a full host of airbags, electronic stability control and traction control.
The Mazda 2 may have grown in size since the last generation but what is most clever about this latest chassis is that the wheels are actually an additional 80mm further away from each other front to back. This means there is more room for passengers in the cabin while boot space has been improved by an additional 30 litres. Three adults might be a squeeze in the rear but three children would be more than happy with the space. Boot space is 280 litres as standard but the rear seats also fold with a 60/40 split creating a total of 960 litres.
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