New Mazda2 guaranteed to wow
Mazda has, since its relaunch in 2014 hit the market with a number of products which have, in a sense, stunned the market and probably some of its competitors as well.
And the recently launched Mazda2 will most certainly, in my mind at least, continue to set that trend. With sales of more than 600 units per month, there is no reason to speculate on whether Mazda has hit the sweet spot or not.
Unlike with many new car launches, the Mazda2 is available in both petrol and diesel, from the word go. I drove the 1.5-litre petrol kitted with a five-speed autobox. Whether the fact that I haven’t driven a small auto hatch in a long time contributed to my utter surprise of the automatic’s performance, I don’t know – at least I don’t think so. Yes, she is a beauty!
No make-up goes wasted
This Mazda2 is not a facelift – it is a completely new car with the by now, distinct and prominent Mazda front end dominated by the large grille, broad bumper and headlight clusters visible from both the front and the side view. The styling of the bonnet at the outer edges ties well with the side mirrors and gives the hatch a big-car presence. The side view is sculpted – soft feminine lines and curves – sports car-like roofline with smaller window surfaces and again, at the rear, short overhangs, a prominent bumper with a broad footing leading into the luggage space. The shoulder line is a strong teaser all around the exterior with a promise to please and impress.
Not on top – it’s inside
The interior offers an uncomplicated and practical layout and design – stylish still – elegant and with excellent finish and fit even on the lower-spec models. Plastics are soft and all those dials and buttons which allow you entrance to the many bells and whistles – very well kitted, this car – are modern by design and will please both the Google generation and the well-matured variety.
The fact that the centre console runs down to right in between the front seats – as with many others – does not distract from the spacious, open and inviting interior of the car. And this is mostly due to a thoughtful design, I think.
The large centre- and dash-mounted screen – which do not fold down, offers easy access to a number of features which can be accessed via a control dial on the centre console and right between the driver’s seat or of course, directly on the touch screen.
The instrument cluster and steering design combined with the cockpit design offers the driver a cosy space with easy access to and good visibility of all the important info accessible via the seven-inch screen as well as the instrument cluster. Seats are comfortable and supportive – especially to the upper body.
In the rear there is ample legroom which might though, if the driver is very tall, be a tad tight but discomfort is unlikely under normal conditions. Fact is, the Mazda2 is an excellent choice for the small family. The boot is quite deep and spacious.
Performance
All the models are driven by 1.5-litre power plants. The petrol derivatives develop 82kW and 145Nm while the diesel version pushes 77kW and a not too shabby 250Nm.
These engines are linked to either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearbox. I was truly impressed with the latter on the test car. Smooth – up or down the box and never hunting for the right gear – very responsive.
And if you would want to stretch the changes a tad, there is a switch – Sport – on the centre console behind that large control dial and although it sharpens everything just a tad, it is enough to make you smile. My fuel consumption indexed at around 5.7litre/100km average which would make most people, driving an automatic happy.
The Mazda’s general driving experience and road manners are very good – steering is confident, offering an easy drive in town and a confident one on the open road. Safety features are aplenty – ABS, DCS, EBD, EBA, airbags and the rest. And then there is Mazda’s propriety technology SKYACTIV on which we have already reported extensively in the past.
Let me think
Yes, I have done just that – the whole weekend while driving the Mazda 2 – it’s that kind of car and, considering that it has already been voted the Japanese Car of the Year, my guess is that it is but the start of an illustrious future and excellent sales achievements. Go drive it.
