Review: Mazda2

Mazda has once again spruced up its popular little supermini following the 2019 upgrade.

Not a great deal has changed except for a couple of new colours and a refreshed grille and bumper.

A yellow tab is fixed to one side of the front grille and rear bumper - not sure why, though.

The interior has had a refresh with the most notable feature, the new decorative dash panel.

The engine is the same 1.5-litre petrol and is available in 74bhp, 89bhp and 113bhp.

The six-speed manual transmission has a crisp gear change which was a pleasure to use.

To differentiate old from new, the trim grades have been changed and we now have Centre-Line, Homura, Exclusive-Line and Homura Aka.

We tested the next to top spec Exclusive-Line which Mazda says focuses on a ‘fun and casual nature’. It is differentiated by the large coloured panel across the lower section of the grille (also present in Centre-Line models).

As with previous Mazda2 models the specification is high. Even the base models feature All feature wireless Apple CarPlay and Android auto, a DAB radio, a navigation system, cruise control, integrated Bluetooth, rear parking sensors and climate control.

It is fitted with ba pretty decent infotainment system, with two USB ports and is very easy to use - the control dial between the front seats makes it particularly so.

The Mazda2 powerplant is naturally aspirated and the lack of a turbocharger means you have to work the engine quite hard to get anywhere fast which makes it a bit noisy - even with decent sound insulation in the cabin - but it is not overly intrusive.

On the plus side it has one of the smoothest stop-start systems I’ve used for a while and there is very little delay when you move off. You’d be amazed how clunky some of them can be.

Shod, as it was with 16in alloys it gave a bumpy ride due to a stiff suspension but the payback is well-weighted steering and good cornering.

As mentioned, the interior has had a bit of a makeover and there is a nice selection of soft-touch and hard plastics with a good mix of digital and old-school controls.

Seats are comfortable and supportive and have plenty of adjustment. Rear seat passenger space is adequate with 887 litres available in the luggage compartment.

The parking sensors make for safe rearward manoeuvering but even though Mazda2 is a supermini and the smallest Mazda in the fleet I still like it when there is a rear view camera - it’s amazing how quickly you come to rely on them and miss them when they are not fitted.

Official fuel consumption figures for Mazda2 are 60.1mpg combined and we returned a reasonable 55mpg over a week of mixed driving.

If you want even better fuel economy and lean more towards a hybrid car then you may want to consider the Mazda2 Hybrid which is a collaboration between Mazda and Toyota

It has a full self-charging hybrid powertrain that promises up to 70mpg.

Specification

Mazda2

Price: £20,365 (£20,295 as tested)

Engine: 1.5-litre, petrol

Power: 89bhp

Torque: 111lb/ft

Transmission: Six-speed manual

Top speed: 114mph

0-62mph: 9.7 seconds

Economy: 60.1mpg

CO2 emissions: 107g/km