Taking its inspiration from last year's well received Hazumi concept is this, the new Mazda
2.
Compared to the previous model, the new car is said to be lighter, safer and better equipped,
and to our eyes it's certainly better looking, too.
The new look is most evident at the front where Mazda's familiar chrome wing motif flows
from under the grille and into the headlights which, on top-of-the-range Sport Nav models,
incorporate the wing shape into the LED running lights.
From the rear, it's perhaps a little harder to tell the old and new models apart, and
we'd have liked to have seen the chunky bumper and cheeky roof spoiler from the concept make
it onto the production version.
That said, there's a nice bit of detailing in the rear light clusters, and the various
swage lines that link elements such as the front wings and rear lights give the Mazda
a pleasing side profile.
The bulk of the attention that's been lavished on the new car, however, has been on the interior.
The new Mazda 2 is slightly larger than the old car in all directions, and uses a longer
wheelbase, and this has allowed Mazda's engineers to increase cabin space, particularly with
regard to shoulder room, and there's enough travel in both the seat and the reach and
height-adjustable steering wheel to mean that even very tall drivers can get comfortable.
The dashboard has a much more attractive design to it, and the quality of the materials has
been improved almost everywhere.
We particularly like the weave-effect trim that pops up in various places, while the
swivelling air vents are both attractive and well engineered.
All but the entry-level model benefit from Mazda's excellent MZD Connect system that
provides a healthy array of multimedia and connectivity options, plus on Nav models a
well-designed navigation system that offers not just some of the clearest guidance on
the market, but also full European mapping and three years' worth of free updates.
The system is controlled either by issuing voice commands, by jabbing at the seven-inch
touch-screen, or by using what Mazda calls its Multimedia Commander which allows you
to fairly quickly flick and twist your way through the various menus.
We have to say it's a million miles away from the old system, and is in fact rapidly becoming
our favourite in-car infotainment system for its appealing high-res graphics, mass of vehicle
settings, and its ability to play music from pretty much any source you can think of, including
at least a couple of internet services, an MP3 player, or even good old USB sticks.
You even get a CD player, something that's often missing from new cars these days.
The driver gets an elegant set of instruments to look at, based around a central speedo,
while a Safety Pack can be added to some Sport Nav models that includes a head-up display
as well as blind-spot monitoring and automatic high-beam control).
Rear seat passengers get a couple of extra centimetres of knee room, and despite the
sloping roof-line, headroom is good, certainly plenty for a couple of six-footers.
Boot space has increased by 30 litres to 280, with the now ubiquitous puncture repair kit
under the floor, with space increasing to 950 litres with the rear seats folded forward.
Four engines are available, with the petrol models all using a high-compression 1.5-litre
unit in three versions - 75, 90 or 115PS - plus a low-compression 1.5-litre diesel with 105PS.
Not surprisingly, the diesel model is the most efficient, emitting just 89 g/km of CO2
and recording up to 83.1mpg on the government tests.
The quickest is the 115PS petrol model, which can sprint to 62mph in a respectable 8.7 seconds
while still emitting just 117 g/km and achieving up to 56.5mpg.
The petrol engine in our test car settled down
nicely once on the move, and even though pushing into the upper reaches of its rev range makes
it a little whiney, there's nothing too harsh about it.
The manual transmissions - five speed on the 75 and 90PS units, six on the 115PS and diesel
models - all have fabulous shift actions, something Mazda seems to do consistently well,
with not just a well-weighted movement but also a sporty short-throw.
The ratios are well chosen, too, but we found the Mazda to be incredibly forgiving of being
in the wrong gear.
Of course, to get the best from it you'll need to rifle your way through the gearbox
to keep things on the boil, but if you're feeling lazy the little Mazda will happily
lollop along in a high gear without complaining.
Despite its modest output, we had little trouble winding up our test car for a series of overtakes,
and even on the motorway or pulling out into fast-moving traffic, the little Mazda continues
to feel like a bigger car than it really is.
We'd still like to see a high-power version, though, perhaps wearing an MPS badge.
Mazda is generally reluctant to get involved in turbocharging, but we can't help feeling
a small-diameter turbo on the 1.5-litre engine, or even a larger normally aspirated unit taken
from the Mazda 3, would make the Mazda 2 a seriously compelling option for a wider audience
without having to sacrifice its fuel-efficient mantra.
Much of that stems from the fact the new Mazda 2 is also a tidy handler.
There's a bit of pitching when accelerating hard off the line, but lateral movements are
well controlled.
The steering does have a slight edginess around the straight-ahead position, but either side
of this it offers sharp turn-in and a lot less understeer than you might be expecting.
Also impressive is the ride comfort.
Dropping the Mazda's little wheels into the worst pot-holes we could find did little to
upset things, and we were particularly impressed by the way the suspension's movements were
insulated from the cabin.
This is all adding up to an endearing little car: the brakes have real bite, it turns in
well, is docile around town, rides quietly and comfortably, and we averaged around 53mpg
during our time with it.
The entry-level SE grade which starts at just under twelve grand can feel a little like
the poor relation, but move up to the SE-L grade for just a thousand pounds more and
you gain alloy wheels, fog lights, folding heated door mirrors, cruise control, speed
limiter, lane departure warning, smart city brake support, and more.
The 90PS petrol engine is probably more than sufficient for most people, and while the
115PS version gains some welcome performance and loses very little in terms of economy,
it does nudge the price up to just under 17 grand.
For our money, we'd still love to see Mazda make a hotter version with chunkier styling
and a bit more fizz.
That's not because the Mazda 2 is lacking - more recognition that what Mazda have created
is a little car that can already punch well above its weight.