Mazda2 review
by David Finlay (18 October 2007)
There's a distinct sense of buoyancy about Mazda's UK operation now that the second-generation Mazda2 has arrived in this country. That's partly down to the styling - the new 2 is less adventurous than the old, perhaps a little less Mazdaesque (though it certainly bears a resemblance to other models in the company's line-up), but it's also a lot more attractive. You get the feeling that Mazda people will now be able to say that the 2 is an attractive car and really mean it this time.
But it's not all about looks. An even more positive feature is that the switch from one generation to another has led to a reduction in weight of nearly 100kg, and that's good news in terms of every parameter you care to name - acceleration, braking, cornering ability, fuel consumption and exhaust emissions.
The lack of weight has been achieved partly through the use of high-tensile steel, but it's also partly because the new 2 is smaller than its predecessor. If that leads you to imagine a cramped interior, I'm going to have to ask you to reconsider. The cabin is actually very spacious considering the overall size of the car, and there is no reason to doubt that it could carry four large adults in reasonable comfort.
Luggage room isn't quite so dramatic. Even Mazda itself describes the 250 litres available with all the seats in place as "fairly good-sized", which is a long way from being the most optimistic thing I've ever heard a manufacturer say about any feature. Drop the rear seat and load the car up to the roof lining and you end up with 787 litres of space, which again is less than startling even for a small hatchback.
From launch, there are three Mazda 2s on sale in the UK, two of which I can tell you about from personal experience. The one I've missed is the entry-level TS, which has a 74bhp 1.3-litre petrol engine, costs £8499 and comes with 15" steel wheels, ABS, EBD, Brake Assist, front airbags, remote central locking, electric front windows and door mirrors, a height-adjustable driver's seat, an MP3-compatible audio system and a Thatcham Category 1 alarm. Like all other models in the range, it also has a clever multifunction glovebox which contains its own magazine rack.
One stage up from the TS is the TS2, which has an uprated version of the same 1.3-litre engine producing 85bhp. According to the official figures, the more powerful car shares the TS's 52.3mpg combined fuel economy and 129g/km of CO2 emissions, but that's official figures for you; in real life the TS is practically certain to be easier on the gas.
The TS2 is a little quicker, of course, with a 0-62mph time of 12.9 seconds and a top speed of 107mph (the TS manages 14.0 seconds and 104mph respectively). This is not startling stuff, but the only time I thought the TS2 struggled was when it was confronted with a long, steep uphill stretch on Mazda's test route in the far north west of Scotland, and even then a drop from fifth to fourth gear was enough to sort things out.
Mazda is charging £9999 for the TS2, and the £1500 premium over the TS buys you more than just an extra 11bhp. It also purchases 15" alloy wheels, manual air-conditioning, body-coloured door mirrors and handles, side and curtain airbags, two extra audio speakers (making four in all), leather steering wheel and gearknob and a 60/40 split folding rear seat. Perhaps because of this extra equipment, Mazda reckons that the TS2 will be the most popular version in the UK by a comfortable margin.
One further step up the ladder comes the Sport, which costs £11,799 and comes with 16" alloy wheels, low-profile tyres, front foglights, electric rear windows, climate control air-conditioning, automatic headlights and wipers, a trip computer, cruise control, a total of six audio speakers, traction control and dynamic stability control.
It also has a 102bhp 1.5-litre petrol engine, making it the quickest of the models discussed so far. Top speed is 117mph, and 0-62mph takes 10.4 seconds, the downside being combined fuel economy of 47.9mpg and 140g/km CO2 emissions.
The Sport is quite good fun to drive, though it's not as racy as some of the other lukewarm hatches on the market with similar power outputs. Like the TS2 (and presumably the TS), it handles neatly and rides well, even over those exciting but not always especially smooth roads in the Scottish wilderness.
More importantly, the Mazda2 is a very easy car to drive, and its nicely-weighted steering means that it can be manoeuvred round town with the minimum of effort.
The only real black mark is that Mazda, like just about everyone else, has decided that large slabs of opaque metal at the rear corners represent an excellent piece of automotive design, and the resulting wretched rear visibility means there is far more chance of reversing into an item of car park scenery (or worse - you get the idea) than by rights there ought to be.
The story might end there, except that Mazda will be introducing a 67bhp 1.4-litre turbo diesel version at the end of this year. At the time of writing this model is vanishingly rare - hardly any exist in Europe, and absolutely none of them are in UK specification - but I've driven a German-market car and as far as I'm concerned it's the pick of the bunch.
Mazda isn't expecting it to be a great sales success, since buyers of small cars are less likely to go for the diesel option than almost anyone else, but if you're in the market for a 2 of some sort I urge you to give this one your consideration.
It's remarkably quiet for a diesel - barely any louder than the petrol models in the range - and although its maximum power level is well below that of even the 1.3 TS it has enough mid-range grunt to make it seem a reasonable rival to the 1.5 Sport. Mazda hasn't released much information about this car yet, but we can assume it will cost over £10,000; at the same time, though, if it doesn't have the best economy and CO2 figures in the range I shall eat the next hat I find.
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