07 Mar 07
Mazda's current 2, and its predecessor the Demio, aren't even close to being among the most stylish of superminis, but the new 'redesigned from the ground up' 2's quite a surprise: it's really rather cute. Mazda has resisted the temptation to make it any bigger and heavier (hello, Skoda Fabia) and has actually put it on a diet: it's 40mm shorter and 100kg lighter than the car it replaces, which should make it more fun to drive as well as more fuel efficient.
Engines for the new line-up are 1.3 (75bhp and 84bhp) and 1.5 (103bhp) petrol units with sequential valve timing, and later in the year there's a 1.4-litre diesel. Mazda's promising 'a lively performance feel'. Much-improved body rigidity should enhance handling, as well as safety, ride comfort and refinement; Mazda says its 'engineers targeted manoeuvrability and agility on urban roads, brisk, linear steering response and high grip on winding roads, and superior straight-line stability and con?dence-inspiring lane-change behaviour on motorways', which can only be a good thing.
A good supermini needs to be user-friendly, too, so other priorities included giving excellent all-round visibility and an optimum driving position with well-placed controls. The gear lever has been moved up to a high-set position on the dashboard, which frees up space for a floor storage console, and the freshened-up cabin also incorporates a rack for maps.
It all bodes well for the new Fiesta, its sister model, and the upcoming new Ford-Mazda subcompact for the US market which will also share the same underpinnings.
Other news from Mazda - besides the Hakaze concept car we've already previewed - is a new 2.0-litre diesel engine. To appear first in the 3 range, this delivers 143bhp and 266lb-ft, and returns 47.1mpg and 162g/km of carbon dioxide; it's good for 151mph and 0-60mph in 9.9 seconds. It comes with a six-speed manual gearbox and a particulate filter, and meets the Euro IV emissions criteria; 3s with the engine also receive a modified heating system for warmer start-up winter motoring and the option of cruise control, as well as some suspension and driveshaft components from the sporty Mazda 3 MPS to help deal with the increased torque.
