Category: Superminis 
Price Range: No data available
Cheeky but sophisticated design, clever cabin storage, light weight for good economy, refined engine, fun to drive, good ride.
Plasticky interior surfaces, steering could be more precise, cabin storage lacks non-slip mats, no side airbags in entry-level model.
Light, nimble, good looking and cleverly thought-out: exactly what a modern supermini should be.
We hope the new Mazda 2 signals the start of a new trend. The smart-looking supermini weighs an impressive 100kg less than its tall, boxy predecessor, reversing the obesity trend that has been rife among new cars for much too long. The new Mazda is a little shorter and significantly lower than before, but rides on the same wheelbase despite having an all-new platform.
The Mazda 2's design is similar to that of the Sassou concept car seen at the Frankfurt show in 2005, with its high bonnet sitting above rounded, RX-8-like wings and the steeply rising waistline. The production car, however, was designed in Japan and pre-dates the German-designed Sassou. The previous Mazda 2's high-roof, semi-estate format suited the Japanese market well, but this time the company is concentrating its efforts on Europe and has designed a lower, sleeker supermini to suit. The new car will nevertheless also be sold in Japan, where it will be called Demio like its predecessors.
The weight loss comes mainly from the bodyshell, which is not only smaller but contains around 20%, by weight, of ultra-high-tensile steel. Other weight savings come from the suspension, the exhaust system, a rear seat in which only the backrests fold, even the wiring and the loudspeakers in the doors. The design will be the key selling point, followed by the good fuel economy promised by the light weight: at 955kg, it's the first new supermini for a while to weigh less than a tonne. The two 1.3-litre versions create an average of just under 130g/km of CO2, too, which makes for cheap taxes. There's also a 1.5-litre engine which, like the others, is Mazda's own. A diesel, using the 1.4-litre, 75bhp version of the near-ubiquitous Peugeot turbodiesel, will arrive next year.
All have a five-speed manual gearbox and UK prices start from £8,499. There's the 1.3 TS (75bhp), 1.3 TS2 (86bhp, but with identical fuel economy and emissions figures) and 1.5 Sport (103bhp) to choose from, the latter with deeper valances, sill skirts, a tailgate spoiler, a front grille with a central bar and 16" alloy wheels. There are only five-door models to begin with, but three-door versions come next year - as will the souped-up Mazda2 MPS.
