Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Style, comfort and safety
It’s all change for Mazda this year with five new models across the entire range (except the Mazda3) being launched in the next six months – and if the Mazda2 is anything to go by, it’s going to be an interesting and busy year for all concerned.
The supermini is a new design and boasts a 16-strong line-up with on the road prices ranging from £11,995 to £17,395.
There are four engines on offer, three petrol and one diesel. The entry-level petrol engine is a 74bhp 1.5-litre, which offers CO2 emissions of 110g/km and fuel economy of 60.1mpg with a five-speed manual gearbox.
I’ve driven three of them: SKYACTIV-G Petrol Sports Nav 115ps manual, the diesel 105ps Sport Nav manual and the petrol 90ps SE-L Nav manual. They all include a package of generous standard equipment including 7-in colour touchscreen with Bluetooth connection and have a rotary multi-media control wheel within reach behind the gearstick in the central console.
In addition the SE-L and Sport Nav models feature an integrated sat nav system. Sport models also have 16-in alloy wheels, keyless entry and climate control airconditioning.
The new 2 keeps its sharp looks, but with a twist. It uses the latest Kodo Soul of Motion design with a bold, chromeringed grille, swept back lights, bold creases down the side and a coupe-like roofline.
It is also a little bigger than before. The 1.5-litre petrol engine reaches 62mph from a standing start in a rapid 8.7 seconds, the 90ps in 9.4 and the 105ps diesel 10.1. This doesn’t come at the cost of efficiency – there’s a claimed combined average of 56.5mpg; 62.8mpg and 83.12 respectively.
The handling is solid and the ride firm enough to be sporty but not enough to lose out on comfort. The Sport Nav comes with a head-up display screen which flips up above the speedo giving readouts on speed and sat nav guidance. Also included are rain-sensing wipers, rear parking sensors and dusk sensing lights. There’s a decent stereo, plus LED headlamps with automatic headlamp dipping. Safety aids include lane departure warning, city braking and blind-spot monitoring.
The only downfall I can see is the lack of room in the back for anyone over 6ft. Despite this, I suspect the competition will be looking over their shoulders at the new generation coming out of the Mazda stable this year.
It provides loads of style, comfort and safety, but maintains the level of fun and excitement for which all superminis should strive.
Go to www.mazda.co.uk