SOFTLY DOES IT...

Mazda quietly releases its facelifted 2

Arriving in SA to a surprising lack of fanfare, the facelifted Mazda2 sees the Hiroshima firm’s stylish small hatchback gain a touch more power and a subtle massage of its already stylish frame. The previous car’s naturally aspirated 1,5-litre petrol four-pot has received a shot in the arm, lifting its outputs by 3 kw and 3 N.m to 85 kw and 148 N.m.

According to Mazda, the facelift has done away with some of the previous car’s superfluous styling features and its diesel engine, while the cabin sports more upmarket materials, redesigned front seats and an Android Auto/apple Carplay-enabled infotainment system.