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Trim, Taut, Raring To Go

27 February 2008

The Mazda2 is a fun-drive small car, with impressive, optional, safety features. Joshua Dowling reports.

MOST people buy small cars because they want a vehicle that's affordable, economical and easy to park. But car manufacturers are now trying to make us want them because they look good and are fun to drive.

No car sums up the transformation of city cars as well as the new Mazda2.

The new model has sweeping curves and pronounced wheel arches, and looks as if there is a sports car under its skin, trying to escape.

That's what happens when you put the sports car guy in charge of the small-car program. The Mazda2 was designed by Ikuo Maeda, whose father designed the original RX-7. The new model has trimmed plenty of fat; it's about 60 kg lighter than the model it replaces.

Every aspect of the Mazda2 has been carefully analysed to save weight. The radio aerial is long and thin because this is lighter than a short, stubby aerial. Engineers shaved 690 grams from the car by making the bonnet latch smaller and its hinges thinner. The biggest weight saving, though, has been achieved by making the new model smaller.

For those hip young things who want a zippy, fun-to-drive small car, the new Mazda2 won't disappoint.

There are three models, starting at $16,500 for the Neo, $18,710 for the middle-of-the-range Maxx and $20,845 for the flagship Genki. A five-speed manual is standard; a four-speed automatic transmission adds $1650 to each model.

Standard fare includes air-conditioning, remote central locking, an MP3-compatible CD player as well as an auxiliary audio input. The more expensive models gain a six-CD player, audio controls on the steering wheel and larger wheels and tyres.

The two cheapest models come with dual airbags. However, front seat-mounted side airbags, curtain airbags and stability control are available in an option pack for $1100.

The flagship Genki has the full airbag kit; the only option is stability control, at $700.

The availability of stability control (which can detect when a car is travelling too fast around a bend and can prevent a skid) in the baby-car class is significant; Mazda is one of the first among its peers with this technology.

Ideally, all of these safety features would be standard but Mazda says it would prefer to let customers decide rather than have to charge a higher price by including the full gamut of safety systems on all cars. Drive strongly recommends buyers opt for these extra features. The Mazda2 that scored five stars out of five in the New Car Assessment Program crash tests was equipped with the full complement of airbags. And, besides, you may have a say in where you're going to crash but you can do little to avoid someone else hitting your car side-on. Head-protecting curtain airbags are crucial in minimising the risk of fatal injuries in side-on crashes.

There is only one catch: although Mazda Australia keeps modest stock levels of cars equipped with the extra safety features, it can take up to three months for a car to be built to order. Unfortunately, the take-up rate for the extra airbags is only about 15%, so not all dealers have such cars ready to go.

Given how well the Mazda2 drives, it's easy to understand why some buyers might be impatient to get behind the wheel.

The Mazda2 makes good use of the modest power from its 1.5-litre, four-cylinder engine and turns out reasonable fuel consumption figures.

It's not the most frugal in its class but not the thirstiest. And, happily, it takes regular unleaded petrol.

The manual has a beautiful, precise shift.

The auto works also well, with smooth, predictable changes.

Forward vision is good thanks to the low, sloping side front windows, although rear three-quarter vision can be obscured by the smallish rear windows.

The quality of materials in the cabin is superb and the presentation is excellent. All buttons and dials are logically placed and the controls precise to operate. It doesn't feel like a budget car at all.

There is a reasonable amount of storage space although others in this class (such as the Honda Jazz and the Yaris) likely have the edge in this regard. The Mazda, oddly, has an open glove box which means it's not secure.

There is also a chance someone could poke a magazine through the opening and, possibly, block the path of the front passenger's airbag if it were to be deployed.

Rear seat room is slightly tighter than some of its rivals but it makes up for this with a bigger boot. Unfortunately, the boot floor conceals a space-saver spare.

Road noise has long been a criticism of Mazdas but the company has addressed the issue with each new model. Mazda even quotes an improvement of "2.3 decibels" less road noise than the previous model on coarse surfaces.

It's not hush-quiet but it's an improvement that has brought the Mazda2 into line with its peers. The grippy tyres are the main reason for the noise, although it should be noted that there is one exception. The tyres on the base model have substandard grip in the wet.

Nevertheless, the new Mazda2 is an impressive overall package and would easily make the pointy end of our shortlist of cars in this class (along with the Suzuki Swift and the Yaris). Winner of its class in the 2007 Drive Car of the Year awards, the Mazda2 very nearly took out the overall honours.

NUTS 'N' BOLTS

HOW MUCH? $16,500 to $22,495

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Japan.

ENGINE 1.5-litre four-cylinder, Fuel type Regular unleaded (91 octane).

POWER AND TORQUE 76 kW at 6000 rpm, 137 Nm at 4000 rpm.

ECONOMY AND EMISSIONS 6.4 L/100 km and 152 g/km (manual), 6.8 L/100 km and 162 g/km (automatic).

WEIGHT 1004-1046 kg.

SAFETY RATING The Mazda2 scores a five-star crash rating by independent test body NCAP when equipped with extra airbags. Dual airbags are standard on the two cheapest models and curtains and stability control are an $1100 option. On the flagship model, dual front, side and curtain airbags are standard and stability control is a $700 option.

RESALE VALUE Independent valuer Redbook forecasts it will be worth between 51 and 65% of its purchase price in three years, depending on distance travelled and condition. This is on par with the other class leaders, the Toyota Yaris and Suzuki Swift.

FOR Looks great. Excellent quality. Zippy driving dynamics. Available safety features. Unlimited kilometre, three-year warranty. Mazda is one of the few companies not to charge extra for metallic paint. Big boot.

AGAINST Rear seat space a little tighter than others in the class. Rear three-quarter view obscured by high window line.

OUR SCORE 4/5

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