Mazda2 also comes in the new model year with a slightly more modern look and improved features. We put it to the editorial test in one of the higher-spec Homura trim levels, with the 1.5 Skyactiv-G petrol unit and automatic transmission. Will the “two” convince us that classic small cars with atmospheric engines still have a lot to offer?!!!
As the old motoring adage goes – if you want sportiness, go for a Mazda. The carmaker’s vehicles are very close to a sporty ride within their segments, and that’s more of a value-add than a reason for customers to choose the brand. The Mazda 6 is truly amazing to drive, the CX-30 to CX-5 SUVs are also capable, but what about the “Dvojka” which is very marginal in the Slovakian market!
Despite its model age, the Mazda2 is perhaps one of the most distinctive small cars on the Slovak market. Design-wise, it tends more towards the fairer sex and older drivers, but I like it nonetheless. The designers have tweaked the curves of the front end to make the whole more in line with the brand’s newer models, played around with the shape of the headlights, which already use LED technology in the base, and designed a new wheel design. You get fifteen wheels in the base, and for those beautiful sixteen wheels you have to reach for the Homura trim, for example. No need for any unnecessarily huge 17-18-19 inch wheels here either…
Let’s talk a little bit about the equipment. The word “Homura” means “fire” in Japanese, and the Mazda2 Homura features mostly new design details, such as the aforementioned 16-inch black alloy wheels and black exterior mirror caps, a black shark fin antenna, and black seats with stylish red stitching that will impress inside.
Interior colour combinations have also been worked on, the redesigned front seats support the body more naturally, and there should be less outside noise reaching the crew, thanks to added soundproofing to the body and running boards. You can even have a heated steering wheel and optional head-up display. Features like keyless locking, a rear parking camera, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, and very good and functional tinted rear windows are all included.
And as today’s vehicles are positioning themselves as smartphones on wheels, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity have been added to the now essentially mandatory. The infotainment menu with its 7-inch touchscreen may be past its prime, but in my experience, once you’ve set up your CarPlay or Android, you have no need to go into the infotainment at all, except to set up selected vehicle functions. The display itself is, typically for a Mazda, touchscreen only when the car is stationary and can only be controlled by the rotary dial and buttons on the centre tunnel when driving. After a few days you get used to it…
I like the shape and thickness of the steering wheel with ample adjustment range, the large “cockpit” instrument cluster, and most of all the great everyday functions. The Mazda2 has always been a small car inside, too, and with the upgrades, virtually nothing has changed. It’s mainly a city car, where more than two people are rather rare to get into. It’s fine up front, even with a height of 186 centimetres, and a comfortable driving position only required moving the seat almost all the way back. By small city car proportions, however, there’s less rear seat room than competitors with newer platforms.
For the Mazda2 with the atmospheric 1.5, engineers from the land of the rising sun didn’t blindly chase emissions reductions, but the new i-Stop start-stop system has the effect of reducing vibrations when the engine restarts, for example, and we’ll also notice smoother upshifts thanks to the starter-generator. Engine revs drop more quickly to suit the higher gear ratio. If you try upshifting with the intermediate gear, you’ll find the engine has an unbelievably quick response. And this brings us to the aforementioned sportiness and a sort of Fun-Factor…
The 1500cc, 90kW (66kW) engine at 6000rpm idles quietly, is virtually inaudible, and basically makes it clear with every shift just how much I’ve let myself be warped by turbo engines and low displacement lately. The engine is identical to the one with the M-hybrid system, has the same bore x stroke (74.5×85.8 mm) and compression ratio (15:1), and the peak torque is also the same (151/3500 Nm./rev./min.
Unless you want to compare the torque and shift progression to some competing small turbo engine, you’ll find the Mazda2 lazy and bland. On the other hand, the engine doesn’t smoke like some turbocharged engines do, so if you let the car cruise along at speed in smooth city driving, with minimal throttle, you’ll hear the engine virtually nothing. What’s more, consumption can be slashed to well under 5l/100km, which is perfect considering we’ve got a classic 6-speed automatic with a hydromotor. After a week’s heavy-footed test, consumption only got to 5.2l/100km. And that’s including motorway shifts at “German speeds”…
The automatic gearbox ably seconds the great engine, and in Normal mode it’s tuned more for emissions and the lowest possible revs. Just switch it to Sport mode, however, and the whole gearbox suddenly comes alive with high-revving extravaganza. The gearbox will let the engine rev to practically the limiter and has no problem holding the revs even in a corner under throttle. Manual shifting is also there and is thankfully logically correct = lower gears in the forward direction and higher in the reverse direction. I miss the paddles under the steering wheel but that’s a bit of an unnecessary luxury…
Mazda isn’t too worried about regulations and emissions standards yet either. It’s taken the current 1.5 Skyactiv-G and fitted it with a mild-hybrid system, with a belt-driven starter-generator and small battery for energy storage. The i-ELOOP technology for kinetic energy recovery was already in the pre-facelift twin, but only in the top trim, Revolution TOP. Today, Mazda is bringing it all together and calling it the M Hybrid. For the classic hybrid, Mazda has joined hands with Toyota, and the full hybrid 2 is actually a Yaris in disguise… But let’s leave that for another test.
The small and communicative twosome is a joy to drive, and it doesn’t matter if you’re inside alone or fully loaded. The Mazda2 even has G-Vectoring Control Plus as standard, which is the equivalent of electronic replacements for the self-locking differential, but with one big difference.
You control the vehicle’s cornering dynamics not by braking, but by simply easing off and on the throttle. If the car is heading into a corner, the engine power is slightly reduced, which transfers weight to the front axle and helps the wheels keep their line. As soon as you flatten the steering wheel on the exit of a corner, the Mazda 2 lightly adds and transfers weight to the rear for better stability. These are the little technological pearls that make Mazda a brand with sportiness in its genes.
The bike handles perfectly, it’s light and the high revs not only don’t bother it, but it performs the best it can in them. A relatively weak engine will always give you the best out of itself, while in strong hot-hatches the ride is influenced by respect for speed and, to a certain extent, the fear of the so-called oversteer itself – many times the engine is faster than the chassis. This is not the case with the Two and, believe me, you will use the 90 horsepower on the back roads to the last pony…
I personally don’t have a single problem with the upgraded two. The Mazda2 may have gotten more expensive as part of the facelift but it also has very decent equipment and sooner or later something similar will probably befall all cars in this segment. The deuce starts at a list price of €15,260 for the base Emotion G75 version and ends somewhere near the Revolution Top G115 Mild Hybrid trim at a, nowadays “folksy” €22,560 without extras. The tested Homura G90 AT trim is priced at €21,060 + the optional Platinum Qartz paint for €410 and the GPS navigation system for a flat €500. For that price, you get a fully equipped city car with excellent fuel economy and a decent serving of dynamics and driving pleasure…
