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By
EWAN KENNEDY
31 March 2008
When we first saw pictures of the all-new Mazda2 prior to its
introduction we were sceptical about its practicality. Whereas the
superseded ‘2 was tall and unashamedly functional the new one
had gone sleek and stylish. Which we felt could have led to a loss
of interior space.
How wrong we were. Excellent design work has given
us a cute and sporty shape that can hold four adults in comfort.
Though, as is inevitably the way in a car of this size, there has
to be some juggling of the front seats to make room for any big
fellows in the back. The most surprising feature of all is the
amount of headroom front and rear. Only basketballers are likely
to come anywhere near the ceiling.
The Mazda2 can easily cope with two adults and
three children, which is likely to be its usual passenger load.
Though there will be plenty sold to singles and couples, the
latter either being of the younger generation or retirees. Older
buyers are a long time successful market for Mazda in Australia as
those at the experienced end of their lives appreciate quality and
reliability, particularly if it’s mixed with a bit of style.
Luggage room, at 250 litres, is about average for
the Mazda2's class. The boot is reasonably well shaped, can cope
with mid-sized suitcases and is easy to load through a wide
opening. However, when the rear seats are folded down (60/40
fashion) their backrests are quite a bit higher than the rest of
the floor so bulky items may not be supported all that well.
Mazda's Zoom-Zoom styling has taken yet another
step upwards in the shape of the new ‘2. From the big headlights
and raised bonnet to the cute tail with the typically Mazda low-centre
rear window, this car has a huge amount of visual appeal. Perhaps
not to the boofy blokes, but we can see plenty of young females
putting this little car near the top of their shopping lists.
The interior is as exciting in its shape as the
body, but is spoiled to some extent by the use of cheap-looking
hard plastics in some areas of the dashboard. Then again, buyers
are demanding lower and lower prices for cars and savings have to
come from somewhere.
Making the new ‘2 lower and sleeker than the old
has produced benefits in lighter weight and better aerodynamics.
So the 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine provides good performance
and uses less fuel than in its previous format. The engine is nice
to sit behind, having plenty of rush off the line and excellent
response at all revs. It’s so much smoother and quieter than the
current range of diesel engines that has appeared in recent test
cars that you wonder if there isn’t plenty of life left in
petrol engines.
Our test car had a five-speed manual gearbox. The
position of the gear lever in the lower portion of the dashboard
may not be to all tastes from a visual aspect. But it falls
readily to hand and the location gives that little bit more
interior room between the front seats. The change action is overly
light to our thinking, but the ratios are well chosen and suit the
torque characteristics of the engine.
Antilock ABS brakes with brake assist are standard
on all models as Mazda continues to push hard on safety. Two
airbags are fitted to all variants, with four additional ‘bags
being either optional or standard depending on model. Mazda’s
DSC stability control system is an option throughout the range.
On the road the little Mazda2 has a refined feel
that’s not always there in a car in this class. The new ‘2 is
noticeably quieter to ride in than the outgoing model. Road noise
levels are nicely damped thanks not only to improved design within
the suspension, but also due to the extra body rigidity in the new
design. Though aimed principally at inner-city and suburban
driving this little Mazda is certainly not out of place on country
roads.
The entry-level Mazda2 Neo is priced at $16,500.
The Maxx is priced from $18,710 and the topline Mazda2 Genki has a
recommended retail price of $20,845. The optional automatic
transmission is priced at a modest $1650.
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Marque Publishing Company
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