Mazda 2 2010 Review

Value starting price Boot space Classy finish

No improvements to engine Spacesaver spare Road noise

There is very little change in the 2010 model of the Mazda 2. Until you look at the bottom line. The smallest member of the Mazda mob picks up the smiley family grille, there are improvements to the rear shock absorbers and the brakes, with standard ESP on all cars, and there is a booted sedan for the first time.

Pricing

The biggest change is a $16,999 drive-away pricetag. It's the reward for ongoing sales success and - although Mazda denies it - switching production from high-cost Japan to low-cost Thailand. Mazda Australia describes the $16,999 sticker as a 'promotional deal' but is not setting any time limit on the pricetag, which makes the Two a much tougher rival for a range of opponents from the Hyundai Getz to the Toyota Yaris. It has also boosted value on every model, generally by more than $1000, although curtain airbags cost $400 on the Neo starter car.

"We mean business. Mazda2 is very important to us. It's very important to get customers into the brand at that level," says Alastair Doak, marketing manager for Mazda Australia. "It has consistently delivered us a younger audience and more first time car buyers. It's playing its role as the stepping stone into the Mazda lineup."

Fit-out and equipment

The new four-door model - which comes at the expensive of the three-door Two - is the first sedan since Mazda's long-loved 121 'bubble' back in 1990. And, although it is now aiming its baby car primarily at young and young-ish women, it's happy to have a boot to convert older customers.

It opens up a 450-litre trunk, compared to the 250-litre capacity of the hatch. But the sedan is only available with the mid-level Maxx package - including alloy wheels and six-disc CD sound - although it costs no more than the hatch at $19,090.

"If you look at other sedans, they are much more conservative than the hatches. Ours keeps the sporty look, but it's perhaps a little more grown-up and refined," says Doak.

The '10 model Two is a facelift of a car which hit in late 2007 and has tripled showroom sales of the car, as well as slashing the average age of owners from 52 to 43.

Mechanical package

The mechanical package of the Mazda2 is unchanged, which means a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine with 76kW/135Nm, either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic gearbox turning the front wheels, four-wheel disc brakes and front MacPherson struts with a torsion beam for the rear suspension.

Mazda says the weight of the basic body is down by 22 kilos with more strength in the shell, giving it five-star safety protection. The equipment levels are unchanged at Neo, Maxx and Genki, which means every car gets aircon, four airbags, ESP stability control, anti-skid brakes and remote central locking. But there is only a 'wheelbarrow' style spacesaver spare tyre.

There are 10 paint colours but two of them - Spirited Green and Passion Orange - are not available on the sedan, which gets Icy Blue and Sparkling Gold instead. So, are passion and spirit missing?

Driving

I would love to report a major change in the way the Mazda2 drives. Or feels. But, to me, it feels the same as the previous model. Perhaps, just perhaps, there is a little more compliance in the suspension. And a bit more feel to the brake pedal. But that's it.

There is nothing to report from the engine room and the dashboard is just as I remembered. Even the big change, the smiley face on the front, disappears when you are driving so nothing major to report there.

Mazda says the new Two is a better drive than the rival Ford Fiesta, but I don't agree. It's not as sharp – simple as that. Even so, the Two is a tidy little package and a car which works very well for the people who buy them - and choose them ahead of the Fiesta or the Yaris or the Honda Jazz or all the rest of the little cars in showrooms.

The engine is strong enough for the job, there is nothing spooky in the handling, although there is still a fair bit of tyre roar on some surfaces. And it runs on regular unleaded, a cross against the rival Volkswagen Polo which now sets the overall standard for the class.

The booted sedan has a huge cavity in the tail that's easy to load and Mazda has done the job without taking away from the funky looks of the Two. It says only a tiny number of buyers wanted the outgoing three-door car and it's easy to make a strong case for a four-door sedan.

The best thing about the upgrade is the value improvement and, despite switching to Thailand assembly, there appears to be no slacking in the quality department.

"It's a very import car for us. It's the entry point for the Mazda brand, and if customers have a good experience we hope they'll stay and try something else," says Doug Dickson, boss of Mazda Australia.

He is right and so is the car. The competition has never been tougher, particularly from the all-new Volkswagen Polo, but the Mazda2 has always been towards the front of the class and nothing changes for 2010 and beyond.

Mazda2

On sale: now
Price: $16,999 driveaway (Neo manual hatch) to $20,940 (Genki manual hatch)
Engine: 1.5-litre four cylinder
Power: 76kW/6000 revs
Torque: 135Nm/4000 revs
Transmission: five-speed manual, four-speed auto, front-wheel drive
Economy: 6.4L/100km (man), 6.8L/100km (auto)
Emissions: 152g/km CO2 (man), 162g/km CO2 (auto)

RIVALS

Ford Fiesta from $16,090
Honda Jazz from $16,990
Toyota Yaris from $15,240
Volkswagen Polo from $16,690