From £18,0608
New Mazda supermini is a fine all-rounder, and engaging to drive with range-topping petrol power

What is it?

Early drives in the all-new Mazda 2 have revealed it to be a very fine supermini indeed, but not quite a class-leading one - the seemingly unstoppable Ford Fiesta entering a seventh year as leader of the class.

Ahead of the new 2’s imminent UK launch, we’ve now had a chance to sample another, more potent flavour of it, those earlier drives having been limited to the mid-range 89bhp 1.5-litre petrol version.

That normally aspirated engine is also offered with an entry-level output of 74bhp or the range-topping 113bhp tested here, the more powerful one promising to give the 2 the extra bit of fun factor needed to topple the Fiesta. A 1.5-litre Skyactiv diesel is also offered, but we haven't yet tried it. 

What's it like?

The range-topping engine goads you to rev it to access the performance, making it entertaining if you can keep the momentum going. The engine is mated to one of the slickest manual gearboxes in the class, the six-speed unit encouraging positive shifts. Drive it at lower revs and it’s altogether much smoother and more relaxing.

The 2 is therefore a car that feels good to drive, not only because of its positive powertrain, but also because its steering is well weighted and allows the car to be accurately placed on the road. Turn-in is sharp and the ride comfortable; it gets the basics right, in other words, which is not something that can be said for all rivals. 

The drivetrain suffers the same problems as the lower-powered versions, mind, namely little low-end torque and overly long gearing, which makes getting anywhere in a hurry a real effort. The flipside to that willingness to be pushed is that the engine can be surprisingly vocal, while at faster motorway speeds engine noise never settles into the background. 

Mazda is keen to emphasise its strategy of "rightsizing the engine rather than downsizing", which has its benefits, with real-world economy in the early 50s, for example. However, you can’t help but miss that extra zest, charm and better low-end shove Ford's three-cylinder turbo Ecoboost provides. Stick one of these in the 2 and I’ve a sneaky suspicion the 2 would shift from good to drive to fun to drive, and really give the Fiesta something to worry about. 

The 2's interior is a huge improvement over the old car’s in design and perceived quality and has an infotainment screen that is controlled by a rotary knob next to the handbrake.

The sat-nav provides some of the clearest mapping out there and clear spoken instructions that won’t leave you reaching for the mute button. More evidence of the basics being done well.

Should I buy one?

This range-topping Mazda 2 has plenty going for it, then. It’s a true all-rounder in the class and is likely to be a fine car to own, albeit pricey in this guise next to its equivalent key rivals.

The Ford Fiesta remains the best car to drive in the class, but the 2 deserves to be at the top of your supermini shopping list. 

Mazda 2 1.5 115ps Sport Nav

Price £15,995; Engine 4 cyls, 1496cc, petrol; Power 113bhp at 6000rpm; Torque 109lb ft at 4000rpm; Gearbox 5-spd manual; Kerb weight 1055kg; Top speed 124mph; 0-62mph 8.7sec; Economy 56.5mpg (combined); CO2/tax band 117g/km, 16%

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Mark Tisshaw

mark-tisshaw-autocar
Title: Editor

Mark is a journalist with more than a decade of top-level experience in the automotive industry. He first joined Autocar in 2009, having previously worked in local newspapers. He has held several roles at Autocar, including news editor, deputy editor, digital editor and his current position of editor, one he has held since 2017.

From this position he oversees all of Autocar’s content across the print magazine, autocar.co.uk website, social media, video, and podcast channels, as well as our recent launch, Autocar Business. Mark regularly interviews the very top global executives in the automotive industry, telling their stories and holding them to account, meeting them at shows and events around the world.

Mark is a Car of the Year juror, a prestigious annual award that Autocar is one of the main sponsors of. He has made media appearances on the likes of the BBC, and contributed to titles including What Car?Move Electric and Pistonheads, and has written a column for The Sun.

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Marv 9 March 2015

I like the styling....

....but I'm not sure why Mazda choose to only offer the saftey pack on the top petrol engined model. Surely it should be an option across the full range. They have done the same for all their other models. As strange sales strategy if you ask me. Not all customers want the top spec model, but do want some of the safety features.
xxxx 4 February 2015

Bland from the ouside. And does it have DAB?

Just to bland for my liking. The Fiesta is in it's eighth year and still looks more modern on the outside, the Fiesta it just needs another facelift to update the inside. Also the SOFTWARE for Sat Nav on models without it is £600, as of 6 months ago and maybve now this was more than Audi charge.
catnip 6 February 2015

xxxx wrote:Just to bland for

xxxx wrote:

Just to bland for my liking. The Fiesta is in it's eighth year and still looks more modern on the outside, the Fiesta it just needs another facelift to update the inside.

Ford have said recently that the Fiesta replacement is due in another two and a half years, so maybe it will stay as it is now. I agree about the interior: I think they should have tinkered with the dashboard design when they did the exterior 'lift, but sounds like they won't bother now.

Einarbb 4 February 2015

People becoming lazy gear shifters?

"The engine is mated to one of the slickest manual gearboxes in the class, the six-speed unit encouraging positive shifts." - "The drivetrain suffers the same problems as the lower-powered versions, mind, namely little low-end torque and overly long gearing, which makes getting anywhere in a hurry a real effort." - - > Yet, he admitted the gear-box is slick shifting. So why is it an effort, to change down a gear or two? It doesn't appear to harm the fuel economy given the 50mpgl plus achieved. Actually quite a bit superior economy to the ford 1.0l triple.