The Mazda 2 also know as the Mazda Demio is a supermini car produced by the Japanese manufacturer Mazda since 1996, currently in its third generation. It is also marketed globally as the Mazda2 and previously under other nameplates, including Mazda 121, Mazda Metro and Ford Festiva Mini Wagon, being at foundation an XUV.
The 2016 Mazda 2 looks more or less exactly like the Hazumi, minus the concept’s big wheels, and the biggest compliment we can give is that it resembles a shrunken Mazda 3 hatch. There’s nothing else in its segment right now that looks anywhere near as upscale or attractive as the new 2.
The dashboard is low and largely free of buttons or extraneous flair, and we really dig the three-vent HVAC layout—one at each end of the dash and one central vent—even though we’re not sure how rear passengers will fare. Like the Mazda 3, it appears as though there are two gauge-cluster designs: one with a digital speedometer embedded in a centralized tachometer for higher trim levels, the other with a central speedo and a smaller digital tach for entry-level versions. Both designs ape the McLaren 12C’s gauge pod to good effect.
The interior is a world apart from the previous car, with stacks of character and style built into a solid, intelligently designed cockpit that keeps everything essential within easy reach of the driver. The high, dash-mounted gearstick is excellent, and all the basic controls and instruments are clear and just where they should be. There’s a reasonable amount of space in here too, with the option of five doors making access to the modest rear more manageable. Boot space is fine at 250 litres, and you can more than triple that by folding the rear seats.
The Mazda2's stark interior and simplicity can remind us a bit too much of older, simpler small cars. Some of those attributes include its short wheelbase, which produces fore-and-aft bobbing on choppy highway surfaces, and the many hard-and-hollow trims found inside--more than many alternative vehicles of the same price and size.
Designed using Mazda’s ‘Kodo’ design language - also deployed on the CX-5, Mazda 6 and Mazda 3 – the new Mazda 2 is one of the sharpest-looking superminis you can buy. Short overhangs give it a squat, sporty stance, while the chrome wing running under the grille and into the (optional) full LED headlights has a more sculptural, three-dimensional look than any other model in the Mazda range.
Available with 15-inch steel wheels on entry-level models, and 15 to 16-inch alloys on higher-spec versions, there’s 10 exterior paint colours to choose from. On the inside Mazda’s designers have created the most premium-looking cabin this side of an Audi A1.
In appearance, the Mazda2 follows Mazda's current design direction quite closely, with a simple, neat look overall and a front end that's a more modest iteration of the brand's 'grinning' look. Mechanically, the front-wheel-drive Mazda2 has what sounds like an old-school economy-car powertrain—a 100-hp, 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, and a five-speed manual gearbox or four-speed automatic. But thanks to great steering and suspension tuning—as well as a light, 2,300-pound curb weight—we've found the Mazda2 to be a lot of fun to drive, especially in the city.
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