Mazda2 manual 2007 review

Small vehicles are bulging out to the mid-size boundary, while mid-size is threatening to spill into the large class. And increased safety features are generally adding more poundage.

So the new Mazda2 is something of a rarity. The light car has been to Weight Watchers and emerged smaller and even lighter, while offering the same interior space and more safety.

The changes include everything from the use of high and ultra-high tensile steels to trimming the shape of bonnet hinges, even using different materials for the stereo speakers and shortening the wiring harness.

And there’s a domino effect, too. Because if a car weighs less, you can use a smaller (lighter) engine and smaller (lighter) brakes, shearing off even more weight to tip the scales at just over 1000kg, which is around 60kg less than the previous car.

The new 1.5-litre engine is aluminium and has variable valve timing and intake manifolds, plus specially shaped pistons to optimise fuel efficiency.

The bonuses are at the fuel lid and exhaust tip; less petrol needs to go in, and less emissions come out.

Mazda claims figures of 6.4L/100km for the manual version and 6.8L/100km for the auto, both 0.2L less than the previous model, while the emissions level is Euro IV compliant.

These will be big selling points, but the Mazda2 would probably zoom-zoom off the showroom floors just on the strength of its looks.

Taking design cues from the Sassou concept unveiled at last year’s Geneva show, the newcomer has thought outside the box it was, and appears with a set of cool body curves highlighted by funky accent lines. There’s just the slightest hint of the sporty RX-8 around the swell of the wheel arches, and a jazzy rising crease that echoes the sweep of the shoulder line.

The interior feels just as fresh. With a high-mounted gearshift lever, and some ultramodern circular accents, there’s an impression of space pod in the styling, and an impression of space overall.

The central caddy between the two front seats is usefully modular, but it’s odd that with a weight-trimming program they’ve left the lighter and a mug-sized lidded ashtray in it when some other cars already have it on the optional list.

There was also a moment of weirdness when we dropped a pen in a dash opening, only to find that it fed straight into the glovebox, presumably to save you the bother of opening it.

Despite the smaller body, the Mazda2 sits on the same wheelbase and offers the same room as the previous one. Four grain-fed adults can still fit comfortably, although the rear two would have to be even-tempered on long trips.

And you can get 250 litres of gear in the cargo space, and close to 470 with the back seat folded down. Part of this capacity is due to the car carrying a space-saver spare, which also helps with the weight loss program, but its 80km/h limit is a nuisance for rural areas.

Not that this is a country dweller. Mazda is intentionally moving it towards the urban market, and expects to sell 850 a month, which is nearly double the outgoing model’s average since its launch in 2002. The base level Neo is tipped to scoop 55 per cent of those sales with a price rise of just $165 to a keen $16,500 (auto $1650 more across the range) and new standard equipment includes ABS anti-skid brakes with brake force distribution, brake assist for panic situations, MP3 player jack for the CD audio system and height adjust on the driver’s seat.

Aiming for 25 per cent of the sales, the mid-range Maxx at $18,710 adds a six-stacker CD player with controls on the steering wheel, 15 inch alloy wheels and a rear spoiler.

A body kit differentiates the top-spec Genki, which also gets16 inch alloys, two extra airbags, leather-trimmed steering wheel and front foggies for the $20,845 ticket.

Options include a safety pack with stability and traction control, the first on a Japanese car in the light class on all three variants, plus extra airbags for the two lower levels.

On the road

Changes to the Mazda2 doesn't include huge power, the engine develops 76kW of power at 6000rpm and 137Nm of torque at 4000rpm, delivered to the front wheels via either a five-speed manual transmission or four-speed auto, but with the weight saving it means the car is a little quicker, getting to 100km/h 0.5 seconds earlier at 10 seconds.

Admittedly, that’s not rapid fire, but it feels faster because there’s no sense of heaviness on take-off, and once you get going the little beastie is pretty nimble.

The stiffer and lighter body means it’s very chuckable, and a spirited zig-zag through some country hills is certainly within the means of the little engine when coupled to the five-speed manual transmission.

There’s not a lot on offer lower down in the rev range, but it’s not hard to keep it up around 3000rpm, where it starts to find its happy place.

The manual shifter feels a little notchy at first, but not so much that it remains annoying once you’ve been using it for a while.

And the well-weighted steering gives you lightness for around town and enough feel for higher speeds out in the country.

Mazda has saved money and weight by using drum brakes for the rear wheels, which seems a bit outdated, but there’s no denying they do the job capably.

But the big and pleasant surprises are in ride quality and quietness.

Startled by how well it was coping with patchy bitumen, we intentionally kept lining up nasty potholes (sorry about that, Mazda) only to find the MacPherson strut front and torsion beam rear suspension soaked them up without complaint.

And the more aerodynamic shape and noise damping worked so well that we really only noticed the tyres on rough chip bitumen and could barely hear wind rush or the engine, although in some of the recent rain there was a weird acoustic effect of water sounds trickling down the B-pillars.

But overall it was hard not to like the little Mazda. It’s fun, affordable and very good looking, the last point being proof that the company was wise to accept designer Ikuo Maeda’s request to scrap the design they’d decided on 12 months into the project, and start from scratch.

The result is something you’d be proud to have on your driveway, and is stylish enough to carry off its acid green hero colour, a hue that otherwise induces bouts of violent retching, but on the Mazda2 somehow looks right.