Mazda2 2007 review

The newest addition to the Mazda range is a sharp-looking little hatch that doesn't deserve to be called a shopping trolley. But it can complete such mundane tasks without an issue.

I'm in the Genki top-spec model, which tips the pricing scale from $20,845.

The exterior also gets dressed up with a body kit, 16in alloys and fog lights.

The power plant side of things is taken care of by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder that produces 76kW of power and 137Nm of torque.

That might not sound like much but the little five-speed manual front-driver feels livelier than the numbers suggest.

For a start, it weighs just over a tonne, but it has dynamics and steering that feel lighter than that, with road manners that endear it to the driver.

It will win friends for frugality, sipping fuel at a claimed rate of 6.4 litres/100km.

The 2 was at the pointy end of the field for the recent carsguide Car of the Year and acquitted itself well on the racetrack and road. On the track, it was one of the better cars at resisting understeer and could be thrown around without disturbing the stability control or threatening an off-road excursion.

Whipping through the five-speed manual gearbox, the 2 feels nimble and light, carving through traffic with ease.

Visibility is good, although at 193cm there are some compromises in driving position in such a little car.

The suspension tune leans towards handling but doesn't completely sacrifice ride quality.

Interior storage is adequate, with an odd open-topped glove-box lid, which Mazda calls a magazine rack, that has a deceptive amount of storage.

The little Mazda test car has stability control; a $700 option on the Genki. It's a feature well worth having as a backup but it's not there to mask an unworthy chassis.

In fact, it's easy to see how carsguide judges ended up with it in third place; such is the quality of this little car.