Hatchback Reviews

The GT is the top of the range for the Mazda2 hatchback line-up, with its updated version starting from $27,610 before on-roads and adding some extra interior touches and comfort features.

The Evolve is the most popular badge in the Mazda2 hatchback line-up, with its updated version starting from $25,910 before on-roads and including plenty of extra kit over lower variants.

The Mazda2 Pure SP is a step up from the entry point into the Mazda Australia line-up, starting from $25,210 before on-roads and adding a host of styling extras over the base model Pure..It comes with the same 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine driving the front wheels as the rest of the range, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission.Its outputs and efficiency has been tuned compared to the pre-facelift, though at the cost of a tiny amount of power and torque - it makes 81kW and 142Nm, using 5.0L/100km of fuel, which is 0.3L/100km less than before. The Mazda2 can run on 91RON or E10.Standard features for the range include a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability, a six-speaker sound system, plus new auto headlights and windscreen wipers. The Pure SP adds to this with a decorative front panel replacing most of the mesh grill at the front, coloured to suit the body paint, as well as a similar styling panel across the dash in a more striking colour, and a carbon fibre-style roof with shark-fin antenna.Pure SP scores a set of black 16-inch alloy wheel, unique to this variant and larger than the 15s found on the base model Pure..The dimensions of the Pure SP are the same as the rest of the range, with the hatch coming in at 4085mm long, 1695mm wide, 1504mm tall, and with a 2570mm wheelbase.The Pure SP score the brand's standard suite of 'i-Activsense' safety tech, which includes 'Smart City Brake Support' for operating forward and reverse, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.It has six SRS airbags as well as ISOFIX anchor points and top tethers for child seats in the rear.The Pure SP is covered by Mazda’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty.

The Mazda2 Pure is the entry point into the Mazda Australia line-up, with its manual hatchback version starting from $22,410 before on-roads and claiming its place as Mazda’s cheapest car.It’s also available with a six-speed automatic transmission, the same number of gears as the manual, and with the same 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine driving the front wheels.The automatic version is slightly more expensive at $24,410 before on-roads, and can also be had in a sedan body style.Its outputs and efficiency differ for each though, with the manual slightly more powerful at 82kW and 144Nm, using 5.4L/100km of fuel. The Mazda2 can run on 91RON.The auto has been tuned for more efficiency, though at the cost of a tiny amount of power and torque - it makes 81kW and 142Nm, using 5.0L/100km of fuel, which is 0.3L/100km less than before.Standard features for the Pure variant include a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability, a six-speaker sound system, plus new auto headlights and windscreen wipers. New seat designs and a decorative panel is also found in the Mazda2 Pure, as with the rest of the range.Where the rest of the range gets 16-inch wheels, the Pure has a set of 15-inch alloy wheels finished in silver.The dimensions of the Pure are the same as the rest of the range, with the hatch coming in at 4085mm long, 1695mm wide, 1504mm tall, and with a 2570mm wheelbase.For the slightly longer (but less tall) sedan, those measurements are 4360mm long, also 1695mm wide, 1479mm tall, and with the same 2570mm wheelbase.The updated Mazda2 Pure is equipped with the brand's suite of 'i-Activsense' safety tech, which includes 'Smart City Brake Support' for operating forward and reverse, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.It has six SRS airbags as well as ISOFIX anchor points and top tethers for child seats in the rear.The Pure is covered by Mazda’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty.

The entry-point into one of Australia's most popular brands has been around in its current guise for almost 10 years, but the Mazda2 has had a refresh.Possibly for the last time in the current generation's lifespan, the small hatchback gets a facelift and Mazda hopes it's enough to maintain the small hatch's appeal to first new car buyers.

It's been three months and with great sadness I must hand back the Peugeot 308 GT Premium Hatch back. It's a reminder that hatchbacks are just as, if not more practical, than small SUVs. And the drive experience will be vastly superior. Let me explain...

There's been quite the battle at the entry point of the EV market of late with three Chinese brands vying for the title of Australia's cheapest electric car. One of them - MG - has just launched what could be its most compelling offering yet, the MG4. But regardless of price, is it a better drive than the BYD Dolphin and GWM Ora?

I said some nice things about the Polestar 2 when it launched, but the EV market has changed a lot, and I've now spent four months with one. Do I have to eat my words?

There has never been a better time to be shopping for an entry-level Chinese electric vehicle, with the BYD Dolphin, the MG4, and this, the GWM Ora, all competing for your EV dollar.We put the Ora Extended Range to the test to see if it should be on your shopping list.

The new Polestar 2 is new all over, with motors, batteries and even the driven wheels changed up to deliver the car the brand says it was always meant to be. We've had an early taste of the Long range Single motor to see how it measures up against the electric competition.