KEY POINTS:
What's the most sought-after quality in a supermini? In these environmentally conscious times, you might be tempted to say compact size or fuel efficiency.
That's nonsense of course. Most small-car buyers want the same thing as those shopping in every other segment - sex appeal.
Which is where the new Mazda2 comes in. The previous 2 was superb to drive and incredibly practical, but a bit on the boxy side.
The new model is quite stunning for something so small - not a parody of a larger car, but a perfectly proportioned supermini with curves in all the right places. The city-car beauty contest stops right here.
Luckily, Mazda2 buyers can also justify their choice on more sensible grounds. It is indeed a usefully compact car, with an overall length well under four metres (it's 40mm shorter than the previous model).
And it is quite fuel efficient, despite having a relatively powerful 1.5-litre engine. That's because Mazda has applied the "gram strategy" lessons learned from the MX-5 to reduce the 2's kerb weight.
In Europe, the company boasts of weight reductions to the tune of 100kg; for the New Zealand specification model it's more like 60kg, and admittedly that's compared with a car that was rather heavy for its class at the time. But still, a new supermini that's better equipped, yet smaller and lighter than the car it replaces, is a very rare thing and it should be celebrated.
It's all in the attention to the detail. Mazda claims that the reduced exterior dimensions account for just 40kg of the 100kg weight reduction on the basic car.
The rest comes from a slightly obsessive approach to design and engineering - 0.69kg has been removed from the bonnet by making the latch and hinges smaller, for example, while the new body shell has slimmed down by 22kg.
Lightweight also pays dividend in a car's dynamic attitude. While the "Sport" tag of our flagship test car needs to be viewed sceptically - all Kiwi Mazda2 models have the same engine/suspension set-up - the new car is a sprightly little thing, in a straight line and through the corners.
The power-saving electric steering assistance offers good feedback for such a system, the car rides with aplomb and the handling is especially nimble. Stability control is standard on the Sport model.
Among the sub-$25,000 superminis, only the Suzuki Swift Sport gets close, and while it might feel more eager, it isn't as compliant or easy to drive around town.
Design-wise, the Mazda2 is a small-car star. That interior is beautifully laid out and the top Sport model is packed with equipment - curtain airbags, good-quality six-disc stereo and steering wheel-mounted audio controls.
On the outside, the Sport wears a body kit, foglights and 16-inch alloy wheels. How- ever, it's still a car built down to a price. The interior looks fantastic but the materials are of pretty average quality, with hardly a soft-touch plas- tic to be found.
And while passenger space is excellent front and rear, the handy pseudo-MPV tumble-fold rear seats of the previous model have been lost somewhere along the design path to the latest Mazda2, which has a small 250-litre boot and folding rear seatbacks, but no flat load-through.
At prices such as these, the Mazda2 should be hard to resist for buyers who want a small-car that looks and feels a bit special.
The $20,900 entry model is cheaper and better-equipped than the car it replaces, and the extra $2200 asked for the Sport version seems entirely reasonable given the sexier styling detail and electronic stability control system. A three-year "Mazda pays" service contract also adds value to the car.
The Mazda2 is not a groundbreaking car. In fact, it's more conventional than the model it replaces.
But it's a small car that's been expertly executed and ticks almost every box you could want, including one that so often eludes cars of this size and price: desirability. The 2 is yet another model that underlines Mazda's status as Japan's coolest carmaker.
Mazda2
WE LIKE: A small car that's a sexy, compact size.
WE DON'T LIKE: Not as practical as the previous model.
THE FACTS
Basic price: $23,100.
Options fitted: None.
Price as tested: $23,100.
Warranty: 3 years/100,000km.
POWERTRAIN AND PERFORMANCE
Engine: 1498cc inline petrol four.
Power: 76kW at 6000rpm.
Torque: 137Nm at 4000rpm.
Transmission: 5-speed manual, front-drive.
Performance: 0-100km/h in 10.0 seconds.
ADR fuel consumption: 6.8 litres per 100km.
SAFETY
Active driver aids: Anti-lock braking with force distribution and brake assist, traction and stability control.
Passive restraints: Front, side and curtain airbags, five lap-sash seatbelts.
EuroNCAP adult occupant crash test rating: Not tested.
VITAL STATISTICS
Wheels and tyres: 16-inch alloy wheels, 195/45 tyres.
Length: 3885mm.
Height: 1475mm.
Width: 1475mm.
Wheelbase: 2490mm.
Kerb weight: 1010kg.
Boot volume: 250 litres.
Fuel tank: 43 litres.
