Remember the bubble? It looked like it had been hit from behind by a Mazda Bravo 4WD. That's a bit unkind, as the `Bubble' scored highly not only in sales, but also in the cute stakes. The new Mazda2 Maxx sedan is also a cute offering, perhaps more chic though, but there's substance under the sheetmetal. For starters try an extra 200 litres of boot space – all up 450 litres – compared to the hatch.
This has been enabled by the swept back, wedge styling of the sedan rising to the rear giving a high boot line and the sedan's extra 331mm of length. Open the boot and you're greeted with a deep, high and wide luggage area that may have some young families wondering if this small four door could indeed take on the role of a compact family sedan. The rear seats have a 60/40 spit, so long items can also be transported.
Standard fare includes a six stacker CD, aux audio input, steering wheel mounted audio controls, power windows and mirrors, central remote locking and six airbags ... and 5 Star ANCAP safety rating. These are all good reasons to put the Mazda2 on the radar if you are looking in this segment.
The four-door sedan got the nod earlier this year when Mazda rejuvenated the Mazda2 range, with the limited-appeal, three-door hatch not making the cut. The Mazda2 hatch is clearly aimed at younger women and the sedan may well broaden that appeal to small families and empty-nesters wanting a classy looking small sedan with good economy, five seats and good luggage space.
The addition of the sedan was one of the major changes in the upgrade with the current shape launched in 2007. The mechanicals remain the same with a 1.5 litre engine with Sequential Valve Timing (S-VT) and tumble swirl control valves for even combustion. The engine produces 76 kW/135 Nm which is run through a five speed manual or four speed auto gearbox. Mazda2 manual models, like our test car, use an average of 6.4 litres/100 km, while the auto uses 6.8 litres/100 km. The good news here is that the Mazda2 continues to run on regular unleaded.
It's a feisty little engine makes it easy to unintentionally spin the front wheels with some accompanying tyre squeal ... which can be annoying. The five speed manual shifter is housed in the lower part of the dash and is well suited to the engine, although at times a little notchy. In overall terms though, the driving experience is fun. The Maxda2 sedan has no bad habits - nor does it handle like a Lotus. The suspension is fairly compliant resulting in a good ride even over uneven surfaces. The brake pedal is firm with good feel. Mazda2 now has standard stability control and traction control and Maxx models get side and curtain airbags.
The sedan, like the hatch variants of Mazda2, gain Mazda's `smiley' or happy face grille that graces other Mazda models. Both the hatch and the sedan have the same front, so it's only the rear of the sedan that varies from the popular hatch.
Mazda2's interior is much the same and there's nothing wrong with that. It exudes a little class in design, finish and quality of materials used. Mazda2 is now made in Thailand, but that seems to have made no difference to quality. The front seats are comfortable and the dash is interesting on the eye. In particular we like the practical open glove box, but would still like to see it lockable. The car takes five passengers, but ideally it is suited to four or at a pinch four adults and one junior. The rear centre seat is on the firm side and offers little head room for an average-size adult. The outside seats are fine. Leg room is adequate while three adults would struggle with shoulder room.
With most of the design cues carried over from the 2007 model Mazda2 this latest evolution gets a new seat trim. Entry level Neo gains a hard-wearing grey cloth with black highlights for contrast while Maxx and Genki get a higher-quality black trim with red and grey highlights and a black keynote. Perhaps underlying the more subdued stature of the Mazda2 sedan – and appeal to more mature buyers – is the colour choices which include Sparkling Gold and Icy Blue – substitute colours from the hatches' offerings of Spirited Green and Passion Orange.
As mentioned above production of the Mazda2 has moved to Thailand from Japan and the real impact has been on the bottom line. The entry-level Mazda2 Neo 1.5 hatch is $16,500, down from $17,005, the Maxx 1.5 hatch is $19,090, down from $19,115, while the top of the line Genki is $20,940, down from $21,295. The Maxx hatch and sedan are the same price, $19,090. Pricing does not include dealer or statutory government charges.
The light car segment is about as competitive as it gets and Mazda2 sedan at offers something different from the hatch-mad hordes populating showrooms. Mazda2's competitors include Honda Jazz, Toyota Yaris, Ford Fiesta, Kia Rio, Suzuki Swift and VW Polo.
VERDICT: Mazda has a long history of producing rock-solid light and small cars. This latest offering suggests nothing has changed.
MODEL RANGE AND PRICING
5d hatch 1.5 Neo $16,500
5d hatch 1.5 Maxx $19,090
5d hatch 1.5 Genki $20,940
5d sedan 1.5 Maxx $19,090
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: standard
Air Conditioning: standard
Automatic Transmission: optional
CD Player: Six stack
Central Locking: standard
Cruise Control: standard
Dual Front Airbags: standard
Front Side Airbags: standard
Stability Control: standard
Traction Control: standard
SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINE:
Capacity: 1.498 litres
Configuration: in-line
Head Design: 16 valve DOHC
Compression Ratio: 10:1
Bore/Stroke: 78.0 mm x 78.4 mm
Maximum Power: 76 kW @ 6000 rpm
Maximum Torque: 135 Nm @ 4000 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: front
Manual Transmission: Five speed
Automatic Transmission: Four speed
Final Drive Ratio: 4.205/4.147
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4244 mm
Wheelbase: 2490 mm
Width: 1695 mm
Height: 1483 mm
Turning Circle: 9.8 metres
Kerb Mass: 1040 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 42 litres
Towing Ability: 700 kg (kg with braked trailer)
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: McPherson strut
Rear Suspension: torsion beam
Front Brakes: venilated disc
Rear Brakes: drum
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Type: regular unleaded
Combined Cycle (ADR 81/01): 6.4 L/100km
GREEN VEHICLE GUIDE RATINGS:
Greenhouse Rating: 7.5/10
Air Pollution Rating: 6.5/10
STANDARD WARRANTY:
3 years/ unlimited km
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