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At the end of this century's second decade, the third generation Mazda2 supermini, which had been launched in 2015, got a boost with the brand's latest M Hybrid e-SKYACTIV mild hybrid tech. As before, it packed some big car features into a pertly-styled body and brought buyers one of the most interesting interior designs in the segment. If you were thinking of buying an ordinary small hatch of this sort from the 2020-2022 period, it might be time to consider a more extraordinary one.
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History
Mazda likes to think of itself as a car maker that 'defies convention'. That's something relatively easy to do with a niche sportscar like their MX-5. Or maybe even with a small Crossover like their CX-30. Achieving that objective with a volume supermini though, is a much harder thing. Yet that's exactly what this third generation Mazda2 set out to do.
This car, we were told at its original 2015 launch, offered something distinctly different from its Corsa-class rivals in terms of design, engineering and high-tech equipment, all areas that Mazda subsequently worked hard on with annual updates, before in 2019 introducing the mild hybrid-powered version we're going to look at here. This saw the previous SKYACTIV 1.5-litre four cylinder petrol engine embellished with a sprinkling of e-SKYACTIV electrification - though only if you ordered it with a 90PS output and a manual gearbox.
This car sold in its that form until early 2023, when the range was updated with a fresh look and a range of new trim designations. It's the pre-facelift mild hybrid Mazda2 range though, that we look at here.
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What you get
There were no significant visual updates when Mazda introduced its e-SKYACTIV technology to this Mazda2. But this third generation model was already quite a pert-looking thing. In designing it, Mazda's development team contemplated what the competition was doing. And then did something completely different. Most modern superminis, they noticed, were being designed to look bigger and roomier than they actually were through the simple trick of moving their front A-pillars forward. It's a quick way to make the cabin look bigger - but an illusion that'll disappoint once you take a seat inside if the car in question sits on underpinnings that are very little different from those of its predecessor. The third generation Mazda2, its development team decided, wouldn't be like that. What if those A-pillars could be moved 80mm backwards, yet at the same time, the car itself could be made 140mm longer, with 80mm of extra wheelbase? Wouldn't the resulting shape look sporty and compact, yet disguise as much practicality as a car in this class might ever need?
It was a great concept and it was completed here with a rather artful interpretation of the 'KODO' 'Soul of Motion' design theme that inspired the 'Hazumi' concept version of this car. This is perhaps most evident at the front, where a prominent three-dimensional grille is linked to 'predator'-style headlights by chromed wings that pass through the lamps - on the top version lit by jewel-like LEDs - on a contour that continues down the side of the body. Follow this swage line in profile and you'll see it joined by two others: an upper crease that ends at the horizontal rear combination tail lights. And there's a lower crease, there to give a bit of shape to the flanks.
But of course, as usual, it's what lies beneath all the stylised panel work that's really important. In this case a SKYACTIV-Body that's lighter yet stronger and far more rigid than most rivals. And a SKYACTIV-Chassis that was designed to try and replicate the kind of connected feeling you get in Mazda's little MX-5 sportscars - something the brand likes to call Jinba Ittai, this translated from the Japanese to mean a feeling of horse and rider becoming one. That's what's drove development of this car's completely redesigned steering, braking and suspension systems. The same concept also inspired much of the thinking that created an equally characterful at-the-wheel experience.
First up inside is the deeply-cowled motorcycle-style central dial, provided as a rev counter, with a digital speed read-out that's also replicated on the optional head-up display that projects key driving information onto the bottom of the windscreen. The other defining interior feature lies not in what's included but in what's missing. There's no centre stack dividing the front of the cabin - so no mid-mounted display screen or stereo system. That infotainment display, where provided above base trim level, is re-sited onto the very top of the dash where it's placed more precisely into your field of vision. It grew from 7 to 8-inches as part of Mazda's updates.
Out back, that extra body length released a little extra boot space, the trunk capacity rated at a 280-litre total that's about the same as you'd get from most rivals from this period, though a little down on boxier contenders like Skoda's Fabia and Hyundai's i20. Still, the capacity increase combines with the wide, low-set luggage lip and a useful 1,000mm gap between the wheel arches to ensure that Mazda2 owners can more easily cram in awkwardly-shaped things like baby buggies.
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What to look for
Almost all the Mazda2 owners we surveyed seemed very happy with this model - which was encouraging. However, that doesn't mean there aren't things you'll need to look for. A few owners reported small niggles relating to non-engine electrics and centring on the sat-nav and the climate control. Check that there isn't any slippage or notchy feel from the clutch. And a few issues have been raised about the air conditioning system - it should kick out ice cold air, but may not. Other than that, it's the usual things: insist on a fully stamped-up service history. Check the alloys for parking scuffs. And the interior for signs of child damage.
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Replacement parts
(approx based on a 2021 Mazda2 1.5 e-Skyactiv-G M Hybrid 90PS petrol - ex VAT) An air filter costs in the £10 bracket and an oil filter costs in the £5 bracket. Front brake pads sit in the £47 bracket for a set; rears are around £53. A pair of front brake discs is around £75. headlamp is around £177; a rear lamp is around £103.Wiper blades sit in the £2-£14 bracket. A pollen filter is about £21.
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On the road
It should be sporty shouldn't it? After all, the Mazda2 always has been and right from the beginning, this third generation version has featured basically the same 1.5-litre SKYACTIV-G petrol unit that you'll find in entry-level versions of the brand's MX-5 sportscar. At the end of the last decade though, certain versions of this powerplant were embellished with electrical tech the MX-5 had never had - namely Mazda's M Hybrid mild-hybrid system, which you'll get with this engine provided you don't choose it with its feeblest 75PS output or have it paired with automatic transmission.
Most will choose the M Hybrid powerplant in 90PS form, but you can also have it in uprated 115PS guise. Confusingly, the Japanese maker also launched a full-Hybrid Mazda2 in 2022, which isn't our focus here and is very much a separate product, based entirely on a Toyota Yaris, which means it gets that car's 1.5-litre self-charging engine mated to a 80PS electric motor, giving a total system output of 116PS.
The M Hybrid set-up is very different - and of course much less efficient, storing up energy recuperated off-throttle or under braking and using it to aid acceleration and run the car's engine start/stop system. It works with 6-speed manual transmission; Mazda didn't manage to figure out a way of making it work with the alternative 6-speed auto you could have with this car in 90PS form. That adds over 2 seconds to the 90PS manual model's 9.8s 0-62mph time (en route to 114mph), figures the 115PS model improves to 9.1s and 124mph. But sportiness in a mainstream supermini doesn't usually have very much to do with outright speed. Handling's key and is aided here by the 'G-Vectoring Control Plus' system that Mazda introduced into this car at about the same time as installing the e-SKYACTIV M Hybrid system. 'G-Vectoring Control Plus' uses the brakes to apply direct yaw movement control in addition to engine control. Basically, it helps you get grip down through the bends. It's nippy round town too, an environment where you appreciate the ease with which you can park this car and its tight 4.7-metre turning circle.
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Overall
Good things often come in little packages. Here's one of them. It's a small car that was developed with an extraordinarily large amount of care and as a result, is a class act. No other rival from this period offers a better all-round blend of performance and efficiency, plus the improved version of this third generation Mazda2 delivers smart looks, reasonable pricing and an interestingly-styled cabin offering premium segment features and some lovely quality touches.
The bottom line is that if you thought all superminis from the 2020-2023 era were the same, it's well worth trying one of these. Life, you might find, is full of surprises.
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