REVIEW | Why the Mazda 2 has lost its edge

You never forget your first. Or your fourth, in my case, because that’s how many attempts it took me to get my driver’s licence. It’s something I’m slightly ashamed to admit, as someone who’s made a career out of writing about cars. But hey, we all started somewhere, right? And if you procured your licence the correct way, that’s something to be proud of.

This story isn’t about the outmoded K53 system, corrupt practices such as “guaranteed passes” or any of the other issues afflicting our nation’s process of equipping people with what’s needed to operate a motor vehicle competently. It’s about Mazda’s B-segment car.

Memories of my driving licence journey and the 2009 Mazda 2 1.3 Active I did it in came flooding back recently behind the wheel of the current version. I say current, not latest, because aside from a few cosmetic tweaks here and there, the vehicle is largely the same as the one launched in 2015.

It was met with positive reception, but you could argue its predecessor made an even bigger splash. That old Mazda 2 won South Africa’s 2008 Car of the Year title. In the same year it also took top honours in the World Car Awards: no easy feat, especially for a humble B-segment hatchback.

Fond impressions of the former Mazda 2 remain — from its slick manual transmission, kart-like handling abilities, clever packaging and styling that was, at the time, quite spunky.

The current one is still great to look at. During its run, Mazda sharpened the appearance with revised lighting clusters, additional alloy wheel options and swankier exterior accoutrements. On the inside, fit and finish is good, but the overall appearance is starting to show its age, vs the cleaner executions of newer contemporaries.

But the biggest deficiencies — and a testament to how far the segment has moved since 2015 — can be found on the road.

Having driven the current Mazda 2 in previous years, it never really struck me as unrefined. But with the bar being raised so high by the likes of the Volkswagen Polo and Peugeot 208, the Mazda feels rough by comparison.

Road vibrations seemed to intrude noticeably and noise levels aren’t well suppressed. Our test unit appeared to have a constant vibration through the steering wheel. The ride felt harsh and the prospect of a drive longer than the usual office commute wasn’t met with relish.

The worst part of the package has to be the powertrain. It’s the same naturally aspirated, 1.5l four-cylinder petrol as before. In the case of our range-topping Hazumi grade tester, it is paired with a six-speed automatic. A truly woeful combination.

Delivering 85kW and 148Nm, the unit is hardly flattered by the gearbox. Even at the slight sniff of a change in upward elevation, it wants to shift down because the 1.5l has insufficient power to carry momentum. Kick down and your ears are met with the painful sound of a straining four-cylinder, while the increase in pace isn’t on par with the noise made.

Some might find it better to tip up and down through the six-speed in manual setting, which alleviates that indecisiveness when left to its own devices. But the best solution is to drive without any expectation of urgency. The Mazda 2 in automatic guise hates to be hurried.

Average consumption after a week of driving was 6.7l/100km.

Buyers were once able to have a punchy diesel motor but this offering is no longer served.

Pricing starts at R302,300 for the 1.5 Active, while the high-grade Hazumi costs R407,400.

The Hazumi’s trump card is that it undercuts equivalent range-toppers in the B-segment by quite a margin. A Polo R-Line, for example, starts from R450,000 and the Peugeot 208 GT is R459,900.

And the Hazumi is generously equipped. You get integrated navigation, wireless charging, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, head-up display, cruise control, reverse camera, keyless-entry, keyless-start and LED headlamps.

On the safety front, it packs dual front, side and curtain airbags, blind-spot monitoring and rear-cross traffic alert.

If you can live without the on-road refinement and punchier engine options of its rivals, the Mazda 2 Hazumi might be worth a look.

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