By Khulekani Dumisa

The Mazda2 has received a subtle refresh and a slight power hike. The car’s exterior gains a refreshed bumper, front and rear chrome bumper strip and a shark fin antenna. LED lights become standard across the range whilst our test Individual model has gained new 16-inch alloy wheels. The refreshed looks align it to its siblings, the Mazda CX-5 and CX-3 and make I bvt appear more assertive. Inside, a new front seat design has been added to improve comfort levels.

Stepping inside, buyers can look forward to an auto-dimming rear view mirror, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) from the Dynamic model and upwards. Mazda says comfort levels have been improved in the car thanks to a new front seat design.

Updated power

Additionally, the naturally aspirated 1,5litre, four cylinder engine now pushes out 85 kW of power and 148 Nm of torque (vs 82kW and 145Nm). Paired with a 6-speed transmission, the car is claimed to consume around 5.7l/100km.

Thoughts

The Mazda2 remains a solid offering in the segment. It looks attractive, feels premium and drives very well. Competitors have left it behind in terms of size though. It feels more compact than a Suzuki Swift inside for example.

Truly speaking, although the Mazda2 is often overlooked, it is actually worth considering when looking at compact hatches. It’s more compact than some rivals but the refreshed Mazda2 still ticks a lot of key boxes like quality, safety, comfort, and fuel efficiency.

The refreshed Mazda2 is priced from R275,100.