MOTOR Magazine 
May, 2001
So Ford decided to offer real product instead of mere promise. Spurred by the success of the 400-off 1.6-litre Laser Rs made earlier this year, Ford's capped its latest Laser range with the SR2. Essentially a Mazda SP20 revisited, it has a tweaked 2.0-litre (98 kW/178 Nm) in a significantly stiffened five-door tub (structurally foam-filled roof beams are a nice touch) garnished with weight-sensitive ABS, dual airbags, fast glass, central locking, alloys, air, CD and power everything – all you'd expect from a four-pot that costs almost as much as Falcon Forte.
Ford Oz has developed its own bodykit for the SR2, which reduces ground clearance, adds weight and makes a once-elegant design look bottom-heavy. As a package, it lacks the boldness of Ford's European efforts, but with Focus put on hold it's what we've got and it works well enough. The interior is less-contrived. Thankfully devoid of the faux wood/alloy/saddlery/carbon fibre that infests the market, it uses quality materials and intelligent design to create a satisfying workplace providing comfort, communication and well-weighted control. It's an honest and effective effort that provides the first clue to the real character of the car.
The second comes within minutes. Particularly important on a rigid platform is the address of NVH and here Ford has done its work well. Impressive acoustic engineering minimises boom and rattle and imparts a sense of solidity that approaches Germanic levels. This is reinforced by its low-speed ride. Any moron can make suspension give when it hits things at 150 km/h and the racket is hidden by road noise. Aural and actual compliance at low speed is a far subtler art. And the SR2 is surprisingly subtle.
The 2.0-litre engine not only has real open-road performance but wonderful low-speed flexibility and response. The five-speed manual's ratios are close enough to maximise performance and if this results in 3000 rpm at 100 km/h in fifth, the sound control takes care of it. Boot into the thing and it sounds splendidly gnarly and purposeful. Hook it from gear to gear up a winding mountain pass and listening's part of the fun.
The steering combines feel with wonderful fluidity, the chassis is impressively balanced and raw grip is abundant. Turn-in is tight, understeer well checked and accuracy dead easy. The whole package works so well that when you've finished that long climb you're very tempted to turn round, belt down and do it all over again. So we did.