Mazda2 Prototype 2014 Review - International

Mazda2 (prototype)

The fourth all-SKYACTIV Mazda model to appear in little more than two years is as comprehensive as vehicle redesigns get.

Like the CX-5, which effectively replaced the CX-7 in 2012, and the new-for-2013 Mazda6 and new-for 2014 Mazda3, the new Mazda2 will arrive Down Under in late October, based on an all-new platform and powered by all-new engines, and wrapped in a stylish new body.

The new 2 may not shed as much weight as the 3 and 6 (up to 100kg), but that's because the model it replaces was much lighter to start with (1010kg at base level) and, unlike its larger stablemates, Mazda's smallest model is now much bigger than before.

No official weight figures have been revealed, but expect the next Mazda2 to dip well under the 1000kg mark, which is one reason for its marked gain in efficiency.

Mazda is claiming fuel consumption reductions of up to 20 per cent over the outgoing 2, which consumes 6.4L/100km (manual) and 6.8L/100km (auto) on the ADR Combined cycle.

That means all new Mazda2s should sip well under 6.0L/100km, and the most efficient manual model could consume less than 5.5L/100km – with the aid of fuel-saving measures such as idle stop-start.

The other major contributor to its improved economy is a new SKYACTIV-G four-cylinder petrol engine. Mated to six-speed manual and automatic transmissions, they’ll to replace the current model's five-speed manual and four-speed auto.

For the first time in Australia (where a diesel version will remain off-limits and a potential plug-in rotary-hybrid powertrain won't be available), the Mazda2 will be offered with two engine variants – both based on Mazda's new 1.5-litre petrol four.

Australia's entry-level Mazda2 will deliver 79kW/139Nm – up from 55kW/135Nm in Europe's base model – which is up only slightly from the current Mazda2's 1.5 (76kW/135Nm).

Performance figures for the higher-output engine are yet to be revealed, but Mazda has hinted that a four-two-one exhaust, instead of the four-into-one exhaust used by both low-output engines, will deliver more power, torque and efficiency.

Three-door and sedan body styles won't be sold in Australia, even if they're built. But combined with the likely reintroduction of a top-shelf Genki variant, positioned upstream from the existing Neo, Sport and Maxx Sport grades, the new 2 could be available in up to 12 variants, including two engines, two gearboxes and three trim grades.

The next 2 will also borrow heavily from the 3 and 6 in terms of technology, with base models offering more standard features but likely to remain priced from under $16,000 – especially if our 2 is built in Thailand, as is expected.

Australian specs won't be announced until close to the car's local launch, but many of the advanced driver safety aids seen in larger Mazda models should at least be available. These include blind-spot monitoring, lane departure warning, radar cruise control, head-up display, rear cross-traffic alert and automatic high-beam.

Following the Polo's lead, the new 2 could also come with either or both of Mazda's two automatic braking systems, one of which can bring the vehicle to a complete stop, but only from speeds up to 30km/h, unlike some European systems.

Exactly how much technology Mazda chooses to offer in its smallest model will remain unknown until the car's Japanese launch in August, after it appears in final showroom form next month, when production begins.

What we do know from our first drive – behind the wheel of a European-spec left-hand drive manual pre-production five-door prototype for just three laps of Mazda's 3.3km Mine proving ground circuit – is that the new 2 makes big strides in cabin space, refinement and quality.

Like the elegant Hazumi concept that accurately previewed it, the new Mazda2 body has grown in all dimensions except width and is also claimed to be about 30 per cent more rigid.

Riding on a 2570mm wheelbase (+80mm), it measures 4060mm long (+160mm), an unchanged 1695mm wide and 1500mm high (+25mm).

Cabin and cargo volumes are yet to be announced, but the bigger body clearly liberates more leg and head room – as well as outward vision, courtesy of a larger windscreen, door-mounted wing mirrors and A-pillars that shift 100mm further forward.

Matching the more masculine exterior is an all-new 'cockpit-style' dashboard featuring a Mazda3-style central colour touch-screen that displays infotainment functions controlled by a rotary dial on the centre console, just like the larger Mazda3 and 6.

Also echoing the more upmarket body design is an interior that looks more macho than effeminate thanks to three instrument dials dominated by a large central tacho, three marching climate-control knobs and three large circular air-vents.

Rear-seat HVAC ventilation outlets appear to be the only missing item here, although it was hard to assess the fit and finish of interior materials because the test mule was fitted with shiny black plastics.

The prototype we drove also produced a nasty vibration, which could be clearly through the steering wheel a floorpan, between 3000 and 4000rpm.

Mazda says finding the optimum driving position was a top priority in the car's development, and there's plenty of seat and steering wheel adjustment. Other ergonomic upgrades include larger and more supportive front seats and an organ-style accelerator pedal.

On track, the new SKYACTIV 1.5 felt sluggish in 55kW Euro guise, presented some electronic flywheel effect (throttle hanging), and was most certainly the loudest in terms of engine noise from within the vastly quieter cabin.

But it did rev smoothly and cleanly to 6500rpm, and chances are our 79kW base engine will remedy at least the first two issues, while the more powerful 'SP15' should breathe and sound better still.

But there's no doubt that like the latest 3 and 6, the new 2 feels stiffer yet lighter than the mode it replaces, offering a new level of cabin isolation and ride quality, as much as could tell on a damp racetrack.

That said, while the current Mazda2 (and the Fiesta with which it shares its platform) is one of the sharpest cars in its class, the new-found plushness of its successor appears to have come at the expense of chassis agility.

While the outgoing Mazda2’s steering is responsive and communicative, the new one's felt slow and lacked feedback, even if it was accurate and the 185/65-section 15-inch tyres delivered a high level of grip.

And while the old 2's taut suspension was a good match for its sharp steering, the new 2 feels like it has traded body control for bodyroll in the interests of comfort.

Indeed, Mazda says it "prioritised casual driving over sporty driving because we drive casually in most cases", and that it deliberately incorporated a wider 'stand-by state' into the steering.

"Suspension should be light, so we didn't take away bodyroll completely," said driving dynamics engineer and deputy program manager, Takeo Moriuchi.

"A car needs bodyroll to generate outside tyre grip. Firm suspension bounces the car. If a car is too agile it causes fatigue on a long trip."

Mazda says higher trailing arm mounts for the torsion-bar rear-end are designed to improve ride comfort and low/medium-speed stability, and the longer wheelbase certainly compliments the stronger, quieter body by reducing pitching under brakes.

It also insist it's still finalising chassis settings before production starts, and that our 2 will come with suspension and steering tuned specifically for Australia, which will get a hybrid tune somewhere between the US market's and the Euro-spec car we drove.

That's unlikely to transform it into a Polo hunter on a twisty mountain road, but the bigger, sexier and more sophisticated new Mazda2 excels in other areas that probably matter more at this end of the market, which should keep it at the pointy end for another five years.

2014 Mazda2 pricing and specifications:
Price: $TBA
Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 79kW/139Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual and auto
Fuel: TBA
Safety rating: TBA