New Mazda 2 - Which? Car first drive

It’s not easy to stand out in the crowded supermini sector. Does the 2015 Mazda 2 have what it takes?
The car it replaces was essentially a rebadged Ford Fiesta, but the latest 2 is all Mazda’s own work.
As the smallest car in the Japanese manufacturer’s range, the 2 competes head-on with popular superminis like the Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa and Volkswagen Polo.
Mazda’s sharply-sculpted ‘Kodo’ design language translates well to a compact car. The bold front grille looks striking, while a tapering roofline lends a sporty stance. The 15-inch alloys of our test car looked slightly lost inside the bulbous wheelarches, though.
A new 1.5-litre petrol engine comes in three power outputs; 74bhp, 89bhp or 113bhp. The 89bhp version will be the volume seller and is the only Mazda 2 available with an automatic gearbox. Claimed fuel economy is 62.8mpg for the manual or 58.9mpg for the auto, with CO2 emissions of 105g/km and 112g/km respectively.
There’s also a 104bhp 1.5 diesel that manages an impressive 83.1mpg (claimed) and 89g/km – making it exempt from annual car tax (VED).Inside, the Mazda offers space for four adults in a stylish, driver-focused cabin. Trim levels start at SE, then rise through SE-L, SE-L Nav, Sport and Sport Nav. With the exception of the 74bhp SE and SE-L, all come with a seven-inch touchscreen media system with built-in DAB radio.
All apart from those two most basic versions also have lane-departure warning and automatic emergency braking (the latter effective at speeds up to 18.5mph). An optional Safety Pack on Sport Nav models adds blind-spot monitoring, automatic headlight dipping and a head-up display.