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Bruce Newton23 Apr 2018
REVIEW

Mazda2 2018 Review

Mazda creates a new leather-clad flagship for the popular Mazda2 range
Model Tested
Review Type
Road Test
What’s in a name?

Applying the ‘GT’ badge to the Mazda2 mini-car seems just another marketing department mash-up.

GT means Gran Turismo, aka Grand Touring. It means big engines, booming speed and cross-county capability and comfort. Not an affordable 1.5-litre five-door hatch designed to get you to the shops and back.

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So what’s it all about?

When the third generation of the immensely popular Mazda2 got its first refresh in 2017 (It was first introduced in November 2014), the GT joined the range.

Essentially, the GT hatchback we’re testing here has the same equipment level as the previous flagship, the Genki, but adds some cosmetic features highlighted by a seat trim done in white leather and black cloth.

The white theme continues in the Mazda2 GT's soft-touch centre console side panels, front door armrests and front decoration panel. Just for something different, there are red rings around the air-con outlets. And while the 16-inch alloy wheels are the same design as Genki they are gunmetal grey.

For all that you pay an extra $990 over Genki, or $21,680 all-up before on-road costs. In our case, add $2000 more because the test car was fitted with a six-speed auto rather than manual gearbox.

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The Mazda2 Genki and the Mazda2 GT share exactly the same mechanical spec; so that means they get the 81kW/141Nm naturally-aspirated 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine mated to the aforementioned transmission choices. Fuel economy, with the assistance of idle-stop, is rated at 5.2L/100km as a manual and just 4.9L/100km as an auto. We averaged 6.7L/100km on test.

On that basis, the GT seems to be dubious value compared to the Genki. Mazda seems to agree as it estimates only four per cent of Mazda2 buyers will opt for this model.

By the way, there is also a GT sedan and because there is no four-door Genki it has a big equipment advantage over the Maxx. But you also pay $3990 more for it…

The Mazda2 GT gets a three-year/100,000km warranty and service intervals are based on 12 months or 10,000km – whichever comes first. Clearly that’s 10,000km for most people, so quite a short interval. The first five services are quoted as costing $1501.

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What does it get?

Unarguably and commendably, the Mazda2 GT (and therefore Genki) is well equipped by mini-car standards, especially in safety terms.

Low-speed autonomous emergency braking (AEB, but Mazda calls it Smart City Brake Support) which operates between 4-30km/h is now standard on all Mazda2s, while reversing AEB (2-8km/h), blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are all fitted to the Mazda2 GT and most models in the range.

That important lot adds to six airbags, rear parking sensors, a reversing camera and a five-star ANCAP rating that has a 2015 date-stamp.

Mazda2 GT comfort equipment includes LED headlights with auto on/off, a colour head-up display, climate control, cruise control, power windows with one-touch operation for the driver, satellite-navigation, Bluetooth and DAB+ digital radio.

But it doesn’t get Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, which in this segment will surely turn buyers away. Less surprisingly, there’s only a space saver spare tyre in the boot. Maybe it’s more of a surprise there’s even a tyre at all.

Pricing and Features
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The inside story

Listing the gear is one thing, but actually sitting in the cabin and living with the car is another thing all together. And in this, the Mazda2 is a typical Mazda in being very much focused on the front seat passengers.

In the back the space is not too bad 180cm adult-behind 180cm adult, but the lack of creature comforts for what is meant to be the flagship of the range (even if it is the entry-level segment) is disappointing.

One small seat-back pocket, no door pockets, no visible or adjustable air-con vents, no fold down armrests, no cup-holders. Not much at all, expect an upright rear seat.

The boot has a hatch that’s light to operate, a decent 440-litre storage space will fit the family’s weekly shop and provide enough room – once the rear seat is 60:40 split folded - to just (I mean just!) fit a full-size mountain bike with the front wheel removed.

This car makes the most impact up-front where that white leather trim really is startling. It’s not to my taste, but then I’m probably not in the buying demographic.

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Get beyond the interior’s colour scheme and you’ll find a large and adjustable seat, a new design steering wheel (OK, seemed to work like the old one), an instrument panel dominated by a central tacho (with a digital speedo embedded within it) and the adjustable HUD (head-up display) providing further info on the windshield.

The only problem with the HUD was the speed limit warnings were consistently out of date. I wonder if Mazda would cover the speeding fines if you took the info as gospel and got pinged?

The semi-touch 7.0-inch colour screen for the infotainment system, sat-nav and so on is stuck on the top of the dashboard like an iPad after-thought (so nothing new there) and once you get moving it’s controlled in a relatively intuitive manner only by the MZD Connect dial and buttons in the centre console.

And yes, plenty of storage up-front including a sizable glovebox, cup-holders and door bins… just to emphasise how poorly the passengers in the back are looked after.

By the way, the Mazda2 is built in Thailand, so don’t believe any baloney from a salesman talking about Japanese build quality. Not that we saw any evidence of issues with the test car.

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The driving

Mazda has made a bunch of under-the-skin changes to the Mazda2. It has re-tuned front and rear dampers, suspension bushings and electric-assist power steering in search of better ride and handling.

It has also introduced its much touted G-Vectoring Control across the range. This transfers engine torque to the front or rear wheels based on the steering wheel angle. When turned it loads the front to enhance cornering, when straight it loads the rear to improve stability.

Mazda has also addressed that old bugbear of cabin noise by adding insulation in various places, adopting a rear package tray, using dampening material in the spare tyre wheel-well and upgrading to sound insulating windscreen glass.

What does all that add up to? Well, it’s not a GT as we know it, but it is a very cohesive and enjoyable drive.

A key to that is light weight. The GT weighs in at just 1053kg and that means it has more chance of making use of its limited power and torque.

Around town and commuting that means the GT is up to the cut and thrust required of it. It’s capable of keeping up and that’s pretty much it.

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Get in to the territory where real GTs roam and you will notice the impact hills have on acceleration and you will go hunting for the (non-existent) flappy paddles to make manual changes.

But all-up the powertrain of the Mazda2 GT is willing, eager and keen to please. Yep, it gets noisy when revved hard, yep the auto works its tail off to stay in the right ratio and yep it can’t deliver the torque response of a low-blow turbo like the Volkswagen Polo.

But the GT gets some of its own back in the twisties. It really does steer with light accuracy and feel and it hangs on tenaciously around corners, resisting understeer and bodyroll. OK, maybe not directly relevant for your 18-year old daughter, but definitely helpful when she has to make an emergency swerve and recover manouevre.

The price you pay for that responsiveness is a jittery ride on the rough stuff that’s in keeping with Mazda’s willingness to sacrifice a little comfort for a better dynamic connection. And noise? Yes, there’s still some there.

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Summing up

So, the Mazda2 GT is not really a GT and it’s hard to justify its cost increase over the Genki … unless you really like white leather.

But there’s no doubt the GT underlines what a good fundamental little car the Mazda2 is in most aspects; technology, safety and driving dynamics come to mind… rear-seat passenger comfort doesn’t.

Buy the Genki.

How much does the Mazda2 GT cost?

Price: $23,680 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 81kW/141Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 4.9L/100km (ADR Combined), 6.7L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 114g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star ANCAP

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Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Expert rating
76/100
Engine, Drivetrain & Chassis
15/20
Price, Packaging & Practicality
15/20
Safety & Technology
17/20
Behind The Wheel
15/20
X-Factor
14/20
Pros
  • Terrific safety package for the segment
  • Great handling mini-car
  • Earnest performance
Cons
  • White leather interior
  • Poor treatment of rear-seat passengers
  • No Apple CarPlay or Android Auto
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