In a world where the roads are dominated by SUVs and utes, Mazda defies the odds by offering a small, compact hatchback, in the form of the Mazda2. It’s latest incarnation builds on a nameplate that goes all the way back to 2014.
Standing just shy of 4.1m in length, and sitting at 1.6m wide, it’s one of Australia’s smallest cars. That makes for an incredible turning circle of 9.8m, making it nimble and manoeuvrable around town. It’s also a featherweight at 1100kg.
The result is a vehicle that is joyous to throw into tight, twisting roads using, the leather wrapped steering wheel. When confronted with highways, it remains composed and stable, even with its small wheelbase.
It’s build is quality, and the doors open and close with a solid, reassuring thud. With our example proudly wearing Snowflake White Pearl, Mazda have done well to modernise the Kodo design language with an updated grille, and front and rear bumpers.
Refreshed lighting finishes an exterior that sports plenty of black trim – meaning that when it’s paired with this paint colour, it looks decidedly like a baby panda. There are seven other options if you’re not down for that though.
The list includes Platinum Quartz, Aero Grey, Aluminium, Jet Black, Polymetal Grey, Machine Grey and Mazda’s stunning Soul Red Crystal. Parents of first time car buyers can relax too, as the Japanese car maker has crammed a wide range of modern safety features in.
Blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, rear view camera, rear parking sensors, auto emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane keep assist and lane departure warning all come standard.
Likewise, driver aids such as radar cruise control, rain sensing wipers and auto LED headlights with automatic high beams are also included, along with a head-up display that rises as the car comes to life.
It displays vehicle speed, set speed and distance for the cruise control as well as traffic sign recognition. Wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come built in on the 7-inch colour infotainment screen.
That’s controlled through the multi-function commander dial in the centre console. Although the display is a touchscreen, Mazda disables the touch functionality while the car is moving. This can become quite frustrating.
That’s especially so when you want to change your music or zoom in or out on the map. That said, the dial is well placed and intuitive to use, and the navigation buttons are easy to reach without repositioning or taking your eyes away from the road.
It’s starting to show its age though, with some obvious facets dating the vehicle significantly. The non-laminated 7.0-inch centre display is small compared to rivals. Its LCD surface sits a few millimetres below the touch interface.
That means typing in addresses or selecting apps in Apple CarPlay, when the car is stationary, can lead to misinputs. A lack of USB-C ports doesn’t help, although the large physical dials for the climate settings are a plus.
Likewise, there’s a real volume knob, that is tactile and joyous to use. The Mazda2 does at least come with a space saver spare tyre too. The sole powertrain offered for the 2026 Mazda2 is a 1.5-litre in-line 4-cylinder producing 81kW and 142Nm.
It’s mated to a 6-speed automatic. The combination makes pulling away from the lights a breeze. By no means is this car a highway muncher, but the engine does has enough grunt to overtake at speed.
The powertrain is not without its faults though. The transmission feels as if it is geared for a more powerful car. The engine is extraordinarily buzzy at high RPM’s and surprisingly thirsty. Mazda claims fuel consumption of 5.0-litres/100km.
Real world puts it at 7.3-litres/100km. There is stop/start to save on fuel and the Japanese car maker’s version is near perfect. When coming to a stop, the engine will not turn off until the brake pedal is depressed further.
Upon starting up again, the car does not shudder or complain, it simply wakes up and goes. It’s a nice change, given how bad some of these systems are. Since dropping the base Pure trim level in late 2024, the Evolve is the most affordable variant available.
Coming in at $28,990 drive away, it’s just $4000 cheaper than the entry level version of its larger Mazda3 sibling. That makes the Mazda2 a tough pill to swallow, despite its many pluses. As a first car though, it’s still worth considering.
You can find out more on the Mazda Australia website, or by talking to your local dealership. To get a low rate finance quote, talk to Australia’s best reviewed car finance broker; Credit One. To see a great range of vehicles for sale, check out OnlyCars.com.au.
Our test vehicle was provided by Mazda Australia for independent review purposes. Exhaust Notes Australia has not been paid to review this vehicle.
7.3 L/100km? Must have a heavy foot or shoes made of lead. The worst my Mazda2 has achieved (highway driving) was 5.1 L/100km. Based on actual petrol used and distance travelled, driving in the Central Tablelands of NSW. Not overly flat highway driving by any means.
About 80-90% of the driving was done over a week in start stop traffic in a hilly district of Sydney. No doubt that the car could achieve better economy if I spent more time on the highway or not driving during peak hours of the day. Another factor could be due to the nature of my job, the car gets started and gets driven about 4Km and then is turned off again. Overall though, I did drive the car for about 550km.