Review: Mazda2 is a hybrid supermini that’s convinced it’s a Toyota

The two companies have had an agreement in place that allows for replication of technology, platforms, drivetrains and more, so costs are reduced and profits are ­increased. The Mazda 2 is an excellent case in point. It is a Toyota in all but name – and a few keystrokes of the design team.

Up to last year it was barely distinguishable from the Yaris, but Mazda has managed with this latest incarnation to adorn it with its own distinctive styling, especially at the front.

There is no such competition in the cabin, where, apart from the odd touch, there is nothing different enough to warrant comment. It looks well, with crisp, clean lines and a decent quantum of room and a decent boot.

The ‘2’ I had on test was also powered by Toyota’s hybrid system and e-CVT (continuous variably transmission).

So what am I doing reviewing a car that is effectively so much part of another one? Well, for starters, there are people who like their Mazdas and aren’t that pushed about it being a Yaris in borrowed clothes.

But I also wanted to use my drives in it to highlight how much commonality there is in the production of cars these days.

More vehicles are being built on a common platform, use much the same ingredients such as transmission and power source (petrol, diesel, electric), cabin layouts, styling and performance.

I find it fascinating to see how few truly original from-the-ground-up cars there are on the market. The Toyota/Mazda tie-up is relatively minor against such a global perspective that stretches beyond comparing two cars of close familial ties.

It merely reflects how many cars are being made within the confines of large production “motherships”. Relatively few small brands have managed to avoid becoming part of a stable. ­Mazda persists against stiff odds to plough its own furrow and produce cars that can help it achieve specific targets.

Part of the strategy is to have as many fuel-sources and frontline cars as possible to keep it going through challenging times. If that means joining the likes of Toyota to provide a broader base for customers of a small hybrid, then it makes sound sense to them.

Just as an aside. The Stellantis ­vehicle conglomerate is an example of how cars can be moulded into totally different shapes, even though the vehicles are based on similar technologies, underpinnings and powertrains.

Is it a good or bad thing to have so much automotive power vested in so few producers?

At another juncture, you have Ford using Volkswagen’s electric platform to build the new Explorer. And Volks­wagen has a stream of cars under its umbrella from Skoda to Audi that are built on just a few platforms. Design keeps them from morphing into automotive clones.

Is it a good or bad thing to have so much automotive power vested in so few producers?

Many would argue that a bulwark of large, viable units was never as badly needed as they afford profitable time and money to counter the invasion of Chinese monoliths, for example.

By the same token, some of those Chinese monoliths have saved brands such and Volvo and MG from decidedly dodgy futures.

Any way you look at it, the underlying rationale is cost-efficiency.

With that in mind, I hope you see why it was a good thing to revisit the Mazda 2. It gets tried-and-tested hybrid technology that it might not otherwise be able to afford to develop on its own, and thereby lose out in filling an important segment of the market.

This time around they wanted to make the car more “Mazda than ever”. Not so sure about that. The front headlights are obviously Toyota as opposed to Mazda, but they did well to blend in changes without making a dog’s dinner of two design philosophies.

It has nearly the exact same dimensions as the Yaris: it is 3,940mm long and 1,531mm wide, with a wheelbase of 2,560mm, but is a tad shorter and narrower. Rivals include the Honda Jazz and Renault Clio.

The three-cylinder, 1.5-litre petrol engine is connected to two electric motor generators powered by a 178v lithium-ion drive battery.

It didn’t feel as “premium” as the Yaris, though there is a good level of standard spec. And the range-topping Homura Plus spec has a large panoramic roof that brightens the cabin but impinges on limited rear head room.

The engine sounded a bit raw, while the e-CVT transmission can lag. Would I buy it? Somehow I feel the Yaris is a bit more attractive, but Mazda fans will feel quite at home.

Factfile

​Mazda 2

3cyl, 1.5-litre, 116hp petrol engine, hybrid supermini. From €27,700. Model tested €34,700. 10.5in central display, 12.3in digital speedometer. Tested car had large panoramic sunroof, 17in alloys, 4.2 litres/100kms. Spec high with spread of comfort, safety systems, including parking assists; 4.9-metre turning circle, 286 litres load space, driver-focused cockpit layout, half leatherette sports seats, 10in head-up display.