2024 Mazda2 review (video)

If you’ve been following automotive news for a while, you may be aware that the Light Car, or B-segment hatch is becoming something of an endangered species. A confluence of factors have caused this to occur, such as safety and emissions regulations, which drive up the entry price. Manufacturers are ever more reluctant to invest in this segment, with thin profit margins and buyer preferences shifting to SUVs

Also going the way of the thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger) is the manual transmission. Against this backdrop, Mazda has revised its evergreen Mazda2 hatch, with increased safety and opting to revise the near nine-year old platform, rather than a full-scale redesign for 2024.

With 5181 units shifted in 2023, the Mazda2 has held steady compared with the year before. This represents a third of the class-leader MG3’s sales, proving that price really is king in this segment (and that customers are willing to forego some modern safety features).

The sales performance is all the more impressive when you consider the DJ series of Mazda2 has been with us since 2015. Back then, a Toyota Yaris Ascent was $14,990. To many, it remains the most fun-to-drive and dynamic non-sporting hatch in its class. We took the freshly-updated entry level G15 Pure model in manual guise and the SP auto (mainly concentrating on the Pure) for a week each too see whether all of this still rings true.

2024 Mazda Pure: Specifications

Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder
Output: 82kW@6000rpm / 144Nm@4000rpm
Gearbox: Six-speed manual
Drive type: Front-wheel drive
Wheels: F & R: 15×5.5, 185/65
ANCAP: Not tested
Tare weight: 1035kg
Power-to-weight: 12.62:1 (kg:kW)
Official consumption: 5.4L/100km
Our consumption: 8.4L/100km
Fuel tank/Fuel type: 44L/51 RON

Power efficiency: 15.18kW:L/100km
0-60km/h: 4.70 seconds*
0-100km/h: 10.35 seconds (10.93 auto)*
60-110km/h: 7.53 seconds*
1/4 mile: 17.28 seconds at 132.4km/h*
Max acceleration: 0.681g*
100-0km/h braking: 39.30m in 2.98 seconds*
Max deceleration: -1.588g*
Decibel at idle: 44*
Peak decibel at 60-100km/h: 78*
Starting price: $22,870

*Figures as tested by Driving Enthusiast on the day. Manufacturers’ claims may be different

2024 Mazda2: How much does it cost?

Starting at $22,870 (MSRP), the price of the entry-level Mazda2 has crept up in the last few years, as with all cars. Unlike the MG3 – which has also seen significant price rises since 2018 – the Mazda2 has been facelifted and received several running improvements, mostly related to safety.

An official fuel consumption figure of 5.4L/100km is outstanding, with our mixed figure of 5.5L/100km staying very close to the official rating. At today’s fuel price of $1.99/L for 91 RON, it would cost $87.56 to fill the 44L tank.

Servicing costs vary between $334 and $587, depending on which of the annual or 15,000km intervals it is at. Total cost of servicing over the seven-year/105,000km period is $3176.

Is the 2024 Mazda2 a reliable car? Modern Mazda’s are well known for their reliability (except for some rotary-engined models), and the Mazda2 is no exception. The only caveat is that with a direct injection engine, a fuel system and injector clean can prevent carbon build up and resultant noisiness from emanating from the combustion chambers.

2024 Mazda2: Interior & packaging

For 2024, the Mazda2 has received cosmetic upgrades, including a new EV-like grille, with a smart bright green accent. This puts a contemporary spin on an ageing platform. Because Mazda still uses the Kodo design language and Skyactiv engineering philosophy, the Mazda2 does not appear dated or out of place next to its newer products, such as the CX-60. Dark-accented alloys are standard, to do away with the ‘base model’ feel.

Going for the Pure SP adds some black highlights, including around the front grille, larger 16-inch alloy wheels, side mirrors, and, uniquely, the roof which appears like a carbon fibre finish.

Key safety improvements include autonomous emergency braking (AEB) in forward and reverse, rear cross-traffic alert, rear parking sensors (front and rear on higher models), lane-departure warning, blind-spot alert. These features are well integrated, on top of six airbags and stability control. The Mazda2’s previous five-star ANCAP rating expired in December 2022. You can read that report here.

Higher up models such as the GT also include a head-up display (HUD), adaptive cruise control, front parking sensors and keyless entry, but are no longer available with the six-speed manual, which is solely for the G15 Pure hatch. How many baby seat anchorages does the Mazda2 have? The 2024 Mazda2 has three child restraint anchorages in the back.

Although it’s a fairly small car at 4085mm long, 1695mm wide, 1495mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2570mm, four adults can sit in decent comfort on long trips. It’s far from the most spacious in its class, but makes good use of the compact dimensions. You’d rather be in here than a Kia Picanto, at least. Those over six-feet tall might be better served in a larger car, however.

Boot space varies from 250 litres with the rear bench upright, with significantly more room when they are folded. There is a step left by the rear bench when folded, which does make it just that little bit harder to slide objects in.

While ostensibly the same interior from 2015, it has aged very well, with some added textures and trims giving a more modern feel. The analogue speedo is easy to read, even if the digital readout doesn’t include a speedometer.

Seat comfort is commendable, even in the base model, with a nice, breathable fabric and good back and thigh support.

Perched atop the dash, betwixt the driver and passenger sits a 7.0-inch multimedia screen incorporating (tethered) Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It allows touch-screen functionality only when the car is stopped, otherwise delegating control to the flawed MZD Connect controller behind the gear selector.

2024 Mazda2: Powertrain & handling

Not much has changed in the powertrain and handling department, which is mostly good news. The 1.5-litre, direct-injected four-cylinder engine continues to propel the 1035kg (tare) Mazda2 Pure well enough around town and on the freeway. With 82kW and 144Nm (81kW/142Nm in the auto), we would’ve appreciated a bit more grunt. We timed 0-100km/h in 10.35 seconds in the manual and 10.93 seconds in the auto.

In all conditions, the Mazda2 is engaging, with decent feel from its electric power steering system (EPS), and good cornering speed, with perhaps a little more body lean than we remembered. A missed opportunity, then, that Mazda never pursued a proper sporting variant of this car with a 2.0-litre or turbocharged engine. Ride quality is always supple and compliant, helped in no small part by the high-profile 185/65 R15 tyres on the Pure, and 185/60s on the SP.

We can’t emphasise enough how much more enjoyable this car is with a six-speed manual. It’s sad that Mazda has scaled back availability to the base model only, because it is well-weighted, has a short throw and a light clutch action, which means traffic is not a chore.

Better still, the stop-start system which is a nuisance in many other new cars is superbly integrated, switching the engine off only when you are in neutral, firing the engine back into life with a quick stab of the clutch. Don’t expect the rifle-bolt precision of a MX-5, but it is nonetheless a joy to operate.

The manual variant, we would argue, makes a better learner car for first drivers too, as it forces involvement and keeps both hands occupied, instead of potentially sending messages on the phone. We can stand on the rooftops and scream this until we’re blue in the face, but this will probably do little to halt the inevitable extinction of manuals. Happily, the six-speed automatic is an excellent gearbox as well, ceding little in the way of engine response or flexibility to the manual. Furthermore, it has two more ratios than the Kia Picanto and MG3.

How much can the 2024 Mazda2 tow? The 2024 Mazda2 has a 900kg braked towing capacity, and 500kg unbraked, meaning a small boat or trailer can be pulled by the littley.

At this stage it’s looking unlikely that Mazda will bring out a new generation model, so we’d advise you to get in fast if this kind of car is your forte. As it stands, the 2024 is the de facto driver’s choice in the non-sporting (i.e. VW Polo GTI, Swift Sport, now-departed Picanto GT) light car segment.

2024 Mazda2: Key attractions/reasons to buy

• Fuel efficient: With an appetite of just 5.5L/100km on test, this was an exceptional result at a time when drivers are looking to save as much as they can on running costs.
• Standing the test of time: This does not feel like a nine-year old car, showing how forward-thinking Mazda’s Skyactiv strategy was last decade.
• Safety features: Just the right amount of useful safety features without going over-the-top, like some more modern vehicles on the market.
• Fun to drive: The de facto light car driver’s champ.

2024 Mazda2: Key considerations before you buy

• No digital speedometer: Granted, the crisp instrumentation helps, but a digital speedo wouldn’t go astray.
• Manual only available on G15 Pure: You need to forego luxury and features if you want to shift your own gears.
• Might be too cramped for some: It is a very small car, so make sure you take your tallest family member with you before signing the dotted line.
• Prices have increased: Inflation and the inclusion of new safety features have conspired to push the entry price up. While it still represents good value, cash rules everything in this segment.

2024 Mazda2: Video