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The old Mazda 2 suddenly became a sales hit. Is she worth it? - Walla! vehicle

2022-12-23T09:31:06.409Z


Eight years after arriving in Israel, Mazda 2 suddenly became a sales hit. But is it still competitive against younger cars?


The long hood gives a sporty feeling, but interior space is compromised (photo: Walla! system, Audi Etzion)

Price (base/test):

NIS 109,000/NIS 116,500


Score:

7/10


We liked:

design, driver environment, engine and transmission, road behavior


We didn't like:

cramped, noisy, uneconomical rear seat



Something interesting happened to the Mazda 2 this year. Eight Years after he landed in the country of the current generation, he suddenly returned to the position he had in the past, and became the best-selling super mini in the country, by a large margin.

In some markets around the world, the 2 is already being replaced by a Mazda-branded version of the Toyota Yaris - Mazda is partially owned by Toyota - but in Israel the original model, which has been produced by Mazda itself since 2014, is still sold in Israel.


In 2022, about 7,000 Mazda 2 models will hit the roads of Israel, a lot Before the Hyundai i20, which delivered 4,150 units.

The Seat Ibiza (2,000) trailed them in the sales chart and the Toyota Yaris, which was the group's best seller last year, dropped to just 500 units.


Have the Israelis fallen in love with Mazda all over again, and are no longer interested in Toyota?

not exactly.

Mazda continues to be a valued manufacturer in Israel, and this year it was also one of the few with stock available for delivery.

Contrast, for example, the Yaris and Ibiza, two models whose manufacturers sacrificed them for improved profitability, preferring to produce more of the Jeep models based on them, the Yaris Cross and Aruna, respectively, which sell at higher prices.


Does Mazda 2 deserve the royalty that has suddenly fallen on it?

We went out to check.

There is no digital dashboard and huge touch screen, but there is a control wheel and effective human engineering (Photo: Walla! System, Udi Etzion)

Design:

The 2 was and remains a handsome car.

A long engine hood gives it a sporty design, when in the last facelift two years ago, it received nickel injections in the right places, to stay young.

The test car came in deep red, the spectacular flagship color of the manufacturer, but one that also requires an additional payment of NIS 4,000.


The passenger cabin:

when the current 2 was launched it stood out in a driver's environment that was very reminiscent of luxury models, with a screen that sticks out from the dashboard, and a wheel to control between the screens.

It looked impressive then, and today it also looks smart and correct compared to the competitors who moved to operate even the air conditioner from the touch screen, without physical buttons.

An advanced arrangement but dangerous for safety, because it requires the driver to take his eyes off the road to look for where to press when he wants to weaken the air conditioner.

When there are physical buttons it is easy to reach them by touch.

But Mazda has also progressed, and today you can connect to the screen from your mobile, with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.


The driver and passenger seats are quite spacious, although the seating position is low.

However, the back seat is one of the characteristics that betray the age of the 2.

It wasn't the most spacious when it was launched, and today it is closer in rear space to a mini like the Hyundai i10 than to a super mini like the Seat Ibiza.

And this is how it looks in numbers: the seat width of the 2 stands at 1.23 meters, compared to 1.22 meters in the small Hyundai and 1.26 meters in the Seat.

The entrance key to the doors is also not generous.

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The back seat is crowded and access to it is inconvenient (photo: Walla! system, Audi Etzion)

Trunk: a

volume of 280 liters, with a high step at the entrance, and it is also closer to the i10 (with 252 liters) than to the Ibiza (355).


Equipment:

The basic Dynamic version (NIS 109.5 thousand) comes with a 7-inch screen, light 15-inch rims, climate control, reverse camera, rain and lighting sensors, push-button drive and leather-covered steering wheel and gear lever.

The Elegant version we drove (NIS 112.5 thousand) upgrades to 16-inch rims and adds the option to shift gears from the steering wheel, dark rear windows and various design upgrades.

The super equipped Pure White version, with leather upholstery and top speed display, is no longer offered.


Safety:

In the latest facelift, the 2 was upgraded to autonomous emergency braking up to 80 km/h instead of 30 km/h previously.

On the other hand, it still does not have autonomous cruise control (only normal) and there is no longer a warning in the side mirrors on the off-road vehicle and emergency braking in reverse, which were previously offered in Pure White.

The trunk has a volume of only 280 liters, and a high step (photo: Walla! system, Audi Etzion)

Performance:

in an era where competitors are switching to turbo engines, and even offering hybrid versions, the 2 continues to arrive in Israel with the 1,500 cc gasoline engine, 116 hp.

Mazda also does not participate in the transition to dual-clutch robotic boxes and remains with a classic automatic box, 6 gears.


And as always, it has its pros and cons.

The performance is good, the engine revs up quickly, and although it is not quiet, its sound is pleasant even under effort. The gear changes are smooth even under effort, and selecting sport mode wakes up the engine and makes things more interesting.


You pay the price at the gas station. 14.5 km per liter at the end of the test days is a good result for a non-turbo engine, but modern gasoline competitors would achieve 16-17 kml here.


Road behavior:

This is where the 2 starts to excel.

In an age where car manufacturers tend to neglect the pleasure of driving, it's good to meet again one that sees it as an advantage.

She is not frightened by weight transfers in turns, the body is well restrained, the steering wheel has a good weight.


Comfort:

the 2 is relatively comfortable, both in the city and out of the city.

However, it is quite loud.

It's not only the old engine, but also not excellent isolation of the road noise.

Not young, but knows something about driving pleasure (photo: Walla! system, Udi Etzion)

The bottom line:

like in a scene from a movie, when everything rushes forward and loses focus, the camera focuses on the hero who remains where he was.

The 2 is not the most spacious and economical super mini.

But for those for whom these things are less important, she makes up for it with something that is becoming increasingly rare, certainly in her market segment: character.

It's really sporty, as much as a super mini automatic can be, it's fun to drive, and it has a smart, efficient and unique driver environment.

The combination it offers between a non-turbo engine and a classic automatic transmission proves itself time and time again to be more reliable over time than the combination of turbo engines and dual-clutch robotic transmissions.

She is not the best in the group, but definitely special.

Engine, drive:

gasoline 1,496 cc, front wheel drive


power/torque:

116 hp, 14.8 kg


Gearbox:

auto, 6 gears



Dimensions:


Length (meters):

4.07


Width (meters):

1.70


Height (meters ):

1.50


Wheelbase (meters):

2.57


Trunk (liters):

280 Net


weight (kg):

1,140



Performance (manufacturer):


0-100 acceleration (seconds):

10.3


Maximum speed (km/h):

188


Consumption Fuel (manufacturer):

15.8


Fuel consumption (test)

: 14



Prominent equipment:


a pulley for operating the multimedia and other systems, shifting gears behind the steering wheel, drive without a



safety key:


European crash test score:

4 out of 5 stars.


Active safety:

autonomous emergency braking, alert and lane departure warning



Air pollution:


rating 5 out of 15



Warranty:


3 years, or 100 thousand km



Competitors:


Toyota Yaris, Hyundai i20, Suzuki Swift, Seat Ibiza

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Source: walla

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