Publications
Partners
• Mazda South Africa expanded its Mazda2 portfolio with a new top model late in 2021.
• The small car is powered by Mazda's trusted and familiar 1.5-litre petrol engine.
• At R383 900, the new Mazda2 Hazumi Auto is more expensive than some of its rivals.
• For more motoring stories, visit Wheels24
Mazda does not produce bad vehicles. In fact, its product offering is of a high standard, and you are quickly made aware of just how well the vehicles are put together when you drive them. Well, the passenger cars, at least. Let us not get into the new BT-50 again…
Did you know that the Mazda2 is an award-winning car? In 2008, the Individual model won the coveted title of the South African Car of the Year. It was a massive feat, only showing that every iteration of the car has that champion gene in it. 14 years later, the Mazda2 is still fighting the good fight - only now with a contemporary design and improved features.
We recently spent time with the new top model of the smallest car in Mazda's portfolio, the Mazda2 Hazumi Auto. What a lovely little car, and it does most things right with aplomb. It's a testament to what Mazda can do, and the execution of their ideas makes you feel - dare I say - proud to run around in one of the Japanese automaker's finest offerings. Still, we could not help but feel for the little car as it slugs it out for relevance in the local market.
Priced out of its depth
The current Mazda2 line-up consists of six models, of which the Hazumi model leads the charge from the front. As the top model, the Hazumi is priced at R383 900. And immediately, we can sense that your eyebrows were raised and a cold shiver ran down your back. So yes, it's a bloody expensive car, especially when you consider that the car's been around since 2014.
Back then, the Mazda2 was the first one produced by the automaker after separating from Ford, and five years later, in 2019, it received a facelift. But while the facelift came with all the requirements befitting an updated model, the car's price also increased.
For context, the heavily updated Volkswagen Polo went on sale in January 2022 with a starting price of R311 800 for the base model. The second of three models in the new Polo range sells for R350 000. Of course, the Mazda2's entry-level and mid-spec models come in at R284 000 and R311 100, respectively, hitting the Polo for a six with their better-equipped packages. But the Mazda2 is the older of the two models, and buyers are likely to consider the Polo first before throwing a eye at any other passenger car in the local market.
Granted, the Mazda2 Hazumi is the headliner and it does have more standard features than the mentioned Polo models, but the South African buyer will still compare it critically against the Polo. As such, it would have benefitted the car if, for instance, the Hazumi was priced on par with the mid-spec Polo. It would have made it a car impossible to ignore and shone a light on the Mazda2 as a truly value-added package. Even if it is better specified, buyers will still look at the price first. The Mazda2 is sold with a three-year or unlimited km service plan and a three-year or unlimited km warranty.
Plush, but ageing
Mazda's interiors have always been very straightforward, in a good way. The dials and buttons are where you expect them to be, and the lettering for each menu and function is clear. What is not as user-friendly is the multimedia screen atop the dashboard. The system is outdated compared to the car's rivals, and users must delve deep into the menus to find what they're looking for. And the knob to control the volume is also oddly placed between the two front seats.
For the Hazumi, Mazda could have used the infotainment system found in the Mazda3. The newer unit is far easier to use, and the simplicity around its usage allows for your eyes to not be off the road for too extended periods.
Elsewhere, the leather seats provide ample comfort and support, and the head-up display is a neat feature showing off some class and style.
Familiar engine
Mazda's naturally aspirated 1.5-litre petrol engine has been around for quite some time and is also found in other of the Japanese automaker's products. Producing 85kW and 148Nm, the engine is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission that sends power to the front wheels. For further engagement, drivers can change gears with the paddles behind the steering wheel, but the car's non-sporty nature does not require plenty of self-changing action.
Engaging Sport mode does hurry things along, albeit through a sensitive throttle and the gearbox holding onto gears for longer before cogging over.
Mazda claims a 0-100km/h time of 10.4 seconds, while the top speed is rated at 184km/h. Average fuel consumption is a claimed 6.0-litres/100km.
In summary
While we like the Mazda2 and what it brings to the table, there are just too many things counting against it. Aspects like its age-to-price ratio are off, and the infotainment system won't find favour with tech-savvy consumers. It's a tough one for Mazda South Africa, but they need to seriously reconsider and reevaluate the Mazda2's position in the local market.
How they will do that is anyone's guess.
Yet, if Mazda SA is happy with how sales are going and the car's traction in the local market, kudos to them. But they can't ignore the car's position to its rivals for much longer.
NOTE: We've made mention of the entry- and mid-spec Mazda2 pricing and as greater comparison to the Volkswagen Polo. The article was republished on Monday, 7 February.
