Actually, should you take a look at some past attempts at transforming one minute five-door hatch to some minute four-door sedan, you will probably find that does not many succeed. When Toyota were built with a opt for its Echo sedan within the late the nineteen nineties the end result was singularly questionable, and things didn’t improve significantly using the Yaris four-door in the year 2006. Equally so within the small-vehicle segment when Nissan concurrently offered an unquestionably awkward sedan to accompany the hatchback form of its morose Tiida model in the year 2006.

Obviously stying is really a totally subjective matter. But you will find occasions when things exceed the pale. Even normally non-critical eyes are responsive to unusual amounts of offensiveness, getting forward the controversy about why someone want a apparently less-versatile form of an opportune hatchback runabout to begin with.

And thus we arrived at the brand new four-door form of the Mazda 2.

Let’s say immediately that although the organization’s Kodo styling styles translate pretty much into transforming a hatch right into a sedan, most of the proportional compromises remain apparent: An easy-class vehicle is as simple as definition short, light and narrow and, because packaging is really an essential problem only at that finish from the market, also fairly tall so people can sit greater and discover sufficient legroom within the foreshortened cabin.

This concern is coped within an okay manner, but the reality is the styles so beautifully construed within the svelte, low-thrown Mazda 6 don’t always result in an easy sedan.

They battled manfully to package an inside able to seating four or five grown ups easily plus they’ve done a great job even when you’d never the cabin is better-in-class. That gong would go to Honda’s lengthy-wheelbase City sedan that does a more satisfactory job of supplying breathing space for back-chair people. At 4320mm the Mazda 2 sedan might be more than its 4060mm hatchback equivalent, but all that went into supplying a boot. Both versions share exactly the same 2570mm wheelbase.

When it comes to accommodation, the brand new mite-size Mazda sedan is all about that which you’d expect: Fine contrary however a lanky driver reaches the wheel, but tending towards knee-blending and certainly feet-tangling if there’s. And even though the Mazda 2 sedan by character stands quite tall, still it is commonly lower-set than the others in the group, which means that back-chair headroom is just fair.

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Obviously having a sedan it’s by pointing out boot. Even though the Mazda 2 provides a pretty 440 litres of cleanly-formed luggage space it’s really 35 litres under its 2011 predecessor, and again way short of the greatest-in-class 536-litre Honda City.

Don’t misunderstand me. The Mazda 2 sedan is not even close to being pokey inside and also the boot is comparatively deep and wide. Using the space-saving idea spare wheel mounted underneath the floor, it’s still very good because of its class and, like its peers, provides a split-fold load-through facility (actuated by in-boot levers) to improve its effectiveness.

And, as being a Mazda, the small sedan offers plenty in compensation.

It’s within the drive experience, and also the general feel-good character, the new sedan stands out through.

Mainly in the manual-transmission Maxx version examined here, the Mazda 2 sedan is really a treat to reside with. The Thai-built sedan’s quality is apparent everywhere you appear and also the equipment levels – including standard sitting-nav within this situation – provide you with to pondering what lengths the sunshine segment originates in just a short while.

The dash is superbly presented and also the multi-function Vast screen, standing high and proud and offering a range of iDrive-style or touch-screen control (referred to as MZD Connect in Mazdas), gives mind some high-finish luxury cars. The instruments – aside from the tiny tacho around the left from the central speedometer – are pretty straight forward and simply comprehended and even when there’s no soft-touch trim found, the Mazda’s overall quality is definitely apparent. The sensation is that you simply’re in something a little more special compared to average sub-$20,000 runabout.

The driving position, filled with height-adjustable chair and telescoping/up and down-adjustable multi-function controls, brings no complaints and also the seats are comfy and well-formed enough to invest a couple of hrs in.

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The driving is fairly good too.

Looking for a good ride-handling compromise, the Maxx includes standard 15-inch alloy wheels shod with greater-profile 185/65-series tyres which help soften the ride while still supplying grip corresponding to the Mazda 2’s eager character.

Including a six-speed stick shift and lightweight but adequately-weighted and quick steering the Mazda 2 sedan – particularly in Maxx trim in which the greater-powered 81kW/141Nm 1.5-litre engine adds some extra verve (in comparison to 79kW/139Nm for that minimally less-effective variant).

Although maximum torque doesn’t arrive until 4000rpm, there’s still response from reduced engine speeds, meaning everything’s quite flexible inside the restrictions of the small-capacity, normally-aspirated engine. This will make for any vehicle that’s both handy and wieldy out and about and, with no hatchback cabin resonance problems that appear to plague Mazda greater than some, is a pretty quiet tourer on the road.

The gearshift doesn’t deliver quite the enchantingly-direct experience of the Mazda MX-5, however the throw is comparatively short and precise enough to inspire utilisation of the six ratios. The SKYACTIV engine’s versatility, its happiness to rev for the 6400rpm redline and also the moderate but crisp exhaust, lend a purposely-sporty aspect towards the four-door Mazda.

Importantly, the sedan appears to provide on its gas mileage promises: On test we averaged near to the official 5.2L/100km combined figure by having an average 5.9L/100km – on 91 RON unleaded – which recommended a cruising selection of around 700km in the 44-litre gas tank. This assisted along through the idle-stop system which brings softer and faster re-begins with the simple expedient of organizing the (stopped) pistons brilliantly so that they will always be primed and able to go.

That’s all part of what’s an remarkably balanced, well-rounded light sedan. In four-door make up the Mazda 2 shares its quality, driving dynamics and efficiency using its hatchback brother or sister, but adds a bit more refinement when it comes to cabin noise levels, while supplying a sizable, more isolated atmosphere for transporting luggage.