Mazda 2 Hybrid

Tell me about it

Designing and building cars is an expensive business. If you’re a relatively small car maker, that can mean coming up with some creative solutions for filling up your showrooms. So when Mazda needed a new hybrid car to slot into its range, it phoned up the experts: Toyota.

What you’re looking at here is effectively a Toyota Yaris with – along with a few other minor tweaks – a Mazda badge glued on the front. They’re not just closely related, but almost identical: even rolling down the same production line in France.

Just to be extra confusing too, there’s also the existing Mazda 2 – which isn’t a hybrid, but is definitely a Mazda. That’s totally unrelated to this 2 Hybrid, with a different body, engines, platform and interior.

Exterior

Despite Mazda’s best efforts, you’ll probably be able to spot the similarities between the 2 Hybrid and its Toyota equivalent pretty quickly.

There are some subtle differences, namely a different grille – penned in Mazda’s European design centre apparently – and a body-coloured strip of plastic across the boot lid rather than gloss black on the Yaris.

Beyond that, and some badges, there’s not much to separate the two. That’s not necessarily a bad thing: both cars are pretty eye-catching, and dare we say, even rather sporty-looking as superminis go.

There are a few other subtle differences: entry-level ‘Centre Line’ versions of the 2 Hybrid get smaller alloy wheels than the basic Yaris, and while ‘Homura’ trim levels get entirely gloss black wheels, there’s no equivalent option on the Toyota.

Like the Yaris, the 2 Hybrid is on the smaller side too: at under four metres in length, it’s a hair shorter than rivals like the Vauxhall Corsa and Peugeot 208.

Interior

While the 2 Hybrid’s exterior might look subtly different to the Yaris, the interior is pretty much identical. Aside from a Mazda badge on the steering wheel, it’s quite obvious you’re sitting in a Toyota.

Again, that’s not necessarily a bad thing: this is a well-designed and comfortable place to sit, with sensible ergonomics and some decent quality materials.

The 2 Hybrid is reasonably spacious too, with plenty of space in the front, and room for two reasonably-sized adults in the back. It feels relatively light and airy too, while top-spec ‘Homura Plus’ cars improve this further with a standard panoramic sunroof.

Technology and equipment

Again, it’s all Toyota when it comes to the spec sheet. That means – unlike the rest of the Mazda range – no rotary dial to control the infotainment system.

Instead you’ll have to get prodding that touch screen, which is at least positioned within arm’s reach. Luckily it’s a pretty responsive and well-designed system, with clear graphics and logical menus.

Confusingly, the trim levels of the 2 Hybrid don’t match the Yaris’s like-for-like – so if you’re comparing the two cars, you’ll need to make sure that each have the equipment you’re expecting.

You’ll also miss out on a few of the Yaris’s nicer bits of kit: there’s no JBL stereo option for the 2 Hybrid, for example. Similarly, while both the Yaris and most new Mazdas get some form of smartphone app to check vehicle location and status, there isn’t one for the 2 Hybrid.

That said, all trim levels come with plenty of toys, with even entry level ‘Centre Line’ cars getting climate control, a decent-sized touch screen for your Apple CarPlay, and so on. ‘Homura’ models get digital dials and wireless phone charging, while top spec ‘Homura Plus’ gets a bigger touch screen and even a head-up display.

Safety and security

One benefit of being the Yaris’s twin is sharing its five star EuroNCAP safety rating. That makes the 2 Hybrid one of the safest small cars you can buy today – which is more of an achievement than you might imagine.

That includes things like a centre airbag for the front two occupants, which helps to stop driver and passenger from injuring each other in a crash.

The 2 Hybrid gets all the latest ‘active’ safety kit too: lane keep assist, automatic braking and so on are fitted to all models. Blind spot monitoring is standard on all but the cheapest trim level, as is a more advanced ‘static object’ automatic braking system – handy for preventing car park prangs.

In terms of security, most trim levels get keyless entry and start as standard. Only the basic ‘Centre Line’ trim level gets a regular ignition key, along with remote central locking.

Engines and performance

Here’s the reason Mazda wanted the Yaris for its showrooms: its incredibly efficient hybrid system. Toyota knows what they’re doing here, and the 2 Hybrid gets all the benefits of their 30 years of experience making this kind of car.

There’s one choice of engine: a 1.5-litre petrol, of course backed up by some electric wizardry too. The result of that is some amazing fuel efficiency, with as much as 74mpg quoted by Mazda – depending on the spec you choose.

It’s all hooked up through a CVT gearbox, which can make the engine sound a bit droney when your foot is hard to the floor. 99% of the time though, it’s a fantastically smooth thing to drive: relying on its electric motors as much as it can, with the petrol engine simply firing into life here and there for some support.

Put simply, if most of your driving is around town rather than out on the open road, the hybrid system makes this a far more enjoyable (and efficient) experience than something like a VW Polo automatic.

Even on faster roads, the 2 Hybrid can absolutely hold its own: it’s just not quite as fun as some of its turbocharged rivals.

Ride and handling

Mazda likes to shout about its credentials in this area – MX-5, anyone? – so buying in a car from another brand could be a bit risky. Luckily it’s paid off, because the 2 Hybrid seems to ride and handle very well.

Steering is light and a bit vague, but this is a car designed to be twirled around city streets after all. It doesn’t feel as taut or fun as the more old-fashioned regular Mazda 2, but perhaps that’s to be expected.

In return though, you get a car that absorbs bumps well, handles neatly enough, and feels much more at home on motorways and dual carriageways than its older sibling.

That said, it’s not up with some rivals in terms of refinement: a lot of road noise seems to seep into the cabin at higher speeds.

Should I buy a Mazda 2 Hybrid?

Like the Toyota Yaris on which it’s based, the Mazda 2 Hybrid has plenty to recommend it. It’s efficient, comfortable and extremely easy to drive – and not bad to look at either.

The biggest problem the 2 Hybrid faces is, in fact, the Yaris. The Toyota costs a bit less like-for-like, has more equipment options available, and the option of a 10 year warranty if serviced at a main dealer.

Whether you pick the 2 Hybrid or the Yaris, you’ll get a well-designed, efficient and (probably) extremely reliable hybrid supermini. It’s just that, on paper at least, the Toyota seems to make a bit more sense.