Small diesel cars are big winners
Sales of diesel cars in Ireland continue to grow fuelled by the changes in taxation and the fact that more and more manufacturers such as Mazda are now offering small cars with very efficient small diesel engines. The image of diesel being a fuel solely for agricultural vehicles and trucks and vans is truly gone.
Modern diesels now power some of the world's top luxury cars and in fact make much more sense particularly in the bigger cars where large petrol engines would guzzle fuel.
Furthermore, diesel is now back to being slightly cheaper at the pumps than petrol, though you won't get to see much of the pumps as you fly by in the new Mazda2 diesel. This is the car that's likely to bankrupt the poor service station owner as it seems to run on air!
Mazda are somewhat more "niche market" than most other larger Japanese manufacturers, with their range offering wonderful beasts such as the RX8 and the new Mazda6 but the small car from the Mazda stable that impressed me most recently was the new Mazda2 diesel, a very stylish rival to the likes of the new Fiesta. It's sexy looks tremendous standard kit, lively engine and good roomy cabin will make it a winner.
The Mazda2 range kicks off with a 1.3 litre petrol, available in two power outputs, 75 bhp and 86bhp. This week I have been road testing the 1.4 litre diesel Touring model in the 5-door body style.
The new Mazda2 has a cheeky dynamic style that will appeal to a broad range of age profiles. To the young it looks snazzy and yet those who are older will not be put off. For style Mazda score a bulls eye! It's compact exterior however belies the roomy cabin inside.
Inside once again Mazdas designers have put together a very nice package. It all looks very contemporary and gives the car a nice modern feel. All the instruments are well placed and generally the ergonomics of the dashboard deserve praise except maybe for the mini digital fuel gauge which is hard to read.
Standard goodies on this diesel Touring version are excellent and include 15 inch alloys, air conditioning, a multi-function steering wheel, electric folding and heated mirrors, a quality CD, Aux jack for MP3, leather steering wheel and gear knob and electric front windows. Safety features include front, side and side curtain airbags, dual ISOFIX points in the rear with top tether anchor point (an added bonus for some child seats) and ABS with EBD.
The driving position is good the whole cabin feels pretty roomy, even the rear has a decent amount of leg and headroom for a car in this class furthermore we even managed to fit our daughters buggy in the boot something many cars in this class cannot manage.
Power for this Mazda2 comes from a 4 cylinder 1.4 litre diesel engine producing 68 bhp and mated to a very smooth 5-speed manual gearbox. Acceleration is pretty good throughout the gears and the car has bags of mid range torque, a characteristic of diesel engines. Max torque of 168Nm is produced at just 2,000rpm. Basically in plain English this results in less gear changing for overtaking and very good acceleration in high gears even from a low speed thereby increasing fuel economy. Speaking of fuel economy I began to wonder was the fuel gauge stuck on full as this Mazda2 is truly mean with the go-go juice. Over my week and some 700km of very mixed motoring it burned just 5.1 litres per 100km!
It really is great to drive. In cities, its neat size, light steering and good turning circle make it a doddle to drive. Out on the open road it is quiet and refined and will cruise all day at the legal limit, slipping easily over it if you are not careful.
The handling is sure-footed and predictable whether on wet or dry roads.
Verdict
This new Mazda2 1.4 diesel is truly an excellent small car that delivers in all areas.
It is compact yet roomy, nippy yet frugal, stylish yet not OTT.
I liked it very much. Road tax is just €104 per year and it is well equipped with great road manners. Finally, an observation: many small cars feel small and I don't like that. The new Mazda2 diesel is compact but feels substantial around you.
Priced at €17,595 this has got to be on your small car shopping list!
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