Mazda 2

Mazda's current 2, and its predecessor the Demio, aren't even close to being among the most stylish of superminis, but the new 'redesigned from the ground up' 2's quite a surprise: it's really rather cute. Mazda has resisted the temptation to make it any bigger and heavier (hello, Skoda Fabia) and has actually put it on a diet: it's 40mm shorter and 100kg lighter than the car it replaces, which should make it more fun to drive as well as more fuel efficient.

Engines for the new line-up are 1.3 (75bhp and 84bhp) and 1.5 (103bhp) petrol units with sequential valve timing, and later in the year there's a 1.4-litre diesel. Mazda's promising 'a lively performance feel'. Much-improved body rigidity should enhance handling, as well as safety, ride comfort and refinement; Mazda says its 'engineers targeted manoeuvrability and agility on urban roads, brisk, linear steering response and high grip on winding roads, and superior straight-line stability and con?dence-inspiring lane-change behaviour on motorways', which can only be a good thing.
A good supermini needs to be user-friendly, too, so other priorities included giving excellent all-round visibility and an optimum driving position with well-placed controls. The gear lever has been moved up to a high-set position on the dashboard, which frees up space for a floor storage console, and the freshened-up cabin also incorporates a rack for maps.
It all bodes well for the new Fiesta, its sister model, and the upcoming new Ford-Mazda subcompact for the US market which will also share the same underpinnings.