The 2 Sport is Mazda’s competitor in the small warm hatch market, going head to head with the likes of Fords Fiesta Zetec and Peugeot’s 207 Sport. Designed to suit someone who wants a small car with a bit of pep, without being boring, the 2 fills that niche perfectly and it is available at our local Mazda dealer, Essex Mazda in the Lakeside Retail Park.

Launched in 2007, the Mazda 2 range is available in three and five door body shapes and a range of trim levels, prices starting at Ł8999 on the road for the TS specification. The five door Sport, which is being tested here, is at the top of the range costing Ł12,040 and comes powered by a 1.5 Litre petrol engine giving it a healthy 103bhp and the ability to sprint between 0 and 60mph in just 10.4 seconds.

Under the skin this car is related very closely to its cousin, the new Fiesta, using many of the same major components. Where it differs to the Ford though is in the way it is built, particularly in one main area, weight. Mazda have decided that all of their new cars from this one onwards will be lower in mass than the out going model. This means that the base vehicle weighs in at under a 1000kg with out the driver, something that cannot be said about its more portly rivals.

Reducing the weight of a car is the quickest way of increasing its efficiency without having to resort to the use of expensive and faddy technology. The 2 certainly shows this with its CO2 emission figures, the Sport only producing 135 g/km and being able to return 49.6mpg on a combined run, both results exceptional for a car of its type.

From the outside Mazda have designed the car to follow the family look, with the front in particular using design cues, like the squared off flared wheel arches from the RX8 sports car. As for the Sport model, it continues this theme by using a sharply designed set of 16” alloy wheels shod with low profile Toyo Proxes tyres. Also to add to the sporting intent are side skirts and rear spoiler, although the effect is possibly more after market, rather than original fit but overall the design is clean enough to get away with it.

Stepping in to the car, you are greeted by a set of firm but comfortable cloth covered seats, which offer plenty of lateral support despite not being heavily bolstered. The facia design is clear and simple, as is the instrument binnacle which houses a white backed speedo and rev counter, punctuated by clear large lettering. The steering wheel is also a pleasant item to hold. Leather covered, it is about the perfect thickness avoiding the overly chunky feel that some sporting cars can have. Mounted on the inside of the wheel are controls for the radio and cruise facilities, which are clear and intuitive to use. Other useful features include an excellent radio / CD player with an auxiliary in jack socket ideal for plugging in MP3 players and the like, automatic lights and a trip computer, although disappointingly considering the cars target market, Mazda have not fitted a Bluetooth hands free kit.

Looking around the rest of the car, the interior plastic panels have a pleasantly designed grain on them although when you touch them you can start to see where Mazda have been saving weight. Tap them and they have a “light” feel, although thankfully, it doesn’t undermine the quality to the point where they feel cheap.

As this is a small car, the rear passenger space is somewhat limited, as you would expect. Certainly if you wanted to do long journeys the car could realistically only take three reasonably sized people, but for around town or short trips it will sit four acceptably. The boot is a very good size and shape, being deep and benefiting from a large opening, although the lip is quite high which may make removing heavy items somewhat awkward.

On the road is where the little Mazda starts to come together. Falling to hand naturally is the high mounted stubby gear lever. Whilst this is standard across the rest of the range, the short throw five speed gear box has a precise pleasing action adding to the sporting nature of this car. All the major controls are light and easy to use, making it a joy to manoeuvre around town and in car parks. It’s at this point the cars nature starts to shine through. Due to the cars light weight, free revving engine and sporting suspension set up you realise very soon that this is a “chuckable car” being fun to hustle along, the engine and chassis giving you the confidence to point and squirt at gaps in the traffic.

Get the car on to some twisty B roads however and you realise the steering which was ideal for round town work suddenly lacks feel and can be overly light. That said it is always precise and quick acting making the car easy to point and accurate to place on the road. What you can also feel on the open road is the lack of physical weight. This undoubtedly helps the performance of the modestly powered engine, but it also helps the suspension, the car keen to change direction and feeling genuinely fleet footed.

Adhesion levels from the 195 width tyres are excellent, never feeling like they are going to run out of grip even in damp conditions. However when the 2 does break its high limits, the liberal stability control soon brings the car back in to line. With the traction off however things are different and enthusiastic drivers will be able to steer the car on the throttle, the little Mazda enjoying a healthy dose of lift off oversteer, almost in an old fashioned Peugeot style. Body roll is also kept to a minimum however the car can ride quite firmly and over some speed ramps and road imperfections making it a little uncomfortable, especially for passengers in the back.

Overall, due to the light weight feel of the Mazda 2, it lacks the maturity and big car feel of some of its rivals. Don’t get me wrong though, this is far from being a bad thing. Not only does it aid in making this car efficient and cheap to run, it returns fun back to the top of the small car agenda, something many others have lost over the recent years.

With its low 5E insurance group, this car is ideal for anyone who wants a bit of Zoom, Zoom, in their life. It is a great all rounder that will suit younger drivers who want something sporty but not too expensive to run and older drivers that have got fed up with being a bit too mature, but still need the practicality.