Alternative review of Mazda2 range

If like me, you reach for the remote control - or failing that a claw hammer - as soon as Mazda's zoom-zoom commercials hit the screen, you may well have missed out on the fact that the Mazda brand is going places. The sporty MX-5 roadster has always been a personal favourite, but the Mazda6, the Mazda3 and the Mazda2 we feature here are also well worth consideration. The '2' is Mazda's attempt to inject a bit of pizzazz into its supermini offering, a quality notably lacking in its predecessor, Mazda's take on a Ford Fusion. At the front, there's the traditional V-shaped Mazda grille and the headlights are very deftly smeared into the front bumper assembly. Likewise the tail lights are neatly integrated into the tailgate which, from a practical perspective, doesn't have the widest aperture as a result. Still, when budget small cars like the Proton Satria Neo now look as good as they do, the expectation for a company such as Mazda is cranked ever higher. And first impressions are good: it's a car that under fifties would be happy to be seen in. I just about qualify.

The Mazda2 is a car that majors on practicality. Both three and five-door bodystyles are available and the shape looks and feels spacious. The interior features a number of welcome design touches such as a glove box with integrated magazine rack. There's also a floor console between the front seats with a large rear tray affixed. In total there's 250 litres of storage space which isn't half bad for a supermini. Silver on black detailing on the fascia gives a rather more grown up look and feel than many key rivals.

There's no shortage of room behind the wheel, and it's easy to achieve a comfortable driving position. All round visibility is a Mazda2 strong point, the designers concentrating on reducing the amount of blind spots. The turning circle is commendably tight which means that seven point turns in the road become a thing of the past. Having tested this car straight after a Citroen Berlingo, a car with a turning circle visible from space, the Mazda2's manoeuvrability was a welcome plus. All the engines on offer are forgettable, if willing and reasonably economical. Only the 1.5-litre petrol unit has any sort of real zip to it, with the 1.3-litre petrol variant that most customers will buy taking 14 seconds to reach sixty on the way to 104mph. The other options are the 1.4-litre diesel that's capable of over 65mpg on the combined cycle and a 1.6-litre diesel that actually does slightly better.

The Mazda brand has made huge advances within the past couple of years. I remember visiting the Motor Show at the NEC a while back and walking straight past the Mazda stand, seduced instead by the promise of a decent cup of coffee and a Danish from Ford. Fortunately that wouldn't happen these days. Mazda have turned themselves around and if the Mazda2 is anything to go by, they're still gaining momentum. Could I live with a Mazda2? Certainly. Would I buy a Mazda2? A definite maybe.