You don’t have to look that hard at the new Mazda 2 Hybrid to recognise that it’s not actually a Mazda 2. Sure, it’s a compact, practical, Japanese supermini, but the lines, styling and key details are quite different. Strip away the effort at some fancy dress and it’s very similar, in fact, to the Toyota Yaris.
That’s not a coincidence, of course: the Mazda 2 Hybrid is essentially a rebadged Yaris, the product of a partnership between the two Japanese firms – one that, bizarrely, includes a rebadged Mazda 2 being sold as a Toyota Yaris in America.
Anyway, there’s no shame in such a deal. It gives Mazda access to proven hybrid technology that, as a relatively small manufacturer, it would be prohibitive to develop in-house, and a model that will help to grow sales of its small cars, while it provides Toyota with a welcome source of income and some extra volume for its production. It just means it risks not being a particularly Mazda-y Mazda.
The first Yaris-based 2 Hybrid arrived last year, but due to the lateness of the deal, the only real difference was the badge on the front of the bonnet and the back of the boot: it retained essentially all of Toyota’s styling features.
For this updated version, Mazda’s European design chief, Jo Stenuit, has worked to make the model look “more Mazda than ever”, with extra bespoke styling details at the front and rear.
What remains unchanged are all the technical bits, including Toyota’s proven 1.5-litre CVT-controlled hybrid powertrains.
