Mazda Mazda 2 test drive since 2007 hatchback

Lungs

Sometimes in order to move forward, you need to take steps back. The main thing is that these steps are correct.

 
Today, the market forces manufacturers to make every new model more and heavier than its predecessor. The process seems irreversible. A little more, and the golf class will receive under the hood V8! Each time I am touched by the results of acceleration, when I accidentally see a number of representatives of the same class, but of different generations, for example, the eighties of the last century and our days. The difference is colossal! We can say that the automotive industry in this direction develops with extensive methods: increasing dimensions and weight, fighting with costs of increasing power and lotting of the engines, therefore, fuel consumption. When creating two new generations of their cars in Mazda, they went intense. Maximum mass reduction and reduction of dimensions with improving consumer characteristics. The Japanese company proved that this is possible. Moreover, the proposed method personally is very pretty in the concept. After all, a decrease in mass is a great contribution not only to environmental friendliness, but also to controllability. Both Mazda2 and Mazda6 are easier, more economical and more excellent on the road than their predecessors and many competitors. The first model is also less overall! A step back in the mass and size of two steps forward in development and effectiveness.

 
Mazda2

Moving to Sienna turned out to be heavy. Four hours by plane to the tiny airport in Fori, and then the same amount of time by bus to the hotel near the destination. After such a march, behind the wheel, somehow did not pull. The organizers foresaw this, so the test drive was appointed the next day.

 
Visually, I met the car already at the first meeting, at dinner. Mazda2 was exhibited on a pedestal near the restaurant, and, shaking a glass with a wonderful Chianty in my hand, I could see the novelty from any angle. I must admit that in its class it is one of the most harmonious and beautiful cars of Japanese origin. Europeans are slightly different, slightly more boring and predictable. And here is bold and, importantly, a harmonious game of surfaces. Pronounced front arches, like all new Mazda, take -off window lines, a high back and beautiful optics in front and behind. Yaris and Micra clearly lose according to external data when compared with Mazda2! But these cars are the main competitors of the Japanese.
 
The completeness and additional sports of the appearance of the exhibition copy definitely gave the Sports Appe their option package, which includes the thresholds, the modified front bumper, the new radiator grille, the rear spoiler and the low suspension. Then I still did not know that such a car would fall into my hands the next day. This day came very soon. The morning fog quickly dissipated under the pressure of the bright sun, I sat inside and, while the car warmed up and drove off, decided to get acquainted with its salon.
 
Good inside. And in the front row, oh, how spacious! With my 190 cm I have not experienced discomfort. True, it’s already difficult to sit for me. But if a person of medium height sits in front, then, I, a little spreading my legs, I can sit down at him quite tolerably. The ceiling does not press. Anyway, trips of adults in the back row of such cars are most often forced and short-term. Children will be just right. 250 liters of trunk should be enough for the city luggage. In extreme cases, you can fold the backs of the rear seats and get 787 liters.
 
The build quality is typically Japanese. Class of finishing materials at the level of competitors. Ergonomics thought out, like practicality. For example, a glove box has a built -in boxing for storing magazines or folders. The interior is slightly frivolous, as is customary in class B. Given the target audience, consisting of recently received rights of students and young mothers, this is normal. Mazda2 is shorter than its predecessor by 40 mm. At the same time, the wheelbase remained the same, and the internal space became even larger due to a more competent layout.
 
The landing is good, you find a convenient position right away. The three-spoke bagel is covered with a pleasant skin to the touch, as well as a knob of a 5-speed mechanical gearbox. By the way, the lever is on the tide of the central console, it was raised for 38 mm for the eating of convenience compared to the previous model. The chairs are comfortable. Review is good to a large extent due to the decreased by 40 mm of the window sill. Until the engine is heated, a blue coolant indicator burns on the instrument panel. Get out, it means you can push the accelerator to capacity.
 
The first impressions behind the wheel gave me a version of 1.3 liters of a motor. I got it by chance and not for long. Mindful that only 1.5 liters of modification will supply to Russia, before the start of the test drive, I asked for just that. Apparently, in the morning turmoil, the organizational mechanism gave a small failure, which was immediately eliminated by Russian intervention. PR director Masha McGweir was on the alert, and the car was immediately changed by 1.5 liters, and even in the Sport version. Well, acquaintance with a less powerful modification turned out to be useful in terms of evaluating the work of a standard suspension. Unlike Sport, it is softer and comfortable. The rolls are more here, and due to the higher -profile and narrow rubber, the steering wheel is less informative. In general, the ideal option for a customer with a perfume in the blood. Well, if the girl loves to grab her, I will advise the sports version.
 
In Russia, Mazda2 will be offered with a 4-speed automatic transmission. As the market studies have shown, the vast majority of competing cars mentioned above are more than 90% of cases sold either with a robot or with an automaton. Another advantage of the Mazda2 over competitors is a powerful 1.5 liter motor, which, along with a small mass, provides the best dynamics in the class. Just think, with mechanics, this baby flies at a speed of 188 km/h and gains a hundred in just 10.4 seconds. In the city stream there is little equal to this compact rocket.
 
I was constantly convinced of this during a stocking in a longing for meals. Vineyards, villages and towns changed outside the window at almost the same speed as the weather. The sun that appeared in the morning suddenly suddenly replaced the rain. Then the opposite occurred screaming, and so a few more times. In one, the situation remained more or less constant and predictable Mazda2 drove equally well and excitingly on both dry and wet highways.
 
Compared to the predecessor, the car not only decreased in length and height, but also greatly relieved of it discarded almost 100 kg! Such an impressive result is achieved thanks to a whole set of works. For example, the use of high -strength light steel in the construction of the body made it possible to lose 45 kg in total and simultaneously add 20%in stiffness. With the world, a kilogram was dumped along the thread at the expense of some other components and assemblies. For example, in the exhaust system there is no one catalytic neutralizer, and there is not even a resonator on the version with 1.3 liters of a motor! A decrease in the number and length of the electrical wires allowed to remove 2.68 kg. Optimization of the suspension left the outlet still 13 potential kilos (although fundamentally the suspension remained, as in the previous model). And the result speaks for itself. Even the most powerful version with 1.5 l of the engine weighs less than a ton of only 960 kg!
 
Therefore, honed controllability and excellent dynamics of 1.5 L Mazda2 did not have a surprise for me. Under the vigorous accompaniment of the motor, the machine briskly breaks off. The switching is clear, the clutch operation is extremely clear. And how sensitively the car reacts to the work of the accelerator pedal! The engine goes after it without delay! The sharp steering wheel (2.7 circulation from the stop to the stop) is equipped with an electric power. The feedback he is transparent, the rim is always poured with information. Italy has good roads. Maybe that is why the behavior of Mazda2 seemed almost perfect to me. Elastic suspension, minimum rolls. A very clear movement along the high -speed highway, where it was easy to get 180 km/h along the speedometer. And what? The newly made representative of the B-class did not save. It goes like primagnetic. He will not move on a straight line, writes rebuilding deliciously. Say thanks for this excellent aerodynamics, because the mazda2 frontal resistance coefficient is only 0.31.
 
The mountain serpentines are continuous. The elastic motor allows you to pull the car out of the turns from the average revolutions. The car begins to slide smoothly, does not have a tendency to sharp skidd when discharging gas. Pure water Drivers Car. I can hardly be mistaken if I say that in my Mazda2 segment in handling and dynamics the best sentence. I liked the brakes. Is the Sport suspension harsh? A couple of times I got to the slightly broken sections of the road, the car went through their sports gear slightly shaking the riders. What will be with such a chassis in Russia? If you take mainly urban operation, then there should be no problems. Well, I am sure that few will go on a long journey, few will go to Mazda2. And one more positive news for buyers Mazda2. The company's engineers thoroughly took up the noise and vibration isolation of the hatchback. The ears, one might say, rest in the Mazda2 salon is quiet! This was so lacked by the past models of the company, and not only small. Looking a little forward, I will say that the thesis was once again confirmed during the Mazda6 test. Is there really nothing to complain about? Can. With all its excellent traction characteristics, the motor for such a chassis and steering wheel asks a hotter. With a vigorous capture at the top up to a revolutionary speed limiter. The local motor has a calm character, but it, as already mentioned, is elastic. Well lucky from the bottom.
 

It turns out that with her new model, Mazda got into the apple itself! The car is good not only by execution, but also by the concept of reducing weight and dimensions for the sake of handling! The company is called the first fundamentally new car developed according to all Zoom-Zoom rules. And the second fundamentally new car was Mazda6, which I met a little later, in Hungary

 
Mazda6

Hungary is not Europe yet. The bus driver, who drove us from the airport to the hotel, at the intersections did not hesitate to slip to the sunbathing red and famously rushed around the city at a speed of 100 km/h. Good start, I thought

 
Here, in the Hungarian open spaces (by the way, also not quite European quality), but to test the new Mazda6! And broken areas are evident, and mores are more democratic. However, the organizers did not let us on public roads. The car was presented at a small Euro-Ring Avtodrod, which is 40 km from Budapest. So, Mazda6. A car expected by everyone. Buyers. Even competitors! But most of all he was waiting for Mazda. The Japanese tried very hard to make a car, which was not in a word, but in deed to change the attitude to the brand, and will become another great step towards the premium segment. They even created a philosophy of a car, cool on Japanese concepts
 
First, you should make a small but important reservation. The new Mazda6 is not a twin brother of the new Ford Mondeo. The second generation of the car is a radically improved design of the previous one: the same body, the same nodes and assemblies. Yes, and the car will be produced at the company's factory in Hiroshima. By the way, these facts are very good on the concept of creating Mazda6. It turns out that the automobile product saturated with Japanese understanding of things is of purely Japanese origin. It is also important that the costs of this kind of modernization are less than when organizing production on the platform of the new Mondeo.
 
Thanks to Mazda, the whole world will soon be operated on with meaningful Japanese words and expressions. For Mazda6, the following words were made from a rich language: Kizuna (connection between people), Yugen (harmony with nature), Rin (dignity), Seichi (sophistication and perfection). Excellent! For erudition, it is useful, and Mazda also takes on its own stylish face thanks to this approach. Breed. The first six was good, but, you see, she lacked the final gloss. To look over and weighty. This is fixed in the new generation.
 
Mazda has now a team of talented designers, which has been creating beautiful, proportional machines with a recognizable appearance for several years. And every year the results of work are better. The peak at the moment is certainly Mazda6, which has struck me with its external data. Why amazed? Because it turned out to be unexpectedly beautiful and harmonious. Yes, I saw photos. But in life, the car looks even better. In principle, I do not really complain to the Japanese school of automobile design. With rare exceptions. And here is such a surprise!
 
For decades, all the Japanese produced inexpressive vehicles. Of course, there were exceptions in the form of some sports models, but they most often could not withstand comparisons with European analogues. The market, paraphrasing the well -known phrase, haw them in this form. Everything changes, and the buyer no longer appreciates a reliable vehicle with good handling, but with the design of the washing machine. It is necessary that the appearance corresponds to the content. The definition of muscular definition is best suited to describing the appearance of the new Mazda6. After the Mazda RX-8 appeared, all the passenger models of the company began to increase the muscles in the front wings and receive a more embossed feed: MX-5, CX-7, Mazda2
 
Mazda6 has a very expressive front. With a hood forming common lines with a false radiator grille, with round wide arches, a stylish front bumper, having an elegant chrome strip. Like the predecessor, the machine has amazingly beautiful lighting technology. Narrow headlights play unison with fog, and the lanterns were famously swim on their wings, have a bizarre pattern and blocks of LEDs at the edges. By the way, the anterior optics can also boast of bi-ksenon (for surcharge) and the function of lighting turns.
 
The silhouette of the car is swift. Poking the roof, a short rear overhang. Good from any angle and sidewalls. And there is nothing superfluous in appearance. She is perfectly balanced and concise. There is no previous Japanese eclecticism. Perhaps in the segment D for me this is the second in external data a car after Alfa 159. No matter what side you look at a sight for sore eyes. And the station wagon is generally a song! The machine seems more and more important than its predecessor, while the dimensions did not increase so much. 65 mm in length (75 mm station wagon), in a width of 15 mm, in a height of only 5 mm. The wheelbase has increased by 50 mm.
With the growth of dimensions, the company's engineers managed to make the second generation easier than the first. A whole range of works on the extraction of overweight is carried out. Slimming was obtained due to the frame of the rear bumper, interior decoration, new soundproofing materials, even an audio system! In the design of the body, 7% more light and high -strength steel were used. This made a power base more easily 35 kg (for a version with a 2.5 l engine) and more strongly for twice! At the same time, the maximum attention of the vibration load of individual sections of the body was paid, and these places were subjected to appropriate strengthening and improvement. For example, the front subframe is now attached to six, and not on four, as before, bolts. Manageability improves, vibrations are reduced and passive safety increases (the updated version with a frontal impact absorbs energy 10% better).
 
Great sound insulation is what was so missing the same Mazda! Yes, and in our tests we more than once complained about the noise of the previous six. But this is largely determined by the class of the car. And Mazda corrected. True, I was not able to check sound comfort at high speed, since on the highway it was only possible to get a third gear for a short time before the limiter. However, I can note that the denouement from the sound of the motor is excellent. The closed door blocks the street in terms of sound tangible than in the previous model, which stood nearby and made it possible to check it. We will install the rest later, during the city test on the highway this cannot be done fully.
 
The key to low noise, high efficiency and stability at high speed should be excellent aerodynamics. The frontal resistance coefficient is very low 0.27 in the sedan and 0.28 in the station wagon. Special sections on the bottom make it more flat. The front wheels deflectors are made in the form of a horseshoe, which not only reduces the resistance, but also contributes to the better cooling of the front brake discs enlarged by 16 mm (299 mm).
 
The interior was the second discovery after appearance. Frankly, I expected the worst option. But in fact, it so happened that the Mazda6 salon looks even more solid and more beautiful than that of the senior in the rank of CX-7. However, six and fresh. The finishes and their combination are pushed to comparison with more expensive German and Japanese analogues. The level is significantly higher than that of the first Mazda6. Even trifles like mirrors in visors or lighting block in the ceiling are well made. The back door of the station wagon is equipped with a closer.
 
I liked the front panel design strict, stylish. Coming, docking without complaints. The assembly quality of the new model is an order of magnitude higher than that of the predecessor. By the way, the developers also managed to save the visor visor and the entire right side of the front panel is made of hard plastic, and in the area of \u200b\u200bthe passenger from elastic. And they look the same! The dimensions of the cabin grew slightly. In length by 20, and in a width of only 9 mm, so behind myself (190 cm) I sat back. But if the front chair is moved a little forward, it turns out quite comfortable. The luggage compartment of the station wagon has a wide opening, but primarily interesting is the Karakuri system. When the fifth door rises due to the ingenious structure, the shelf of the trunk is slightly lifted to facilitate loading. Typically Japanese chip. The creators said that this option was chosen and approved of ten fully operational offers.
 
You feel excellent behind the wheel. In the hands lies a three -spoke steering wheel with a leather finish. She is multifunctional in a square! Using the CF-Net control system, you can control navigation, climate control, an audio system, an on-board computer, Bluetooth interface! And what is the right force on the steering wheel. This is the direct merit of the electric power. It is located directly on the rake, which makes the work more accurate. On the perfectly smooth asphalt of the test route, it was possible to note only a complete absence of decrease in performance during rapid rotation and cool feedback, which changes depending on speed.
 
The lever of the manual transmission is nearby, at hand. The moves are short, the inclusions are pleasant and clear. The chair perfectly fixes the body, which was checked on the highway. And the overview is excellent. The cabin is quiet, good, good. When I was transplanted into the car of the previous generation after the test, there was no such feeling there. The concept of Mazda6 is characterized by a capacious Japanese definition of Kizun. Initially, this is a connection between people. In the arrangement of Mazda, now the connection of the driver and the car. As the creators of the machine say, all work to improve the novelty was aimed precisely at achieving Kizun! And where, if not on the highway, could it be checked?
 
There were cars with all types of gasoline engines equipped only with a mechanical gearbox to choose from. I decided to get acquainted with the most powerful version. As a result, all 10 circles that I wound were dedicated to a spectacular white sedan in a sports body kit on beautiful 18-inch discs. As in the case of Mazda2, there are no fundamental changes in the suspension. She is only finalized. The rear racks are installed vertically. In the design of the front suspension, the lower lever received one articulated joint instead of two. Silent blocks in the longitudinal levers of the rear suspension also increased. In addition, they are installed above.
 
Settings of the chassis filigree. Kizun in action! From the first meters you find a common language with a car that is very clearly driving. Coolly holds in limit turns, clearly slows down. At the entrance, it smoothly slides in the front line. It is enough to lose the gas and take the steering wheel, and Mazda6 obediently and smoothly dives inside the turn. Even if you provoke a skid, it will develop smoothly. At any stage of rotation, the car is perfectly controlled. Sensitive brakes make it possible to clearly dose slowdown. Ten circles flew like a moment. I would love to go about twenty more. Preferably with measurement of time. Driver car! As for the power units, they are all familiar with the same six. It is noteworthy that the motors have become more economical and more powerful. And Mazda6 advocates passive safety in the standard in the database all electronic systems (ABS, EDB, DSC, TCS). Active headrests and 6 pillows are also provided, which are folding when the adhesion and brake pedals hit. It is a pity that the test part of the program turned out to be fleeting. Those ten circles were the first and last for the entire trip. However, they made it possible to understand the main Mazda6 took a decisive step forward in all directions, while becoming easier and efficiently more than the predecessor and modern models of segment D. We will wait for the speed of the car in Russia and check everything that it is capable of.
 

Mazda2 prices and configurations

Mazda2 will be sold in Russia with a 1.5 liter engine and a four -speed automatic transmission in the Touring and Sport trim levels. An approximate starting price for Touring - $ 16,300. For this money, the buyer will receive: heating the front seats, front electric windows, electric power plants, CD -player with MP3, Radio control, steel discs R15, Abs + EBD, 6 safety pillows. Sport is added: electric windows of all doors, leather steering wheel finish, fog lights, 2 speakers, alloy wheels R16, DSC stabilization system, on -board computer
 

Mazda6 prices and configurations

Mazda6 will be sold in Russia in 4 trim levels: BASE (engine 1.8 liters (120 hp, ICPP-5, price from 653,000 rubles) Touring Sport Luxury (1.8 liters, 2 l (147 hp. ), MKPP-5 or automatic transmission-5, price 699,000 to 823,000 rubles), Sport (2 l, 2.5 l, ICPP-5 or automatic transmission-5, price from 826,000 to 878 000 rubles), Luxury (2 5 l of the ICPP-6). It is curious that the version with the most powerful engine is equipped exclusively by the manual transmission. The list of standard equipment for BASE includes: fabric interior, air conditioning, 4 electric windows, CZ and DU, adjustment of the driver's seat in height, rear-view mirrors from Heating and eclectry, a complete set of security systems, headlight washer, alloys R16 alloy wheels, an audio system with a CV player, 4 speakers and MP3 support.
 
Leonty Tyutelev
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
   
 
   
 


 
 

Source: Motor magazine [November 2007]