Now obviously, I’m not going to come out and term the Mazda2 a performance vehicle. After all, there’s only so much power you can get from a 102hp 4 cylinder 1.5L engine, and unless you go for the 5-speed manual, the 4-speed auto unit is a tad disappointing. It could really benefit from an extra gear or two.  However, for the size and weight of the vehicle, it’s surprisingly agile and fun to drive (Note to Mazda: A MazdaSpeed2 would be even more fun!).

Of course, there’s an added benefit gained from a small engine in a light-weight car, which is improved fuel economy, and who will argue with me about that being a good thing? Fuel figures place the Mazda2 in and around the same numbers as the Honda Fit / Nissan Versa / Toyota Yaris (7.6 - 4.7 L/100 km)

As I’ve said before, I feel the timing is right for this vehicle in Canada. Fuel prices may occasionally dip but the days of buying gas for under a dollar a litre are a thing of the past. We’re also trying to claw our way out of a pretty tough financial crisis and value-for-money now features even higher in the car buyers’ decision making process.

Now although this sounds a little doom and gloom, I feel it will help sell this new vehicle. The company has positioned the car reasonably well price-wise as it starts at just $ 13,995 (GX 5-speed). For that you get a pretty decent base model which I see as good value.

However, if you feel the need for cool air and a few other such niceties, you’ll need to add $1,195 to that for the A/C and $895 for the GX convenience package (Heated door mirrors, 4 speakers, Remote keyless entry w/ jack knife key, steering wheel mounted cruise control and audio controls, trip computer, exterior temperature gauge, body coloured door mirrors and handles, silver finish on inner door handles, steering wheel and shift-plate bezel). I see this configuration being the most popular with buyers as it provides most of what people are looking for in a car, and totaling $16,085, it’s still considerably cheaper than opting for the top-of-the-line GS ($18,195).

Of course, there’s also the sporty Yozora edition available, which although is probably as close to a Mazdaspeed2 as we’ll get, looks wise at least,  it does carry a fairly hefty sticker price of $19,280, so it’s perhaps just for the true enthusiast. However, the company has wisely put together a rather cool accessory line, including some sharp custom body graphics with which owners can personalize their vehicles. I think we can expect to see quite a few of these being purchased and they do make the vehicle stand out in the crowd.

In summing up, I feel that Mazda will do well with this new model. Perhaps it doesn’t feature as much zoom-zoom as some of the other vehicles Mazda has on offer today, but it’s super-agile and enjoyable to drive. Zoom-zoom maybe not, but in a sub-compact car, zip-zip is just as much fun!