WHEN Mazda launched their new 3, it gained a legion of new fans. People everywhere were impressed by the way these cars were built - solid, sporty and fun to drive. Did they do better with the facelift (well, almost new model if you ask me)?
The moment pictures of the new 2 leaked out, people were already lavishing it with “oooohs” and “aaaahs”. The car was totally stripped and remade; less the engine of course. So does it look as good in real life as it did in the pictures?
The answer is yes. My lips suddenly stretched into a mile-long smile as I approached the Mazda showroom. Maybe it was the hearty breakfast I had or maybe it was because it was a good morning. One thing is for sure though, that little car really looked good in that red paintjob, gleaming in the sunlight.
To make a good car better is really an uphill task. The old 2 was already quite a hit in the small car market with its sporty stance and options to customize. This new 2, however, will definitely brew up a storm.
The car has lost all angular lines it had before and has adopted sexy curves and yes, it has lost weight. Almost a 100kg. With a svelte slim figure, the new 2 is now a lot more economical. To those concerned with the rising prices of oil today, this, I am sure, is good news. With an improved power to weight ratio, this car also promises to be a better performing car.
The space within the new 2 will not make it on the front page of any motoring newsletter but it is decent. It is able to hold four adults without sacrificing comfort. At the same time, it can swallow your weekender bag, a couple of umbrellas, your gym gear and some shopping in its boot. So a weekend getaway up north with a few of your friends is definitely possible.
The instrument cluster, made up of a tachometer, speedometer and the usual gauges is neat and pleasant looking. It flows well with the rest of the dashboard and the best part would be at night when the lights are switched on. The entire dashboard glows a warm yet exciting red. The factory audio system with multi disc changer is rather satisfactory.
It helps, too, that Mazda Singapore decided to bring in the car with audio controls on the steering wheel. To those who will never leave the house without their MP3 players, listen up, this little hot car comes with auxiliary input placed tactfully near the handbrake. Never again will you see nasty, messy cables coming out from the player or the glove box.
Enough about how the car is stationary. Does it drive as good as it looks?
In order for me to conduct my test drive, I had to get out of Macpherson Road. With the amount of traffic there, I had to drive carefully and quickly and safely all at the same time. Not knowing how the car would perform, I proceeded to filter out to the main road with extreme caution.
However, I quickly found out that the car could accelerate when I needed it too and had responsive brakes which came in useful when I had to avoid that pesky Toyota Crown. Steering was not too light nor was it too heavy.
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