Mazda 2 Hybrid Review 2024

Small cars in this class thrive on their low running costs, so the Mazda 2 Hybrid is ideal thanks to its excellent fuel economy and low emissions. Even in world edging towards greater EV use, it makes the 2 Hybrid relevant for many years to come. It’s also just a mighty fine supermini, though not as fun to drive as the standard fully Mazda-made 2 model line. If you need nimble wheels in town that can cope with longer drives for you and the kids, the Mazda deserves your attention.

There’s no choice when it comes to the engine in the Mazda 2 Hybrid – there is only one. It’s the same 1.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine with mild assistance from the electric motor to serve up 116PS.

This drives through a CVT (continuously variable transmission) automatic gearbox, which can be a little unusual on first acquaintance as it lets the engine rev hard for longer periods to get up to speed before settling back to a quieter cruise.

All of this comes whichever trim you pick, and there are on offer – Pure, Agile and Select in ascending order of equipment. All come with plenty of luxury and safety equipment, and you can add the Comfort Pack to the lower two trims to enjoy uprated air conditioning, man-made leather upholstery, and front sports seats among other improvements.

Ahem, the answer to this is rather obviously the Toyota Yaris, which is all but identical to the Mazda 2 Hybrid except for badges. Looking at the wider supermini firmament, there is the Volkswagen Polo and Skoda Fabia from the ranks of the VW Group, and both are excellent contenders. You could also consider the Hyundai i20 and Kia Rio, which like the 2 Hybrid and Yaris are twins. The Vauxhall Corsa is also a sound bet and has an all-electric option, and you cannot ignore the Ford Fiesta if you’re looking to the used market.

Given the Mazda 2 Hybrid is about 99.9% Toyota Yaris, there is nothing to worry about when it comes to the quality, fit, and finish of this supermini.

There’s a well chosen mix of materials inside the Mazda that breaks up what could otherwise be a profusion and monotony of black surfaces. Some grey plastics help here and a few discrete pieces of alloy-effect trim further brighten the interior ambience.

If there is one area of the 2 Hybrid that we wish Mazda had been given oversight of above Toyota, it is the infotainment set-up. Simply put, Mazda’s usual infotainment system and design is much easier to use, looks better, and has sharper graphics and responses.

However, the 2 Hybrid is saddled with the same as you get in a Yaris, which means a 7.0-inch screen for the base Pure trim and an 8.0-inch touchscreen for the other two models. The only significant outcome of the smaller screen in the Pure is you get four speakers for the stereo instead of the six provided with the Agile and Select models.

One other detail difference is the Select also has a wireless charging pad included with its equipment list, which is a handy feature in this day and age.

Compared to the system you get in a Volkswagen Polo, the graphics look a little washed out, the screen isn’t quite as responsive, and its menus aren't as logically arranged, but these are all relatively minor gripes.

A row of conventional buttons that run down the screen’s edges make it easy to flick between menus, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are fitted as standard so you can use your phone’s map and music apps on the car’s big screen. Most drivers will use their smartphone's sat-nav app, which is just as well as there’s no sat-nav provided in the Mazda.

The infotainment screen also keeps you in the loop with what's going on with the hybrid engine, telling you how power's being divvied out, as well as giving you incremental fuel economy figures and an economy score at the end of each trip.

The 286-litre boot is larger enough for several carry-on cases. That said, the boot lacks features such as the adjustable floor you get in a Polo, so you don’t get a completely flat load bay when you fold away the back seats. With the seats pushed down, there's 935-litres of cargo room.

It’s worth noting that Mazda fits the 2 Hybrid with a 60-40 split and tumble rear seat rather than the 50-50 item found in some superminis. This adds an extra touch of versatility to the load area of the Mazda when you need to mix carrying people with greater amounts of luggage.

The Mazda 2 Hybrid uses the same 1.5-litre petrol engine as in the Toyota Yaris. There is an electric motor to give mild hybrid assistance and the set-up is what we now call a self-charging system. This means you don’t plug it in to charge with electricity as it does this itself by recovering energy that would otherwise be lost as you slow down. 

The battery in the Mazda is much smaller than in a pure EV car, so you only get up to 0.6 miles of all-electric driving, and this is limited to speed up to 31mph. Beyond these boundaries, the petrol engine comes into play, which it does quickly and quietly.

The only minor criticism we have of the Mazda 2 Hybrid is about the use of a continuously variable transmission over a more usual auto or manual gearbox. This is a hangover from using the Toyota as the base for the 2 Hybrid.

When you accelerate, the engine revs up quite high and tends to stay that way until you have eased off the throttle when you reach the speed you want. After that, the engine settles into the background until needed again to build speed.

It’s not the worst set-up with this type of gearbox we’ve experienced, but a plain old auto would be easier and more responsive to live with.

As we mention elsewhere, the CVT (continuously variable transmission) automatic gearbox in the Mazda 2 Hybrid can lead to more noise from the engine than is strictly necessary. Because of the way the gearbox works, it sends the revs soaring when you demand strong acceleration or encounter a steep hill rather than building the revs gradually.

This can make the driving experience in the Mazda more stressful than in, say, a Volkswagen Polo or Hyundai i20. However, at least wind and road noise are well contained, and the engine note does settle back to a faint hum when the Mazda is up to the desired speed. It’s also free from vibration, so there are no nasty rattles as you drive along.

The Toyota Yaris scored five stars when it was crash-tested by Euro NCAP in 2020, which means the Mazda 2 Hybrid has the same safety rating being a version of the Toyota.

Its autonomous driving aids make it very safe on the motorway. Plus, you get automatic emergency brakes that detect cars, pedestrians and cyclists, plus auto-dipping headlights, and a system that can send your location to the emergency services after an accident.

In addition to all of that, the Mazda 2 Hybrid comes with hill start assist, lane departure alert and steering assist, vehicle sway warning, and traffic sign recognition technology.

Using the Toyota Yaris as its base allows the Mazda 2 Hybrid to inherit the same enviable reputation for unerring reliability. Few cars have earned such a deserved track record, so you can be confident the 2 Hybrid will keep on working for many years to come.

Regular servicing is needed every 10,000 miles or 12 months, based on which comes round soonest.

Mazda provides a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty, though it should be pointed out Toyota will run to as much as a 10-years, 100,000-mile warranty if you keep the car serviced within the company’s own dealer network for that time.

A Mazda 2 Hybrid in Pure trim will see you pay insurance premiums based on a Group 13 rating. For the Agile and Select trims, this goes up to a Group 15 bracket and slightly higher costs.

You might not think the small difference between the 87g/km carbon dioxide emissions of the Pure and Agile trims compared to the 92g/km of the Select makes any difference. However, when it comes to road tax, the two lower trims pay first-year Vehicle Excise Duty at £130, while the Select owner will pay £165. Granted, it’s not a huge cost divide, but slim margins count in the supermini sector.

That’s irrelevant if you’re searching for a used Mazda 2 Hybrid. After the first year, every Mazda 2 Hybrid owner will pay £170 per year for road tax (including the £10/year discount for hybrid cars).

The opening gambit for the Mazda 2 Hybrid range is the Pure trim level, which comes sitting on 15-inch steel wheels. It has heated door mirrors, front fog lights, automatic headlights and wipers, and a roof spoiler in gloss black.

For the interior, the Pure has analogue dials, front seats with height adjustment in black fabric upholstery, and climate control. There’s also cruise control, electric windows, and an adjustable speed limiter. On top of this generous amount of kit, you also get a 7.0-inch infotainment screen with DAB radio, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto that works through four speakers.

Move up to the Agile trim and the wheels are swapped for 15-inch alloys and there’s a reversing camera fitted. You also get keyless entry and ignition, and an 8.0-inch touchscreen for the infotainment plus an extra pair of speakers.

The Comfort Pack can be added to the Agile and brings gloss black door mirror caps and front grille, and body-coloured rear bumper. This pack also includes LED lights, part synthetic leather upholstery, front sports seats, digital main dials, and dual-zone climate control.

At the top of the pile lies the Select model of Mazda 2 Hybrid. With this, you get 16-inch alloy wheels, parking sensors front and back, LED lights, and rear privacy glass. The Select also provides an auto dimming rear view mirror, part fabric and part man-made leather upholstery, digital speedo, sports front seats, and head-up display. Ambient light and dual-zone climate control, as well as blind spot warning and rear parking support braking complete this fulsome package.