You’ll know Mazda as the car company that likes to do things its own way, that’s comfortable in its own skin. The MX-30 is a case in point, being an already-distinctive electric car made all the more idiosyncratic by the addition of its own rotary-engined range extender.
Zoom to the other end of the scale, and you’ll find Mazda is the only manufacturer to keep faith with small, affordable two-seater roadsters, in the shrink-wrapped form of the definitive MX-5.
All of which makes the small hatchback featured here an anomaly. It’s a Mazda that isn’t; that’s because - and there’s no other way of saying this - it’s a Toyota Yaris with a different badge.
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Confusingly, the badge in question reads ‘Mazda 2 Hybrid’. This is puzzling as there already is a Mazda 2. It’s also a small hatch but is fully and authentically a Mazda, but does without any hybrid gubbins.
Anyway, with hybrid drivetrains appearing on an increasing number of cars, including small ones, Mazda presumably thought borrowing Toyota’s well regarded Yaris was a sensible short cut to developing its own. The two companies have a longstanding agreement to collaborate in various ways, easing the way for the Yaris/2 Hybrid badge swap.
Still, Mazda could have tried a bit harder to distinguish its version from the Toyota. Distinctive design is such a strong Mazda trait that it is more than a little disappointing to see that the only differences are a new front bumper and grille, along with, according to a press release, “unique rear tailgate garnish”, which is pretty feeble stuff. You would need to be a Yaris obsessive - does such a person exist? - to spot the difference.
Like it or not, the sleight of hand over ‘badge engineering’ has been around for years. Toyota, as it happens, is one of its prime exponents (for example, Toyota GT86/Subaru BRZ; Toyota Aygo/Citroen C1/Peugeot 107; Toyota RAV4/Suzuki Across; Toyota Corolla estate/Suzuki Swace; the Toyota Supra and BMW Z4 are related; and so on…). And as electrification reshapes the industry, it will only become more prevalent. One of the reasons Ford’s incoming new Capri model has been so derided is because it’s a Volkswagen in drag.
But back to the Mazda 2 Hybrid. If you want a small, economical car, few are more real-world frugal than the Mazda/Toyota. Even with a hefty amount of motorway miles, fuel consumption stubbornly refused to dip much below 60mpg. In town driving, which is really the car’s natural environment, the hybrid drivetrain is a peach. Smooth and quiet, it leans heavily on the battery-electric component of the drivetrain, yielding high economy and refinement.
The petrol engine is a 1.5-litre unit with 114bhp and 88.5lb ft of torque. Those aren’t huge numbers - as reflected in a quoted 0-62mph time of 9.7 seconds - but in fairness the 2 Hybrid feels quicker than the figures suggest, no doubt aided by the silent shove of the electrified part of its drivetrain. There’s a CVT gearbox in the mix, which is unobtrusive unless you lean on the throttle too hard, at which point the revs scream.
The Mazda 2 Hybrid is a Mazda that isn’t; that’s because - and there’s no other way of saying this - it’s just a Toyota Yaris with a different badge
The hybrid set-up rather mitigates against the 2 Hybrid being the sort of car you’d choose for a B-road blast - another way in which it strays from Mazda’s DNA - which is a bit of a shame because the chassis offers fun handling and a composed ride.
It’s obviously a small car, but even so a boot volume of 286 litres is tight, while back seat space is also limited. It’s well appointed and decently kitted out but there’s more hard plastic interior trim than you might expect, which lowers the tone a notch. I also found the driver’s seat uncomfortable - perhaps a consequence of my lanky frame, but also a reminder to ‘try before you buy’. The dashboard and infotainment system is as you’ll find in the Yaris, and is perfectly adequate.
You’ll have already sensed my lack of enthusiasm for the Mazda 2 Hybrid. For me, the sense that you would be better off with the Yaris is confirmed when you compare the cars’ prices and warranties. The Mazda is, model-for-model, more expensive than the Toyota (the entry 2 Hybrid is £24,135, while the cheapest Yaris is £22,640). And if you keep your Yaris serviced according to Toyota’s schedule, you’ll get up to a 10-year/100,000-mile warranty; Mazda, meanwhile, offers only three years/60,000 miles…
As a small hybrid, on its own terms the 2 Hybrid has much going for it. But as a barely disguised Toyota, this Mazda also goes down as a rare miss from one of Drive’s favourite companies.
