Mazda is now No. 2 overall in the new vehicle market behind Toyota with its Mazda 3 and Mazda CX-5 our 5 th and 9 th best sellers in the market. Earlier this year we saw a freshened Mazda 2 range and its now the second best-selling light car behind Hyundai’s Accent. The upgrade model now features four hatchback grades, Neo, Maxx, Genki and GT, the sedan in three grades, Neo, Genki and GT. No price rises on the 14 model range, running from $16,990 drive-away for the manual Neo hatch and sedan. The upgrade sees improved ride and handling and noticeably better NVH or noise, vibration and harshness levels giving the small range a lot more polish. I drove the mid-grade Mazda 2 Maxx auto hatch at $21,890 drive-away – very highly equipped with a reversing camera, 15-inch alloy wheels, a 7-inch full colour touch screen, rear parking sensors and cruise control plus an extensive suite of safety features. I’m David Berthon

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