The Mazda 2 safety systems performed extremely well in Euro NCAP crash tests at the time, scoring a maximum five stars for adult protection. All cars get dual front airbags, ABS (with emergency brakeforce distribution), a trio of three-point rear seatbelts, two Isofix child seat anchor points and a Thatcham Category 1 alarm. Side and curtain airbags are standard on all models except the TS.

Mazda 2 practicality is acceptable, although it suffers with an inaccessible boot. There’s a very high lip, which makes getting heavy items out awkward. The 250-litre boot is only average for this type of car, but the seats can be folded forward (apart from the base-spec 1.3) to increase space to 787 litres. There’s also a false floor to the boot on most models, with storage hidden underneath.

Inside, there’s a deep glovebox with an innovative ‘magazine rack’ at the front for easy access to frequently-used items. Climbing in and out of the rear seats is trickier on three-door models, but the larger doors and purposely developed front passenger’s seat, which slides forwards more easily, make this less of a problem.