2012 Mazda2 improves safety

By Alborz Fallah | October 10th, 2011

Australia’s most popular light car, the Mazda2, has been given a range of additional features for no extra cost. The most important being the inclusion of side and curtain SRS airbags as standard equipment.

The safety enhancements announced today equip even the very base model Mazda2 Neo with the highest safety standards available. This means six airbags, the all important Dynamic Stability Control (Mazda’s version of ESC) as well as Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Emergency Brake Assist (EBA).

Mazda Australia has so far sold over 13,000 Mazda2s this year alone (13.6% marketshare in the light car segment) so the additional safety enhancements plus standard cruise control for Neo and Maxx variants is sure to help maintain momentum.

The move may indeed be a preliminary strike against its biggest challengers: the soon to be released Toyota Yaris and the recently updated Ford Fiesta. In September the outgoing Yaris outsold the Mazda2 whilst Fiesta sales were only 31 units behind. It will be interesting to see if Yaris can finish the year on top of the light car segment.

The only noticeable feature still lacking from the popular Mazda2 remains the lack of bluetooth telephone connectivity or audio streaming.

Read: Mazda 2 Review.

K

The annoying focus ad is gone!! FianllY!!

Henry

I still have it

Toyota Guru

I still haven’t seen this annoying Focus ad that is spoken of, must be something to do with me using Firefox and Ad Block Plus.
Mr Gaspo

Yep, it’s popula! If it had the packaging of the Jazz and the efficient drivetrain like a Polo… I’d get excited. To me it is a pleasingly styled light car that is conventional in every other way.
CRS200

“Australia’s most popular light car, the Mazda2, has been given a range of additional features for no extra cost.”

For no Extra cost?

That’s not true, just see the prices for the ones with dual airbag are 16.990 and the others are 18.000.

1000$ more expensive!

Fitting more security means more money for the already “cheap” Japanese cars. Curtain airbags were already standard on my old 2003 Clio in Europe.

VZI

Actually on the Mazda website, it says the 2 Neo manual is now from $16,690 driveaway with curtain airbags and cruise control.
http://www.caradvice.com.au/ Alborz Fallah

Mazda says: “These new features are being added without any change to the Manufacturer’s List Price (MLP) “

bert

Saw the new yaris at the melbourne motor show and it is a looker with all this gear as standard no wonder MAZDA needs to update the 2.
TOYOTA will have a winner with the new YARIS.

Yonny

So you’re saying the new base model Yaris will have cruise control as standard? I’ll believe that when I see it. I’m not saying it won’t, just that it goes against long-established Toyota marketing. For example, the Corolla range – cruise isn’t standard on the base model (no doubt Toyota will make it standard at some stage but probably only when all of its market segment competitors have it as standard).

Troy Splann

i was so glad to get OUT of a NEW 2 a couple months ago, back into my 02 jazz (with 160 thousand kays on it )

M2 was nothing special at all ( but i did like the engine ) the car is a tiny plastic buzzbox.
http://www.ozmazda.com/ ozmazda

Well done Mazda the 2 is a great little car and the way the sales have been going it is one of the most popular choices in the small car market…
m2m

Intetgrated Bluetooth is all they need!! C’mon Mazda! It’s arguably more important than cruise control for the market they target! Keeps drivers off the phone/fidding with iPod etc.

http://www.ozmazda.com/ ozmazda

dont get me wrong…..but shouldn’t you be concentrating while u drive…who cares about bluetooth….I would rather more zoom