City VS Mazda 2 @One Shift (page1)

Story and Photos by Raymond Lai - 22 Apr 2010

Can't stretch your budget for that spanking new Civic or Mazda3? Well, the City and the newly introduced Mazda2 Sedan could well be competent but yet more affordable alternatives.

Zooming in

The budget small saloon market has been dominated by a single model in recent years - the Toyota Vios. The Vios is a hugely competent small family car but when it comes to features and specifications, its old adversary, the Honda City easily trumps the perennial Toyota.

The City was first introduced in 1996 and just like the Vios, was specifically developed for Asian markets. The current City is the fourth generation model and just like its predecessor, the City's underpinnings are based on the popular Jazz compact hatchback.

The Vios too is also based on a hatchback model - the Yaris in this case. And then there's the new Mazda2 Sedan. As its name suggests, the Mazda2 Sedan is based on Mazda's small hatchback model. Like the Vios and the City the Mazda2 Sedan is also built in Thailand for the emerging markets in Asia.

Ideally, we would have wanted to pit the Vios against both the City and Mazda but the Toyota model was recently put through a facelift and will only be available at local showrooms in the coming weeks, hence it'll be only a two-way battle here between the well established City and the new kid on the block Mazda.

Bootie call

I have to say that I'm a big fan of the Mazda2 hatchback's styling - it looks sporty, well proportioned and rather purposeful for a Japanese supermini. Its athletic nature does make the relatively tall Honda Jazz look relatively ponderous and a tad slab sided.

The Sedan is similar to the hatchback up to the front doors and both models share the same wheelbase but the Sedan is a significant 349mm longer thanks to the longer rear overhang. Sedans derived from hatchback models typically have a boot extension grafted on to its rear and the Mazda2 is no different. The proportions look fine when viewed from the front three quarter or the side but when seen straight from the rear or the rear three quarter, the Mazda's backside look dumpy and overtly high, at this point, it starts to remind me of the Toyota Echo saloon. The prominent rising feature line along the flanks culminates on top of the low slung tail lamps on the hatch, but on the saloon, the line continues on to end on the relatively tall boot line, hence the heavy rear. On the upside, Mazda's designers have done well to incorporate a C-pillar treatment that mimics the 3 saloon's.

I have never thought that the previous generation City was ever a good looker. To me, it was just Jazz with a slightly restyled nose and an afterthought boot grafted on at the rear - there was no styling finesse at all and the proportions just looked weird.

I wouldn't say the same about this current City though. It isn't easy to get the proportions right for any compact saloon as the booted Mazda2 shows, but Honda's designers have nailed it with their compact saloon.

The City certainly looks dynamic and handsome; especially up front where the FCX Clarity's inspired nose treatment gives it a sporty stance. In addition, the way the C-pillar meets the boot line gives the City an elegant profile and feel, something Mazda's designers failed to achieve with the 2 Sedan. Side by side, the City just looks better proportioned and better sorted than the 2 Sedan.