2017 Mazda 2 Sedan 1.5 SkyActiv V+ Review - Behind the Wheel

Subcompact sedans sell like hotcakes and we at Autodeal know this However here's the thing, the closer a car gets to the price point of a million pesos the tougher time it has convincing that car buyer to get that particular model Today, we've got the 2017 Mazda 2 V-Plus a mid-model variant that sits at the gate of the Kodo family Now despite being an entry-level car, it still has the core technologies of Mazda such as Skyactiv Engineering and Kodo Design Now you may think that it looks exactly like its predecessor and you may be right except for slight changes such as the LED fog lamps have now a chrome accent and the turn signals on the side mirror are gone from a square to a line In the back, not much has changed. In fact, almost nothing at all What's worth mentioning though is that the trunk space is huge and I've got a 500 peso bet with my cameraman Vincent that he says that I can't fit in here So buddy, get ready to lose 500 bucks Yeah baby! Comfortable like there's no tomorrow Wait, what? Uh, Vincent? VINCENT! I'm sitting behind my normal driving position which means I've got lots of legroom and headroom However, I am only 5'5 So anybody taller than me, which is half the planet would probably be more comfortable sitting up front But don't get me wrong, the experience back here is great Plus you've got an O**** bar, like O**** Here up front, you'll find the bulk of the minute changes that I was talking about such as a new steering wheel You've got a carbon fiber-esque trim right here Up above it, you've got silver which replaces the red and new upholstery The biggest change to the Mazda 2 is the addition of G-Vectoring Control or GVC which is also available on the Mazda 3, the Mazda 6 and the CX-5 GVC technology improves the car's cornering reducing body roll by optimizing the vertical load on each tire instantaneously to achieve high levels of steering response and stability Overall, it results in a much better body-planted ride In and out of the city, the Mazda 2's compact size makes it a breeze navigating through roads and plus, as you do speed up the electronic power steering firms up giving you a much more stable ride Off the highway, road noise is a bit audible Now, that doesn't necessarily just rest on Mazda See, they have improved the cabin insulation of the car What it could boil down to is the choice of tires that they put on this Mazda 2 Now granted, they are eco tires which will last longer, true but as the nature of the beast, these tires are a bit louder Change is inevitable, but change is good You've got a few updates on the exterior a bit more on the interior and mainly the addition of G-Vectoring control What hasn't changed is the price You see, the 2017 Mazda 2 V Plus is available at the same price of Php 895,000 Now with all things considered, it definitely deserves a look