Green NCAP has rated the Skyactiv-G 1.51 powered Mazda2 with 3.5 stars for fuel efficiency and emissions. The outcome places the tested 55kW/75PS version of Mazda’s award-winning B-segment model in an exclusive club of internal combustion-powered vehicles.
Mazda Motor Europe's powertrain manager Heiko Strietzel says results like these validate the strategy at Mazda to continue improving internal combustion and in doing so "mitigate today the real-world environmental impact of our cars".
“It’s part of our multi-solution approach that includes different forms of power and, as always, painstaking efforts to reduce every possible gram of weight.”
Mazda boasts that it is lightweight and responsive, as well as efficient, adding that the attractive subcompact is one of only three internal combustion vehicles without a full hybrid system to be awarded 3.5 stars. Only full battery-electric (BEV ) and plug-in electric (PHEV ) models have achieved higher Green NCAP ratings.
“Congratulations to Mazda on the impressive performance, especially in terms of fuel efficiency,” says Green NCAP’s Aleksandar Damyanov.
Besides its good mileage, the organisation highlighted Mazda2’s low pollutant emissions, noting that the supermini would have scored even better had it been equipped with a gasoline particulate filter.
New model even more efficient
Mazda claims the latest 55kW/75PS version of the 2022 ‘2’ currently being rolled out in Europe features a higher compression (15:1 v 13:1 ) Skyactiv-G petrol engine with new technology2. As a result, Mazda says it has reduced fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by around 10 per cent compared to the model tested, despite going without the Mazda M Hybrid system, while also adding six per cent more torque.
And Mazda boasts that its official figures are remarkably accurate in the real world too. The Mazda2’s average consumption during the Green NCAP tests was only marginally higher than the official WLTP combined-cycle figure.