Name: Mazda 2 Hybrid (2022 – present) | Expert Rating | The Car Expert
Item: Mazda 2 Hybrid
Rating: 75.0

Summary

The Mazda 2 Hybrid is a small five-door hatchback that is – confusingly – entirely unrelated to the Mazda 2, which is also a small five-door hatchback. It was launched in Spring 2022, with a minor updated in early 2024.

The 2 Hybrid is actually a Mazda-badged Toyota Yaris, rather than a hybrid-engined version of the existing Mazda 2. It exists because the EU has average CO₂ emissions targets for car manufacturers, and Mazda needs this car to make sure it hits those targets. So now it has two completely different cars in the same market segment.

The only differences between the Mazda 2 Hybrid and the Yaris are some very minor styling changes to the front bumper and grille, a smattering of equipment differences, and some Mazda badges. The starting price is about £1,500 dearer than the Yaris as of May 2024.

Both the Mazda 2 Hybrid and Toyota Yaris come with a three-year new car warranty, although Toyota will extend this until up to ten years if you keep having your car serviced at Toyota. Mazda doesn’t offer a similar service. Toyota also has many more dealers in the UK, which is convenient when you need servicing or if you have a problem under warranty.

Most of the media reviews have reported, unsurprisingly, that the 2 Hybrid drives and feels exactly like a Yaris. As Carbuyer says, “consider it alongside the Toyota Yaris on which it’s based, and it simply fails to present any worthwhile reason why you should buy it instead”.

James Attwood at Autocar describes it as “an efficient, economical and enjoyable supermini”, while Al Suttie from Heycar laments that the 2 Hybrid “is not as good to drive as the regular Mazda 2”.

As of October 2024, the Mazda 2 Hybrid holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 72%. It scores top marks for its very low running costs and CO₂ emissions, and excellent safety rating, but its media review scores have been mostly below average.

More Mazda Expert Ratings, new car reviews, news and features

Mazda 2 Hybrid highlights

Economical hybrid engine
Very good safety rating
Very low running costs

Mazda 2 Hybrid lowlights

Literally a re-badged Toyota Yaris
More expensive than the Yaris
Not as good to drive as regular Mazda 2

Key specifications

Body style: Small car, five-door hatch
Engines: petrol/electric hybrid
Price: From £24,135 on-road

Launched: Spring 2022
Last updated: Spring 2024
Replacement due: TBA

Image gallery

Media reviews

Reviews, road tests and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

Auto Express+

Score: 7 / 10
“The Mazda 2 Hybrid is an excellent offering in the supermini segment thanks to its obvious Yaris-based roots. The new styling is subjective, but creating a more familiar ‘Mazda’ face on what is otherwise a rather shameless badge-engineering job, is commendable. It’s a shame the pricing doesn’t quite stack up against its Toyota sibling, however.”
Author: Alastair Crooks
Read review

Autocar+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7 / 10
“It’s not really a Mazda 2, but it is an efficient, economical and enjoyable supermini.”
Author: James Attwood
Read review

Car+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 6 / 10
“This is a clever supermini and competes in a very small field, trumping the £26k+ Honda Jazz Hybrid. If you regularly pootle around town but want a hybrid rather than a range-restricted EV, we’d say the Mazda 2 Hybrid is a shrewd buy. Just check the similar Yaris Hybrid isn’t just as good for less money first.”
Author: Tim Pollard
Read review

Carbuyer+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7.6 / 10
“The Mazda2 Hybrid is an undeniably good car, but the Toyota Yaris on which it’s based makes a better case for itself.”
Author: Charlie Harvery, Alastair Crooks
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Carwow+

Model reviewed: Range overview
“Buying in hybrid tech from market-leader Toyota is just good common sense, but it might have been nicer of Mazda had made the 2 Hybrid more obviously a Mazda, rather than just a Yaris with different badges.”
Read review

Heycar+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“Mazda has turned to Toyota for help in offering a hybrid supermini, so the 2 Hybrid is largely a rebadged Yaris. That’s good in many ways, but it does mean the Hybrid is not as good to drive as the regular Mazda 2.”
Author: Al Suttie
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Honest John+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The Mazda 2 Hybrid delivers in all the key areas you would expect it to, but is more expensive than the virtually identical Toyota Yaris Hybrid, which is likely to be a problem for many buyers.”
Read review

Parkers+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 6.8 / 10
“Mazda’s frugal hybrid is a Yaris in (hardly any) disguise.”
Author: Tim Pollard
Read review

Top Gear+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 5 / 10
“The Mazda 2 Hybrid starts at around £1,300 more than the equivalent Toyota Yaris. What exactly are you getting for your extra dosh, other than Mazda’s softer take on the design? Not much at all. If it’s an ultra-frugal runabout you’re after, go for the Yaris and be done with it.”
Author: Shafiq Abidin
Read review

Safety rating

Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

Overall score: 5 stars
Date tested: December 2021
Read the full Euro NCAP review

Adult protection: 86%
Child protection: 81%
Vulnerable road users: 78%
Safety assist: 85%

Notes on safety rating

The Mazda 2 Hybrid’s safety rating is taken from the Toyota Yaris rating – all that Euro NCAP did was confirm that the safety equipment included on the Mazda was the same as the Toyota.

Eco rating

Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP

No eco rating

As of October 2024, the Mazda 2 Hybrid has not been lab tested by Green NCAP.

Reliability rating

Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy

No reliability rating

As of October 2024, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Mazda 2 Hybrid to generate a reliability rating.

The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusively to us using workshop and extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy, sourced from both official dealerships and independent workshops.

As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the 2 Hybrid, we’ll publish the results here.

Running cost rating

Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data

CO₂ output	Average	Score	Variation	Score
Hybrid models	93 g/km	A	87 – 98 g/km	A – A

Insurance group	Average	Score	Variation	Score
All models	14	A	13 – 15	A – A

Service and maintenance	Cost	Score
Year 1	£178	A
Year 2	£491	A
Year 3	£787	A
Year 4	£991	A
Year 5	£1,290	A
Overall	£3,737	A

The Mazda 2 Hybrid is a very affordable car to own and run, according to whole-life cost numbers provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our data partner, Clear Vehicle Data.

The 2 Hybrid has a straight-A scorecard for running costs – Mazda hasn’t provided fuel economy information to Clear Vehicle Data as of October 2024, but it will be the same as the Toyota Yaris which scores an A.

There are fewer new cars cheaper to run than the Mazda 2 Hybrid.