In the nine months since we took delivery of our Mazda2, the already attractive range has found new fans and become part of a much bigger family.

The diesel engine arrived in November, and the three-door variant joined the range in May.

As of the end of July, dealers will get the first Sport models without back doors.

In this trim, I think it’s a more attractive proposition than five doors.

For such a tiny car, the Mazda2 hides its rear doors very well, but the Sport is more likely to attract young drivers who will appreciate the slicker looks and £500 drop in price.

The three-door also offers slightly more shoulder room.

Our Mazda2 has given us nine months of fun behind the wheel, only let down by a few warranty niggles.

The 1.5 litre engine has loosened up well, but requires heavy footed driving to get the best results which makes it sound like it’s being thrashed.

The young buyers Mazda is targeting will love its good looks, lively colours and nippy performance, but they’re less likely to be impressed by some of the finer points of running a 2.

A puncture, for example, revealed replacing the sticky Toyo Proxes tyres costs around £120 a corner. That’s a big bill for a small car.

Inside, the biggest bugbear is the radio.

Rather than scanning through frequencies, tapping the steering wheel mounted buttons cycles through presets.

It’s a minor niggle, but makes finding new stations on the move a bit tiresome.

Tiny niggles are doing nothing to deter buyers.

Mazda has sold around 7,000 since last September, and raised its projected sales from 12,000 to 15,000 for 2008.

Proof that the 2 is finding the new buyers Mazda is after.

Specification

Price £12,149 (as tested)
Engine 1.5 16v petrol
Performance 0-62mph in 10.4 sec, top speed 117mph
Efficiency 47.9mpg (official) 36.7mpg (actual); 140g/km CO2
Test period Oct 2007- Oct 2008
Start mileage 693
Present mileage 11,851
CAP RV 3/yr30k 43% 60k 36%
Likes Cute looks, go-kart performance
Dislikes Thrashy engine noise