Mazda 2
RATING
SCORE
ADULT OCCUPANT
****
26
Front: 11
Side: 14
Seatbelt reminder: 1
CHILD OCCUPANT
***
25
PEDESTRIAN
**
10


 
Adult occupant protection
Frontal impact driver
Frontal impact driver
Frontal impact passenger
Frontal impact passenger
Side impact driver
Side impact driver
Side impact driver with side and head airbag option
Side impact driver with side and head airbag option

Child restraints
18 month old ChildBritax Roemer Lord, forward facing
3 year old ChildBritax Roemer Lord, forward facing
Pedestrian protection
No image car front available

Safety equipment
Front seatbelt pretensioners
Front seatbelt load limiters
Driver frontal airbag
Front passenger frontal airbag
Side body airbags
Side head airbags
Driver knee airbag
Car details
Hand of driveRHD
Tested modelMazda 2 1.4 Exclusive
Body typesupermini
Year of publication2004
Kerb weight1080
VIN from which rating appliesAll Mazda 2s (from VIN JMZNB2WPJN4L14537 a driver SBR is fitted)

Comments
From VIN JMZNB2WPJN4L14537 the Mazda 2 has been awarded an extra point that now means that the car has 26 points overall, following the installation of an intelligent seat belt reminder for the driver to fasten the seat belt. The Mazda 2 protected well enough in the side impact for a car without side (thorax) airbags fitted as standard. However, testers noted that a door on the struck side came partly unlatched but did not open. Mazda says that it is to investigate this problem. Child protection was mixed and pedestrian protection was average. Mazda paid for an additional side impact and pole test using cars fitted with optional side and head airbags. The results are shown below.

Front impact
The restraint systems worked reasonably but the front passenger experienced high forces fed through to his chest. The car’s fascia and footwell stood up to the crash. As with any small car, it was difficult to provide room to protect the driver’s knees. The steering column, its mounting and adjustment lever and fascia could all cause injuries. The car’s dash also put the front passenger’s knees at risk.

Side impact
The test car protected reasonably given that side airbags are not fitted as standard equipment across the range. But the driver ran some risk from the armrest and the intruding door and trim assembly. An optional head-protecting curtain did not safeguard the driver’s head.

Child-protection
Mazda recommended Britax Romer Lord restraints and these were forward- facing. The protection they gave was mixed. The younger child’s head was protected in the frontal and side impacts but the older child risked head injuries. Both risked chest injuries. Labels warning against using a rear-facing restraint opposite an airbag were well designed. They were fixed permanently to both sides of the passenger’s sun visor.

Pedestrian protection
The bonnet gave some cushioning where an adult’s and child’s head would most likely strike during an accident. But the wings and front of the car offered little protection. Tests on the bumper and the leading edge of the bonnet showed that they did little to prevent pedestrians suffering injuries.

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