The Mazda2’s Skyactiv-Body ‘triple H’ body structure, which comprises 65 per cent high tensile steels, provides an incredibly strong and lightweight protective safety cell around driver and passengers. Standard-fit safety equipment includes - Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Emergency Stop Signalling (ESS), Hill Hold Assist (HHA) and Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). The supermini is also equipped with six airbags – dual front, side airbags and full-length curtain airbags – ISOFIX anchorage to the two outer rear seats, and five three-point seatbelts, four with pre-tensioners (not available on the centre rear seatbelt).

The optimised side and curtain airbags are of a larger capacity to not only cover the pelvis but also offer higher levels of impact protection to the chest and abdomen. Naturally, the head areas for both front and rear occupants are fully covered.

In addition to the Colour Active Driving Display featured on GT Sport this model also benefits from a reversing camera as standard, giving drivers a clearer image to make parking easier than ever and highlighting any potential hazards when reversing. The range topping GT Sport Tech features Driver Attention Alert, Blind Sport Monitoring with Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Smart City Brake Support Rear and a 360 degree camera.

Mazda’s i-Activsense suite of advanced safety technologies help the driver to be aware of potential hazards and avoid them. Standard on all  models except the 75ps SE-L, the Advanced Smart City Brake Support (SCBS) is designed to automatically stop the car, or reduce the speed of the car, when there is a risk of collision with the vehicle or pedestrian in front while travelling at speeds up to approximately 50mph. This helps the driver avoid or reduce the severity of a crash.

Using a near-infrared sensor mounted on the windscreen to constantly monitor preceding vehicles at a range of up to around six metres, SCBS primes the brakes to remove any play in the pedal if its detects a collision is imminent. If the driver does not respond to potential obstruction ahead, SCBS automatically applies the brakes, extensively reducing the possibility of impact at speeds of up to 10mph and significantly reducing the intensity of a collision.

Also standard from 90ps SE-L models upwards is Mazda’s Lane-keep Assist System (LAS). The intuitive system uses a front view camera mounted at the top of the windscreen to monitor the proximity of lane markings and determines whether or not the vehicle is about to unintentionally stray from its lane. It warns drivers via a vibration in the steering wheel and an audible sound from the corresponding side speaker along with a visual warning in the instrument panel.

Available to the GT Sport Tech trim only, Driver Attention Alert (DAA) is designed to reduce accidents caused by driver fatigue. Working a speeds over 40mph, the system begins to learn and interpret the driver’s habits, and if the system detects changes in the vehicle that suggests the driver may be losing concentration, it will play an audible sound and display a warning in the Multi-Information Display to suggest a break for the driver.

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