THE light car class is a hive of interesting activity lately (Fiesta, Polo, i20, upcoming Swift), but the recently facelifted, newly Thai-built Mazda2 remains one of the leading baby contenders thanks to a combination of style, performance, practicality and agility. Three years on from launch, the DE series is beginning to show its age in some areas (such as cabin presentation), but the littlest offering from the ‘zoom-zoom’ people is a nicely formed example as to why buyers who begin with this brand so often stick with it.