Cheap and cheerful diesel is a Mazda-piece

IS IT possible to drive a small diesel car without coming across as a cheapskate? It's a tough question. Most oil-burning tots are driven by the sort of people who phone you on their pay-as-you-go mobiles and then hang up after one ring, hoping you'll call back. The sort who'll head straight for the loo as soon as they enter a bar to avoid buying a round.

They'll know which household gas provider is the cheapest and will make a detour to find the cheapest fuel in their neighbourhood. These people are no fun. You should avoid them at all costs; not something we'd say about the Mazda2 1.4 diesel.

Even with just 68bhp on tap, the Mazda2 is a genuine entertainer and brings with it the minimal running costs of a city car and the handling you'd expect of a properly sporty hatchback.

The 1.4-litre diesel engine is quite a modest little thing, generating its 68bhp at 4,000rpm, with its peak torque figure of 160Nm arriving at a low 2,000rpm. This means there's plenty of pull when you need to make a quick getaway off the line.

Yes, the acceleration soon drops off, but in town it's usually those first few yards that count. The five-speed manual gearbox is slick and has some decently chosen gear ratios to make the most of the diesel engine's additional torque.

Against the clock it looks less impressive – 60mph coming and going in 15 seconds with a top speed of 101mph. The chassis is simple but very rigid, Mazda using MacPherson strut front suspension and a torsion beam at the back to keep costs down.

With a sharply rising waistline that suggests a three-door bodyshell, Mazda has managed to give the car a lithe profile while keeping the practicality of five doors. At the front, there's the traditional V-shaped Mazda grille and the headlights are very deftly smeared into the front bumper assembly.

The interior features a number of welcome design touches such as a glove box with integrated magazine rack. There's also a floor console between the front seats with a large rear tray affixed. In total, there's 250 litres of storage space, which isn't bad for a supermini.

The Mazda2 diesel range isn't hard to get a handle on. There are two engines offered, this 1.4-litre and an 89bhp 1.6. With the 1.4-litre unit we look at here, there's a single trim level; TS2, plus three and five-door bodystyles at prices starting at around 11,000. This compares favourably model for model with the current Ford Fiesta and the Seat Ibiza.

Mazda is bullish about its prospects, a marketing source noting "while styling is one of the most important factors in the buying process, consumers are increasingly aware of the environmental issues and demand for small capacity diesels is growing. We expect the new diesel models to account for 12 per cent of Mazda2 sales."

That doesn't sound a lot compared with the 60-odd per cent slice of the pie accounted for by diesel cars in the medium range family sector, but with small cars the incremental premium of a diesel engine is that much harder to absorb.

Still, at least the TS2 models are well-equipped, coming with anti-lock brakes, electric front windows, twin airbags, electric door mirrors, a CD stereo with an auxiliary input, alloy wheels, side and curtain airbags, wheel-mounted audio controls and air-conditioning.

So where's the catch? There is one rather significant caveat when it comes to buying the 1.4-litre Mazda2 diesel. The 1.3-litre petrol model in TS trim packs 74bhp, feels even more sparkling to drive and can be yours for less than the diesel. It'll still do 52.3mpg on the combined cycle compared with the diesel's 65.7mpg, so unless you're willing to rack up some serious mileages – which is unlikely for this sort of car – you won't recoup that money in terms of fuel bills.

Where the diesel car does score is in its low emissions, the sub-120g/km emissions meaning cheap taxation and exemption from congestion charging.

One other benefit of choosing a diesel is the enormous range – more than 600 miles – between fills. If you don't mind paying extra over the cost of a broadly comparable petrol-engined Mazda2, the 1.4- litre diesel model makes a lot of sense. As you might expect, it's super-economical, returning over 65mpg and its 114g/km emissions figure is also going to prove a key factor. What's not so well known is it's still very good fun to drive, the diesel engine weighing just 25kg more than the petrol unit, and it's versatile enough to work as a couple or small family's only car.

What's perhaps most refreshing about the Mazda2 is its philosophy. Where most cars get flabbier and more profligate with each successive generation, the Mazda2 is lighter than its predecessor.

Small wonder that this is one car that's nailed on for class honours.