LAST year, a friend was deciding on her first car and one of the options that I recommended, straight out, was the Mazda2. Back then, the new generation Premium line had not even been launched; the last year model of the Mazda2 that I was able to drive was the 2016. Yet, the impression remained that this was a car worth keeping on the list if you’re on the market for a no-nonsense, reliable subcompact that comes with impeccable style.