For those embracing, willingly or otherwise, a minimalist lifestyle, Mazda returns its bare-bones Mazda2 5-seat, 5-door compact hatchback to the 2014 small-family-oriented commuter-car wars. Essentially unchanged from 2013, this little (and it is little) mall-crawler again challenges Christmas shoppers with a relatively cramped 27.8 cubic feet of cargo area with the rear seats folded, but reviewers do tout it as a blast to drive. Trims, meantime, remain the base Sport and the slightly up-featured Touring.

Of course the Mazda2, which shares its platform with the Ford Fiesta (a result of the now-defunct Ford-Mazda partnership), remains available only with front-wheel drive (FWD) and still packs a 1.5-liter variable-valve-timed (VVT) inline 4-cylinder (I4) powerplant. The standard 5-speed manual transmission again manages the 4-banger’s 100 hp and 98 lb-ft of torque and can once more be exchanged for an outdated 4-speed automatic gearbox. This downsized hatchback may not beat anything off the line, but the latest iteration is touted to get 29 mpg city/35 highway with the stick-shift and 28/34 with the automatic, which lets one wave merrily at the green-light victors as they pull up to the gas pump on the next corner.

Meanwhile, the distinctly Spartan 2014 Mazda2 Sport again displays only 15-inch steel wheels outside, with cloth upholstery, full power accessories, tilt-wheel steering, simulated alloy interior accents, air conditioning and floor mats once more adorning the cabin. A single-CD player with 4 speakers and a USB port also remains standard.

The 2014 Mazda2 Touring trim adds 15-inch alloy wheels and a rear spoiler to jazz up its rather bland profile, while premium cloth upholstery, cruise control and a couple of extra speakers complete the ensemble.

Options once again include Bluetooth hands-free technology and an auto-dimming rear-view mirror with remote garage door opener, each available for either trim, while the Touring remains eligible for a few added exterior accent pieces.

Finally, the 2015 Mazda2 returns with such standard safety equipment as 4-wheel antilock brakes, traction and stability control, front and rear head airbags, and front side-mounted airbags, with the Touring again tossing in standard front fog/driving lights.