It was one of the surprise packages at this year’s Geneva Motor Show, and for the most part the all-new Mazda 2 has been strongly influenced by the well-received Hazumi concept. Aside from the new headlights, door handles and wing mirrors, the new 2 is a carbon-copy of the concept, with the production model set to debut in Paris this October. Following the CX-5, 6, and 3, the next-gen 2 is the latest Mazda model to adopt the carmaker’s SkyActiv technology and Kodo design language.
Official details are limited, but Mazda has confirmed the new 2 will be its first model powered by the new 1.5-liter turbodiesel, while the 1.5-liter gasoline engine from the 3 will also be on offer in the 2 in various states of tune mated to six-speed automatic and manual boxes. Dubbed the Demio in Japan, production of the JDM-spec model has already begun, with models to be rolled out locally from the fall. Built on a new platform that will be utilized by a new Toyota supermini in North America, the Mazda 2 will be one of the lightest cars in its segment. The interior is also said to be “remarkably spacious” and more “refined” influenced by the 3 with high-quality materials, and the firm’s new MZD Connect in-car connectivity system.
