Small cars are big business for a number of companies and while Mazda hasn't been too focused on its supermini, that could be about to change. Previewed under the name "Hazumi" at March's Geneva Motor Show, the next generation Mazda2 hatch is about to hit our streets.
We're confident when saying most of the development has probably already been done in Japan, away from the prying eyes of any spy photographers. The car should be close to its final development stages right now, since a recently opened factory in Mexico is expected to start assembly later in 2014.
Mazda's cars are notorious for looking just like the concepts that previewed them and the littlest model they're making fits within that ideology perfectly. Like the compact Mazda3 and the CX-5 crossover SUV, it looks moody and angry. Around the office, we call it the Angry Birds car and you can see why.
There are a lot of new supermini on sale right now in Europe. The Fiesta was facelifted last year and is doing very well, with much the same results expected from the recently updated VW Polo. The Mazda2 will probably not be as complex and diverse as those models. Engine choices will probably boil down to just two: a 1.5-liter petrol with 100 hp, just like in the base 3, and a 1.5-liter diesel which is brand new.
One thing you will definitely notice about the new Mazda2 is its exterior styling. This is just another step in the KODO design language staircase, but it's the most confident one yet. Especially when you consider the smiling simpleton that is the current generation.
Speaking of which, the current 2er suffers from lack of space. Its architecture being designed over a decade ago, the Ford Fiesta spinoff is now too small for its class. Its replacement looks beefier and has a bigger wheelbase, though it hasn't become an MPV like the lesser known first-generation model.
That job is believed to be left to a brand new model that's coming next year and is based on the 2. The CX-3 will look tougher and crucially will have a larger boot and cabin.
Mazda's cars are notorious for looking just like the concepts that previewed them and the littlest model they're making fits within that ideology perfectly. Like the compact Mazda3 and the CX-5 crossover SUV, it looks moody and angry. Around the office, we call it the Angry Birds car and you can see why.
There are a lot of new supermini on sale right now in Europe. The Fiesta was facelifted last year and is doing very well, with much the same results expected from the recently updated VW Polo. The Mazda2 will probably not be as complex and diverse as those models. Engine choices will probably boil down to just two: a 1.5-liter petrol with 100 hp, just like in the base 3, and a 1.5-liter diesel which is brand new.
One thing you will definitely notice about the new Mazda2 is its exterior styling. This is just another step in the KODO design language staircase, but it's the most confident one yet. Especially when you consider the smiling simpleton that is the current generation.
Speaking of which, the current 2er suffers from lack of space. Its architecture being designed over a decade ago, the Ford Fiesta spinoff is now too small for its class. Its replacement looks beefier and has a bigger wheelbase, though it hasn't become an MPV like the lesser known first-generation model.
That job is believed to be left to a brand new model that's coming next year and is based on the 2. The CX-3 will look tougher and crucially will have a larger boot and cabin.