Photo: CarPix
Remember when Toyota and Scion used to sell a Mazda2 subcompact sedan in the U.S.? Now, it will be Mazda's turn to sell Toyota's subcompact model under its name. The deal was just a rumor in 2019, but we now have spy shots to prove it is happening.
As you can observe, the prototype of the upcoming 2022 Mazda2 was spied without any camouflage, except for its logo and model name. The latter two are covered with black tape, and that was deemed as enough. The prototype still had the Hybrid badge from Toyota on the right side of its rear hatch, and it was not covered in any way.
Mazda previously confirmed that it would offer an “OEM-supplied model based on the Yaris Toyota Hybrid System” in Europe within the next two years. The confirmation arrived during a presentation of the Japanese brand's financial results, and the decision was motivated by the need to enhance and grow the range.
In other words, Mazda needed a hybrid in its range to reduce its CO2 emissions average, and introducing a hybrid subcompact hatchback on the European market is the best way to do so. Since they already had a partnership with Toyota on subcompact hatchbacks, this was an easy call. Or, at least, what appeared to be an easy call.
The ongoing generation of the Mazda2 subcompact hatchback was launched in 2014, but it received a facelift and several updates over the years. None of those updates involved adding a hybrid system. Implementing such a system would have been expensive, and the costs would have been reflected in the price of the resulting car.
Mazda is not the first automaker to rebadge a hybrid Toyota, as the Japanese conglomerate already has deals in place with brands like Suzuki and Subaru. Overall, this is a win for Toyota, as it gets to manufacture and sell more units, while other automakers get to have a product in showrooms with minimum development costs.
Mazda previously confirmed that it would offer an “OEM-supplied model based on the Yaris Toyota Hybrid System” in Europe within the next two years. The confirmation arrived during a presentation of the Japanese brand's financial results, and the decision was motivated by the need to enhance and grow the range.
In other words, Mazda needed a hybrid in its range to reduce its CO2 emissions average, and introducing a hybrid subcompact hatchback on the European market is the best way to do so. Since they already had a partnership with Toyota on subcompact hatchbacks, this was an easy call. Or, at least, what appeared to be an easy call.
The ongoing generation of the Mazda2 subcompact hatchback was launched in 2014, but it received a facelift and several updates over the years. None of those updates involved adding a hybrid system. Implementing such a system would have been expensive, and the costs would have been reflected in the price of the resulting car.
Mazda is not the first automaker to rebadge a hybrid Toyota, as the Japanese conglomerate already has deals in place with brands like Suzuki and Subaru. Overall, this is a win for Toyota, as it gets to manufacture and sell more units, while other automakers get to have a product in showrooms with minimum development costs.
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