This is the new Mazda 2, which had its global unveil last week. Given how popular its larger siblings (3 and 6) are with Malaysians, this will be a car to watch when it is launched in Malaysia, which will likely be towards the end of this year (according to a research report) or sometime in the first half of 2015.
The new Mazda 2 will begin its production at Mada's Hofu plant this autumn, but it will likely see additional production or assembly sites in countries like Mexico and Thailand. Who knows, Berjaya Auto might decide to assemble it in Malaysia as well, but with the B-segment being more of a volume game with lower margins, this will depend on how many it thinks it will be able to sell.
There are 10 exterior colours available in Japan - this will of course differ from country to country. The hero colour is of course red, but there are a lot of other colours including pink and three shades of blue. There are also four choices of interior, including one shade that's combined with leather.
We've decided to compare the new 2 with other B-segment hatchbacks including the Ford Fiesta, which the Mazda 2 used to share a platform with. Mazda and Ford have since parted ways, with Mazda developing their own engine, gearbox and platform for their passenger cars. With the new Mazda 2 on the showroom floors, the last Mazda-Ford JV product on sale will be the Mazda BT-50 pick-up truck.
| | Old Mazda 2 | 2015 Mazda 2 | 2014 Honda Jazz | Ford Fiesta 1.5 |
| Length | 3,922 mm | 4,060 mm | 3,955 mm | 3,982 mm |
| Width | 1,695 mm | 1,695 mm | 1,694 mm | 1,722 mm |
| Height | 1,485 mm | 1,500 mm | 1,524 mm | 1,489 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,490 mm | 2,507 mm | 2,530 mm | 2,489 mm |
| Engine | 1.5L | 1.3L/1.5L* | 1.5L | 1.5L |
| Gearbox | 4 AT | 6 AT | CVT | 6 DCT |
| Horsepower | 102 hp | 92 hp/100 hp* | 118 hp | 110 hp |
| Torque | 135 Nm | 121 Nm/150 Nm* | 145 Nm | 140 Nm |
*No official Mazda 2 1.5L Skyactiv figures released yet, numbers from Mazda 3 1.5 Skyactiv
As you can see from the comparison table above, the new Mazda 2 has grown quite a bit over the old one, and it is the only B-segment hatchback in the above list that breaks the 4 metre length mark. If Mazda wants to sell this little hatchback in India, it might have to develop a revised design that is under 4 metres in length for tax reasons, as taxes in that populous country is lower for cars under 4 metres in length.
Its wheelbase of 2,507mm has grown 17mm over the previous model, giving it the second longest wheelbase of the cars compared above, losing out only to the Honda Jazz. Hopefully this will translate to a larger interior. The benchmark in the segment is probably the Honda Jazz thanks to its superb packaging and the advantage of its higher overall height.
Another interesting engine option that's not listed above is the 1.5 litre SkyActiv-D, a little turbodiesel motor that does 105 PS at 6,000rpm and 250 Nm of torque from 1,500-2,500rpm when mated to the 6-speed automatic gearbox. Torque is a little lower when mated to the 6-speed manual, at 220 Nm.
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