2007 Geneva Auto Show: 2008 Mazda2 hatchback
What we hate most about European car shows is reporting on a cool car that isn’t coming to the States. We’d been hoping that Mazda would be bringing its stylishly cool, all-new Mazda2 hatchback to America, but those hopes were dashed when we were told it just wasn’t time for the company to enter the subcompact fray in the U.S. One explanation was a lack of production capacity — the second-generation Mazda2 is expected to be extremely popular in Europe and Asia and there just wouldn’t be enough left over for the Americans — but our suspicious minds couldn’t help but think that parent company Ford is holding off the Mazda2 until Ford’s version of this shared chassis is ready to be unleashed as the next Fiesta. Or it could just be a case of waiting for the market to get hip to the appeal of a sporty little subcompact...
Some of the Mazda2’s design elements were first seen on Mazda’s SASSOU concept model shown at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show. For such a small car, there’s an abundance of surface excitement contained within the aggressive wedge shape, highlighted by a character line that swoops, er, zooms up from the front fender lip over the taillights. Whether you love it or hate it, the bodywork demonstrates how even very small cars can have a big impact on the eye.
The interior, too, carries forward the exterior’s strongly contoured forms to provide a level of visual movement that generally is absent in the subcompact class of cars. Passenger space is surprisingly generous given the car’s external dimensions. Compared to the compact Mazda3 hatchback, the Mazda2 is over 20 inches shorter from nose to tail, sits on a wheelbase almost 6 inches shorter and is a couple of inches narrower. However, the Mazda2 stands as tall over its tires as its larger sibling, providing plenty of headroom even in the rear seats. The Mazda2 is also a marvel of lightweight technology, weighing only 2,103 lbs. Mazda told us that its engineers managed to shave about 220 pounds off the former Mazda2, yet the body is stiffer, NVH is down, and safety is improved.
Two gasoline-powered inline double-overhead-cam four-cylinders and a diesel will power the Mazda2; the only transmission is a 5-speed manual. The 1.3-liter will be available in either 75-horsepower “standard power” or 84-hp “high power” versions; both feature sequential valve timing, while the 103-hp 1.5 also has a variable induction system for good low-end torque and brisk throttle response. Running gear choices are 14-inch steel wheels, 15-inch steel or aluminum wheels, or 16-inch aluminum wheels. Top speed of the 1.5 is said to be 115 mph.
If the Mazda2 delivers anything like the dynamic qualities of the Mazda3, then the rest of the world is in for a treat. Americans? You’ll have to wait for Ford to get its act together before this appealing subcompact makes it over our borders. —
Greg N. Brown, Contributor
- Permalink | Comments (11)
- Posted by: March 6, 2007, 1:19 PM
- Categories: Geneva Motor Show, Hatchbacks, Mazda
I say, "Amen!" to your first sentence!
Are there going to be any Straightline entries on the E61 M5 Touring?
I like it. The Fit is a huge hit, and this thing looks a bit more stylish. Why not bring it over here?
I really hope Mazda has a change of heart with this thing. It looks far better than the Fit, Yaris, Versa, Aveo and new Scion models. Give it even 110hp and it will be a fun little daily driver.
Make it a 2-door.
Wow, 2100lbs? Most subcompacts are 300lbs more. My old Tercel weighed 1950lbs, but it did feel slimsy and very collapsible (fun, though).
And it looks great. I have trouble seeing how the Fiesta can improve on it.
That's the thing with Ford. They've got great products all around the world, but they refuse to bring them here (though recently, there was a blog that stated otherwise). Now we have to wait for the crappy Fiesta version to be released (and probably fail) before Ford will consider bringing the Mazda2 over (which they probably wont do because the Fiesta will have done so poorly).
one thing i have to say in my family we have 2 Mazda and we love them and i am hoping to get a mazda 3 my self but if they make this one over here i will get this instead. i mean look at it i though Fit was a nice looking thing for a sub compact but this is like a whole another level. hands down to mazda when they first started coming out with those concept i thought they were bit too extream to make into production but well i was wrong i mean just look at the 2. Bring it to US.
The new Fiesta is rumored to be coming from Brazil. Might the Mazda2, too?
Man, I was seriously hoping this could be my next car... I would feel weird buying a Ford, but if the Fiesta is a quality vehicle, I might look at that.
Too bad Mazda doesn't have the production capability to bring this here, but what they say is logical. Non-US buyers do tend to buy this size far more than Americans do, and so you have to send them where they'll be sold faster. But this certainly is a MUCH better looker than the Fit, Aveo, Yaris, or Nissan. And unless Ford changes it's styling direction more toward the new Mondeo I'm sure they'd make a US Fiesta look more like a mini-focus.
At least we can still look forward to a sure-to-be killer new 6 in the fall. Mazda styling rocks!
Still holding out hope I can buy this next year :)