Description
The fourth generation of the Mazda 2 was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 2014. It was the first Mazda 2 built from scratch after the separation with Ford Motor Company.
Mazda shared its components and platforms with Ford for a long period of time, when Ford owned a part of the Japanese car-maker. In November 2008, Ford sold 20% of its shares in Mazda, reducing its stakes at 13.4%. And the technology exchange slowed down. The last remaining Ford stakes in Mazda were sold in 2015. By that time, the Japanese car-maker was on its feet, fighting to revive its brand as an independent constructor and the Mazda 2 was one of the key vehicles.
With a design language similar to the compact-sized Mazda 3, the 2 featured the same “Kodo” language. It meant curved surfaces “in harmony with nature” as the officials said. A big, pentagonal, grille stood like a shield in front of the car. A big opening in the front bumper suggested the sporty character of the car. It wasn't completely untrue.
Inside, the car was well designed and proportioned. Depending on the trim level, a sat-nav system with a rotary knob controller between the seats was a carry-over from its bigger brother (or sister), the 3. According to its small-segment stature, the 2 was spacious enough for four (maybe five) adults and it still had some trunk to be used for weekly shopping.
For the engine compartment, the SkyActive engine family with 1.3- and 1.5-liter engines. Apart from the base engine, which was mated with a 5-speed manual, the others were mated to a 6-speed manual. An option for a 6-speed automatic was available.
Press Release
Mazda revealed the all-new Mazda 2 as the unconventional carmaker launched production of its next-generation supermini at its Hofu plant south-east of Hiroshima. The fourth member of Mazda's current model generation features the full range of ultra-efficient SkyActiv Technology underneath a stunning KODO - Soul of Motion design that is bursting with energy.
With a winning combination of performance, fuel economy, safety and Mazda's patented driving fun, the all-new Mazda 2 has the potential to reproduce the immense popularity of its siblings - the Mazda CX-5, Mazda6 and Mazda3 - when it goes on sale in autumn starting in Japan. Evolving and enhancing the technology and ergonomics cultivated in these vehicles, the newest Mazda is expected to raise the bar in the crucial B segment, Europe's single largest in terms of market share.
The all-new Mazda 2 will premiere in Europe with a brand-new small displacement clean diesel engine, the SkyActiv-D 1.5, as well as different power versions of the petrol SkyActiv-G 1.5. Together with SkyActiv body, chassis, and manual and automatic transmissions, it also gets the company's innovative MZD Connect in-car connectivity system, a class-beating range of i-ActivSense active safety technology and a remarkably spacious and refined interior.
Applauded time and again for its outstanding value and unwavering reliability, more than 2.4 million Mazda 2s have been sold globally since it was first launched in 1996. With its new generation, Mazda is bringing another exciting interpretation of the supermini to drivers around the world.
