Mazda 2

GENEVA — When Mazda took the wraps off its Mazda 2, the company's new mini-crossover, on Tuesday, it revealed an impressive little performer that is expected to return 44 mpg with a 1.3-liter engine. It is also about 220 pounds lighter than its predecessor, with a 2,103-pound curb weight for the 1.3-liter model.

The Mazda 2 is based on the redesigned Demio, which goes into production in Japan later this spring. The new Demio and Mazda 2 will be the first global products to be built on the next-generation Fiesta platform. The Mazda 2 is noteworthy to American consumers because a variant also is expected to be assembled in Brazil and marketed in the United States at about the same time as the new Fiesta hatchback.

The Mazda 2 will be launched initially with two gas engines: a DOHC 1.3-liter engine with standard 74- and 83-horsepower derivatives, depending on the market, and a peppy 103-hp DOHC 1.5-liter engine with a preliminary top speed of 116 mph. Mazda says it will also roll out a 1.4-liter diesel engine a few months after launch.

Some of the design elements of the Mazda 2 come directly from the Mazda SASSOU design concept that made its debut at the 2005 Frankfurt Auto Show. A sport appearance package will be optional in some markets, and dynamic stability control will be an option in Europe and Australia. Front side airbags and side curtain airbags will also be optional. The Mazda 2 has a MacPherson-strut front suspension and a torsion-beam rear suspension.

The cabin features a glovebox with a magazine rack that allows passengers to get to road maps without opening the glovebox. A 60/40-split-folding rear seat is optional on some trim levels.

© Source: article on insideline
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