February 2007: The March Geneva Auto-Show will mark the debut of the 2008 Mazda2 - B-segment entry the public has been asking for. It is not sure if Mazda is going to bring the Mazda2 to the North American market yet.

The Mazda2 is designed with Mazda family cues and proportions, with the now traditional large headlamp assemblies that frame the corporate 5-sided grill. The current Mazda design of raised hoods, blends cleanly into the A-pillars, and Mazda's theme of prominent fenders, moves down to a side body line, which is a lot more rounded than current Mazda2 model, then flows over the sides of the car to the a mid-high rear taillamp section, which is placed slightly below very clean and compact rear window.



The Mazda2 is a five-door hatchback that is two feet shorter than the Mazda3 hatchback, this is even shorter than a Honda Fit and other competitors. As has been the practice amoung most B-segment cars, the Mazda2 is designed tall on a long wheelbase there by providing maximum occupant and cargo room for in a minimum space allotment. The Mazda2 has its wheels at the extreme corners of the vehicle, so much so, that the rear clearance is no more than the bumper structure itself.

The Mazda2 in Europe and Japan will recieve power from a variety of gas engines at first, then a diesel power plant will join the fray in the future. There will be two different 1.3-liter inline-fours engines offered; a 74 or 82 horsepower version. The largest gas engine available will be a 1.5-liter powerplant that is rated at 101-hp with 100-lbft of torque. Mazdas current five-speed manual will be offered in the entire model range.



We are hoping to see the Mazda offer this smallest of its vehicles in all it's markets, but we are sure that none of the 1.3 liter models will make North America, but we still hold out hope for the 1.5 version. The Mazda2 1.5 seems a good competitor to other B-Segment models being offered in the North American market, and we sure hope Mazda sees this too! Yaris and FIT, watch out!!