This is the face of the new, updated Mazda 2, which will make its entrance at the Paris motor show in September 2010. As facelifts go, it’s not going to have you falling off your chair with excitement; what you see here is a light fettling to keep the 2 up to date with its formidable competition.
New Mazda 2: the detail
While it’s not the best supermini out there (Ford’s excellent Fiesta currently occupies that throne in CAR’s world view), we’ve always had something of a soft spot for the second-generation Mazda 2, the principal reason being its non-subscription to the usual theory that bigger is better. Weighing in at under a tonne, it’s almost a throwback to superminis of yore – and we mean that in a good way.
Thankfully the new Mazda 2 doesn’t appear to have changed much. The front end has received attention from the stylist’s pen in order to bring it in line with Mazda’s current line-up, and features new headlamps alongside a layered grille. Lower down, the grinning air intake and foglight surrounds clearly ape the current Mazda 3 and forthcoming 5.
We’ve never quite loved the interior quality of the 2 (especially when compared to the likes of, say, VW’s new Polo), but Mazda’s promising an upgraded cabin this time around.
What else is new on the 2010 Mazda 2?
Other changes include a chassis supposedly tuned for greater ride comfort, and a tweaked range of engines – although we won’t know anything about these until the Paris show gets underway.
The facelifted Mazda 2 goes on sale in the UK in October 2010.