Mazda will set on sale its new Mazda 2 a ‘supermini’ on September with new chassis design, which is the same basic platform structure that will establish Ford’s new Fiesta. The new Mazda 2’s boxy profile of its predecessor will be replaced by the sleek and lines with wedges that are inspired by the 1995 Sassou concept car exhibited at Frankfurt. For the second generation’s design, the idea is to retain the company’s sporting concepts but covered with more maturity and impurities. Its curve lines make the new Mazda2 very interesting.
The new Mazda 2 will definitely be lighter and smaller than the model it substitutes. Mazda engineers have trimmed an amazing 100kg off the car’s mass, for a polished 960kg edge weight. They did the trimming by converting the current engine to an all-alloy one, augmenting the use of ultra high-strength steels, the introduction of a new electric power steering set-up and following the same gramme-by-gramme approach to the chassis and suspension that was applied to the MX-5.
Moreover, the new car is also 40mm shorter and 55mm lower than its predecessor. But the company claims that the trimming has not compromised the car’s safety record as it is expecting a full five-star Euro NCAP result.
The line up will initially come with the choice of three new petrol engines that include a 1.3-litre with 75bhp and 86bhp, and a 1.5-litre with 103bhp. All the three are hooked up to five-speed manuals. Next summer is the scheduled arrival of the three-door version and the five-speed auto and the 68bhp 1.4-litre turbodiesel from the present engine line-up will be unleashed in January.
With prices ranging from 8500 to 12,500, the Mazda will use the familiar TS, TS2 and Sport names. But among the three, the TS2 is expected to be the best seller with its four front airbags, traction and stability controls, 15-inch alloys, a powerful CD-MP3 stereo and a nifty multi-function steering wheel.
And because 100 kg has been extracted from its predecessor, this little Mazda assures lightness was well as energy. It comes with a fine body control, MacPherson strut front and torsion beam rear suspension, and wafer-light electrically assisted steering. With these parts and more, the car assures accuracy and excellent driving.
Aside from having more than 4500rpm, the new alloy blocked engine works cleanly and with ease, and yields 48mpg on the combined cycle. Its 140g/km CO2 emission means that its sits in a lower tax band than its predecessor. The 1.5-litre engine also has high tech features like variable inlet-cam timing, variable-length inlet tracks as well as swirl valves to further achieve combustion efficiency.
Top gear is relatively short at 20mph/1000rpm but it does not make hassle sounds and only starts to sound hoarse above 90mph. The car may be mini but it definitely delivers a genuinely spirited driving experience. Good news for small car fans: there are rumors that a three-door MPS version will be arriving later next year.
The cabin is tremendously spacious inside and six-footer passengers are very well accommodated. And despite retaining the same 2490mm wheelbase, the boot is more than just enough. The neat looking dashboard and center console are made up of plastics that contributed a lot in the reduced weight of the car.
The enveloped dimpled dash-top material is rigid and shiny. Although the overall designs are not that impressive, the mini car still feels very rigidly bolted together. And despite a steering wheel with rake-only adjustment, the driving position is spot-on and is visibility good.
About Mazda Motor Corporation
A Japanese automotive manufacturer that is based in Hiroshima, Japan, Mazda Motor Corporation is a well known producer of different types of vehicles as well as their corresponding Mazda OEM parts. It began supplying tools in 1929 and soon branched out into production of trucks for commercial purposes.
The manufacturer’s name is derived from the transcendental God of Zoroastrianism, Ahura Mazda. It is also believed that Mazda coincides with the anglicized pronunciation of Zoroastrianism founder’s name, Jujiro Matsuda, and opted to rename it in honor of both his family and the believers of Zoroastrianism. In the Avestan language, Mazda means “wisdom”. Nonetheless, because the company is from Japan, the name has always been pronounced and spelled as “Matsuda”. This leads the public to believe that “Mazda” is just an anglicized version of the founder.
The company is expected to produce 1.25 million vehicles annually as of 2006. Among Japan, Europe, North America, and Latin America, its sales will be evenly divided.
Mazda’s 33.4% of controlling interest is controlled by the Ford Motor Company.
