Mazda 2 - in the open

Mazda has published images of its new 2, ahead of its release at the Geneva Motor Show next month, and just days after CarPoint/Carsales published the first (disguised) images of the car Down Under.

The new 2 clearly builds on the theme set by the Sassou showcar (also pictured) first displayed at Frankfurt show in later 2005.

Says the burgeoning Japanese carmarker of the new car: "The all-new Mazda2 is more than just a model freshening of the current Mazda2. In 2002, the Mazda6 heralded the arrival of Mazda's new generation of Zoom-Zoom vehicles, and now the Mazda2 becomes the first of these to evolve to the next level. As such, the new Mazda2 represents the progression of Mazda's Zoom-Zoom brand promise."

Based on data published in the German media (details of the car are still embargoed according to Mazda Australia) the new 2 is 52mm shorter than the current car and rides on a near-identical 2490mm wheelbase. It has grown 15mm in width to 1695mm but as the photos indicate, the car is more than 60mm lower than the existing model.

According to Auto Motor Und Sport, three petrol engines and a 1.4-litre turbodiesel will be offered in Europe. Australian buyers will likely be offered just one powerplant – most likely a 84kW/121Nm version of the Euro-market 1.3-litre petrol. That said, a rumoured 103kW/136Nm 1.5-litre engine could be the basis for an interesting Mazda2 hot hatch.

The new Mazda2 is based on a next-generation platform that will also underpin Ford's next Fiesta.

It's expected to be unveiled locally at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney in October.

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