Mazda announces diesel '2' for Europe

Mazda's latest generation of its ('B segment') light car, the Mazda2, is proving very popular all around the world. In Australia, the smallest Mazda has virtually doubled the company's light segment sales overnight. The story is similar elsewhere, with 60,000 units being sold in Europe.

Not a company to let the grass grow under its feet -- which is not all that environmentally sensitive, really -- Mazda is consolidating the Mazda2's strengths in the marketplace with a minor upgrade and a new diesel engine, displacing 1.6 litres and developing 205Nm of torque from 2000rpm.

The new car, unveiled at the Paris motor show, uses just 4.2L/100km of fuel in combined-cycle tests and emits 112g/km of CO2. Peak power of 66kW occurs at 4000rpm and the all-alloy DOHC engine drives through a five-speed manual transmission to propel the Mazda2 to a maximum speed of 173km/h.

Along with the introduction of the diesel engine option, the Mazda2 gains two new colours -- Passion Orange mica and Aluminium metallic mica -- as well as minor changes to the interior and a revised Sports Appearance Package option.

Different levels of trim are variously upgraded with some variants now featuring silver highlights, some with a revised centre fascia in a gloss black finish and some gaining cloth for the door trim inserts. Some models are also upgraded with black-out instruments.

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