New Mazda2 a Frankfurt no-show

The shutters remained firmly down on the all-new Mazda2 this week at the IAA show in Frankfurt.

Although many pundits, including some company insiders, expected the new Mazda2 to be star of the Japanese brand’s stand at Europe’s premier motor show, instead the new Mazda3 hatch and sedan were shown together for the first time.

And it now seems unlikely the new Mazda2 will be unveiled in November at the Tokyo motor show, where it’s believed Mazda’s first hybrid model – based on the new Mazda3 – will make its world debut at the company’s home show.

“It’s too early for the model cadence,” a senior Mazda Europe source told motoring.com.au, suggesting the reveal of the new Mazda2 would need to be spaced out from that of the Mazda3, which was fast-tracked ahead of it.

The Mazda3’s starring role at Frankfurt was due to the cancellation of this year’s Australian International Motor Show, which was scheduled for mid-2013 in Melbourne. Mazda’s initial plans were for the new 3 to make its world debut in Australia, where the replacement for Mazda’s best-seller arrives in February.

The next Mazda2’s development has also been impacted by the fact it will also form the basis of Mazda’s all-new baby CX-3 crossover, which is a potential starter for the Geneva motor show in March, probably in concept form.

“It [the new 2] was delayed and now it’s unlikely to be on sale until very last in 2014.”

It’s not clear whether the new Mazda2 will first be seen in concept or showroom-ready form, or even if it will beat its SUV derivative into production. What is certain is that both the 2015 Mazda 2 and CX-3 will share no common architecture with the current 2’s twin, the Ford Fiesta.

The new Mazda2 and is a full SKYACTIV car and features a new smaller, lighter version of Mazda’s unique chassis architecture, as well as new powerplants and running gear.

The next Mazda2 will debut the first of Mazda’s small-capacity direct-injection SKYACTIV-G petrol and SKYACTIV-D diesel high-efficiency powertrains. At this stage it’s likely only a petrol-engined Mazda2 will be offered, powered by an all-new 1.4- or 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine.

Mazda’s new 1.5-litre SKYACTIV-D turbo-diesel is likely to be too large for European market acceptance in a car the size of the new Mazda2.

The added expense of a turbo-diesel engine relative to its reduction in fuel use means the Mazda2 will remain a petrol-only model for markets like Australia. A three-cylinder engine based on the 1.5-litre SKYACTIV-D could be a potential future direction for Mazda in the European theatre.

After a relatively quite new model period, Mazda is set for a busy phase of renewal. In addition the new Mazda3 range, next year will also see both the mid-size Mazda6 sedan/wagon and CX-5 crossover facelifted up to two years earlier than expected.

A key factor in determining the timeline for this update is connectivity. Both the Mazda6 and CX-5 use older sat-nav and infotainment infrastructure that is not fully integrated into the SKYACTIV platform. Both vehicles are set to benefit from the integration of the newer Johnson Controls supplied system that debuts in the new Mazda3.

Plans for the replacement of the CX-9 are still unclear. Mazda is believed to have a turbocharged 2.5-litre version of the Mazda6’s SKYACTIV-G four-cylinder petrol engine in development, however, it is unclear how this would be accepted in the CX-9’s key marketplaces of North America and Russia.

Of course, Mazda’s big launch for 2014 remains the all-new MX-5. A concept version of the car could appear as early as the New York or Geneva motor shows in the first quarter of next year, although the full production model is unlikely to be revealed until next September’s Paris motor show or later.

Check out the 2013 Frankfurt motor show photo gallery

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