
Mazda confirmed today at a dealers meeting in Palm Springs that it will bring its subcompact Mazda 2 hatchback to the United States in late 2010. That's only a couple months behind the Ford Fiesta, with which the 2011 Mazda 2 shares its basic platform architecture.
We'll get a look at the U.S.-spec Mazda 2 in early December when it debuts at the 2009 L.A. Auto Show. Mazda says it will get more specific about on-sale timing, pricing, specs and equipment at the show.
We don't yet know whether we will get the five-door Mazda 2 unveiled at the 2007 Geneva Auto Show, the three-door version unveiled last year, or both. Either way, we'll be getting a car that has won numerous awards in Europe and Japan. Lightweight construction is often cited as the key advantage of the Mazda 2 over other subcompacts. Company engineers put considerable emphasis on cutting weight (without compromising safety) to improve fuel efficiency and performance.
"You've asked us for it for a while now, and we've been studying the market to make sure we can make a business case for it across North America," Jim O'Sullivan, Mazda North American Operations' president and CEO, told the assembled dealers. "As consumers' tastes and attitudes toward small vehicles have changed, we now believe strongly there is a place in our lineup for a car below our current least-expensive car, the Mazda 3."