Mazda2 details announced

Mazda has announced details of its new small hatchback, the Mazda2, ahead of the European launch. The new car is due on sale at the beginning of 2015 and should be priced from around £10,500 – though final pricing is to be confirmed.

A 1.5-litre petrol engine will be offered with three outputs, along with one diesel option. Petrol engine outputs are 75PS, 90PS and 115PS. The 75PS engine produces 135Nm of torque while the two higher output engines both produce 148Nm. Emissions for the three petrol engines are 110g/km, 105g/km and 115g/km, respectively.

The diesel option produces 105PS and 220Nm of torque, with emissions of 89g/km. It’ll be the most economical option, with official fuel consumption of 83.1mpg. The diesel uses a six-speed manual transmission, as does the 115PS petrol engine. The 75PS and 90PS petrol variants use a five-speed manual, while the 90PS version can be equipped with a six-speed automatic gearbox as an option.

The Mazda2 uses lightweight materials like aluminium in a bid to increase driving enjoyment and improve economy. Despite the light weight, Mazda claims the new 2 is stronger and safer in an accident, not least thanks to new active safety systems like blind spot monitoring.

Other new technology includes a head up display and MZD connectivity, which connects the car to the internet. These technologies will be offered in the UK but are unlikely to be standard. UK specification will be announced nearer the on sale date, which is expected to be early in 2015.