Mazda Brings Mazda2 Subcompact to North America for 2010

By Nick Mokey Published December 4, 2009

If Mazda’s current runt of the litter, the Mazda3, still offers a bit too much Zoom Zoom for your budget, take heed. An even tinier and more fuel efficient version is on the way.

mazda_mazda2_2011_01 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The pint-sized Mazda2, which has already made its way around Europe, Japan and Australia, will finally come to the U.S. for summer 2010. Mazda revealed the North American version for the very first time at the LA Auto Show on Tuesday.

Recommended Videos

The compact hatchback bears a striking resemblance to Ford’s new Fiesta, but despite Mazda’s partnership with the U.S. automaker, the company insists the Mazda2 was “engineered from scratch to be a pure Mazda.”

It will come with a 1.5-liter engine and either automatic or five-speed manual transmissions, but Mazda hasn’t yet released performance or fuel economy figures. The engine used in the existing European version offers 103 horsepower and 101 foot-pounds of torque.

mazda_mazda2_2011_02 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Mazda has also remained hush-hush on price for the moment, but anxious would-be owners can expect a starting sticker in the neighborhood of $16,000, based on the car’s price abroad.

Topics

LA Auto Show

Editor in Chief

As Digital Trends’ Editor in Chief, Nick Mokey oversees an editorial team covering every gadget under the sun, along with…

Cars

Mini’s infotainment system is very charming, but still needs work

Main screen of the Mini infotainment system

When you think Mini, you probably don’t think of infotainment. Personally, I think of the British flag taillights, the distinct exterior, and the surprising room on the inside. But after driving the Mini John Cooper Works Countryman over the past week, infotainment might well be something I think of more often when it comes to Mini. It’s charming.

It also, however, suffers from all the traps that other legacy automakers fall into when it comes to software design. Mini has something on its hands here — but it still needs some work.
Bringing the charm
The first thing that stood out to me about the system when I got in the car was how fun it was. That all starts with the display. It’s round! No, it’s not curved — the screen is a big, round display sits in at 9.4 inches, and I found it plenty large enough for day-to-day use.

Cars

Plug-in hybrids are becoming more popular. Why? And will it continue?

Kia Niro EV Charging Port

There's a lot of talk about the idea that the growth in electric car sales has kind of slowed a little. It's not all that surprising -- EVs are still expensive, early adopters all have one by now, and they're still new enough to where there aren't too many ultra-affordable used EVs available. But plenty of people still want a greener vehicle, and that has given rise to an explosion in hybrid vehicle sales.

That's especially true of plug-in hybrid vehicles, which can be charged like an EV and driven in all-electric mode for short distances, and have a gas engine as a backup for longer distances or to be used in combination with electric mode for more efficient driving.

Cars

EV drivers are not going back to gas cars, global survey says

ev drivers are not going back to gas cars global survey says screenshot

Nearly all current owners of electric vehicles (EVs) are either satisfied or very satisfied with the experience, and 92% of them plan to buy another EV, according to a survey by the Global EV Drivers Alliance.

The survey of 23,000 EV drivers worldwide found that only 1% would return to a petrol or diesel car, while 4% would opt for a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) if they had to replace their car.