Mazda had already announced plans to sell the Mazda2 in Canada, but now Mazda's subcompact will be coming to America as well. Mazda North American Operation's president and CEO Jim O'Sullivan told top Mazda dealers that the Mazda Mazda2 subcompact will be sold in the U.S. beginning in late 2010, with Canadian sales beginning about the same time.
The Mazda2 has been sold in world markets but not thought appropriate for the U.S. With the Ford Fiesta, which shares a platform with the Mazda2, scheduled to arrive here in the summer of 2010, it must have made sense to bring Mazda's subcompact Stateside.
"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 Mazda3," O'Sullivan told the dealers.
Although the Mazda2 has been named Car of the Year in more than twenty countries as well as 2008 World Car of the Year (the year the latest generation was introduced), the Mazda Mazda2 is largely unknown in the United States. Mazda has not sold a car in this class since 1985, when it took the GLC, which it had been selling here since 1977, off the American market. The Mazda2 is a "B-segment" car, meaning it's about the same size as a Toyota Yaris. The Mazda2 five-door is almost a foot shorter, however, than the five-door Yaris, at 158 inches overall. Its wheelbase is 98 inches compared to the Yaris' 100.4. Both the Yaris and Mazda2 have three-door versions.
Right now Mazda isn't saying exactly what configuration of the Mazda2 will bring to the U.S. Internationally the Mazda2 is sold with everything from a 1.3-liter to 1.6-liter gas engines as well as a small diesel engine where local regulations and market allow.
Mazda announced its intention to unveil the North American-specification Mazda2 at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show this fall, but additional information on specifications, content, pricing and on-sale timing is deferred until closer to actual launch.
In Britain, Mazda is positioning the fun and funky aspects of the Mazda2 and, yes, zoom-zoom, as in this video advert on the telly for a two-door:
Friday, 18 September 2009
Mazda confirms Mazda2 will be sold in U.S. and Canada: facts, pic and video
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