A small city car that dreams of being premium, the Mazda 2, which roams our European roads since 2002 and the disappearance of 121 families, fighting for existence here. The category in which he works is already saturated : Renault, Peugeot and Dacia rule, followed by Citroën, Volkswagen, Toyota and even Nissan! Even the “real” premium Audi A1 and Mini Cooper are selling better. In general, Mazda suffers here. With 7,040 registrations in 2022, it has just 0.45% market share ! Its sales are dominated by the CX-30 crossover (2,108 units last year), followed by the two Mazda 2s, 1,394 units.

Two models for one name

What do you mean by “both” Mazda 2? There is the thermal Mazda 2, which we know well, since the third and current generation already dates back to 2015. But in 2021, Mazda introduced another model in its lineup: Mazda 2 hybrid. If the name was familiar, then the model has changed radically, since it is no more and no less than a Toyota Yaris with Mazda logo. An opportunity for a manufacturer to offer a low-cost hybrid city car without spending thousands on research and development. Since this date exists 2 Mazda 2 models: “real” and hybrid based on Toyota. Today, Mazda has made some changes to this Yaris clone to try to differentiate it a bit more…

Mazda 2, which dreams of independence

Of course, a very subtle restyling, but what finally offers the 2 hybrid a true Mazda identity. At first glance, it is, of course, that diamond grille characteristic of all Mazda models. More generally, the brand tried to soften its angles, clean its lines, adhering to the “Kodo” philosophy that it loved.. Another feature: the trunk now accepts body color insert between the two headlights, a part that is only available in black on the Yaris.

Discs 16 and 17 inches also added to the catalog. On board, however, she receives the same developments as the restyled Yaris, with larger screens and new driver aids. under the hood this Mazda 2 hybrid does not inherit the new 130-horsepower unit, but settles for a 116-horsepower unit which was already in force. A light facelift that – if unlikely to boost sales for the city car – at least has the merit of making it look more like a Mazda product.

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