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2008 Mazda2 Preview

Of Japan's mainstream automakers, Mazda has best preserved its performance-oriented, fun to drive image(it calls that the feeling of zoom-zoom) in all of its vehicles. We've seen it in the pure MX-5, and its Mazdaspeed performance brand, particularly the direct-injected and turbocharged Mazdaspeed3 and 6. But Mazda is also loved for its regular compact cars. The 3 is a great seller, known for its agile handling and sharp styling. And who could forget the RX-8, a vehicle which single-handedly carries on the tradition of rotary power. It might not be sold in North America, but there's yet another Mazda that's won the hearts and minds of the media in Europe and Japan. It's a little subcompact called the 2, and rumor has it that it could be headed our way.

The new 2 is a big departure from the old two with a curvy, aerodynamic shape. This hatchback

It's rare to see vehicles getting smaller, and it's even rarer to see vehicles getting lighter. (Photo: Mazda)

features design cues that were first seen on the Sassou concept from last year's Geneva show, including some unusual surface creases and curves. This is the supposed next generation of Mazda styling, and will be further refined on the second generation Mazda6,set to debut later this year. On the inside, the 2 has a somewhat unconventional layout that is centered on the high-mounted gearshift lever. The combination of analogue dials and digital displays gives the instrument cluster a unique look that's different from the usual B-segment norms.

Lightness is key to making modern cars use less fuel and reduce emissions. (Photo: Mazda)

There's a big difference in design between a $30,000 two-seat rear-wheel drive roadster and a sub-$20,000 subcompact car, but the 2 and the MX-5 follow the same philosophy of lightweight is best. Indeed, the new 2 might be more advanced than ever, but it's actually lighter than the vehicle it replaces by 100 kg (220 lbs), a huge amount in a vehicle of this size and a trend that many other automakers are incapable of breaking. By reducing the weight of the car, Mazda was able to make other things lighter, such as the smaller, lighter brakes and the less powerful engine. This enables the2 to be more efficient as well, something that's absolutely critical for small car buyers. For

Horsepower isn't its forte, but with 220 pounds less to carry around than the old model, it doesn't need the extra juice. (Photo: Mazda)

instance, a Mazda2 with the 1.5-liter engine (the biggest offered) uses just 49 mpg and emits only 225 g/mi of carbon dioxide, which allows it to get around using less fuel and produce less CO2 than almost all of its competitors.

Mazda spent a fair bit of time and energy developing a new lineup of engines for the 2. They're made of lightweight aluminum, and designed to be as frugal as possible by including variable valve timing, a variable intake manifold and have pistons shaped to promote swirl for better fuel and air mixture. These technologies have benefited high performance engines with extra power, but for some reason they haven't for Mazda. The 1.5-liter engine only turns out 103 horsepower and 101 lb-ft of torque, which is less than any of its competitors sold

So far as we can see, the interior looks nice. We're fans of the high-mounted shifter. (Photo: Mazda)

here. Mind you, the engine has a relatively broad torque curve and the vehicle it's hauling around is light, so theonly thing it loses out on is the horsepower wars, as it can still accelerate from 0-60 mph in under ten seconds. A smaller 1.3-liter engine with 86 hp, 90 lb-ft of torque, and no under-floor catalyst is also offered.

It must have been quite a task to shave off such a large amount of weight from such a small package to begin with. The car is made out of more high and ultra-high tensile steel, which gives the 2 a stronger yet lighter body. Mazda has also shrunk the 2 significantly, by 1.57 inches in length and 2.17 inches in height, which alone accounted for 20-percent of the savings. Overall interior size and usability hasn't been impacted much thanks to a more space-efficient design. Besides, Mazda didn't reduce the size of the wheelbase, meaning that four six-foot tall passengers can ride in

Lighter doesn't mean noisier; improved sound deadening means the new 2 is quieter than the outgoing car. (Photo: Mazda)

comfort. There's still 7.1 cubic feet worth of available trunk space, more if the rear seats are folded.

There are other clever tricks involved in helping to reduce the weight – some you can see, but most that you can't. For instance, metal was saved by giving the arms of the front suspension an open design, while shortening the rear trailing arms on the torsion beam dropped a few ounces. While there's no lightweight rear view mirror as on the MX-5, the 2 does feature featherweight neodymium speakers that are encased in plastic. We'd like to hear how they sound. According to the few lucky journalists that have driven the new 2, it's been reported to be significantly quieter than the outgoing car thanks to more effective and liberal use of sound deadening materials. Sounds like there's no downside.

While some might scoff at the minute savings of shortening the wiring harness, and using thinner metal for the hinges, pinching excess material and using lightweight designs has helped to give the 2 a grand total

Ford plans on offering a subcompact based on the 2 in North America. Hopefully Mazda will join them. (Photo: Mazda)

curb weight of just 2,116 pounds. The only cars in America that would undercut it are the Lotus Elise and the upcoming smart fortwo! More realistically, it's the lightest subcompact car we've seen in modern times – the only other B-segment vehicle capable of besting it with an equivalently sized engine is the Mitsubishi Colt, which does it with a much smaller margin than the 2.

When we first saw the previous Mazda2, we weren't quite sure if it would be a good fit with our market, especially for its tall, almost van-like proportions. Sure it embraced the fun to drive aspect, but the timing wasn't right as the price of fuel meant that driving larger vehicles was still affordable. And while Mazda hasn't yet confirmed whether or not it will bring the new 2 to North America, we wouldn't be surprised if they chose to. With almost every mainstream automaker participating in this segment, Mazda would miss out on a large potential market share with the fun-oriented 2. We're also hearing that Ford's forthcoming subcompact will share the 2's underpinnings, so it would quite logically make sense for Mazda to hop on board and get with the times.

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