Three-door Mazda2 launches
Mazda2 three-door - little brother is Word Car of the Year
Author: Robin Brown
Published: 14 May 2008
Mazda has launched the new Mazda2 three-door supermini, available now from £7,999 on the road.
Powered by a choice of 1.3-litre petrol and 1.4-litre diesel at launch, a 1.5-litre petrol follows in July.
Ultimately, the Mazda2 3dr will be offered with the same choice of three petrol engines, and one turbo-diesel engine, as the Mazda2 5dr – each mated to a five-speed manual transmission. At launch, customers can choose from the 74bhp and 85bhp 1.3-litre petrol engine and a 1.4-litre diesel. The 102bhp 1.5-litre petrol engine will be available from the end of July.
The 62mph sprint takes 10.4 seconds in the 85bhp petrol model, while top speed is 117mph. Fuel economy is 65.7mpg combined, while CO2 levels are 114g/km on diesel models.
The new three-door Mazda2 is 100kg lighter than the previous model, thanks to Mazda’s ‘gram strategy’ diet, and the use of lightweight ultra-high tensile steels and new technology.
Mazda anticipates that up to 50 per cent of new Mazda2 buyers will choose the three-door body style and that a large number will opt for the highly specified ‘Sport’ version.
The three-door shares the same exterior and interior dimensions as the five-door - the only difference between the two body styles is the rear seat shoulder room, which is 25mm larger in the five-door model.
Standard equipment differs from the five-door in only four regards: ‘tilt-and-slide’ front seats; side sills in the Sports Styling Kit; Crystal White Pearlescent exterior paint; and the lack of electric rear windows.
Entry-level trim for the three-door starts at TS, rather than S, and includes driver and passenger front airbags, remote central locking with deadlocks, electric front windows, driver seat height adjust, ‘tilt-and-slide’ front seats, CD radio with auxiliary jack, multi-function glovebox with magazine rack and a Thatcham Category 1 alarm and immobiliser.
The Mazda2 three-door has the same safety engineering as the five-door, which received a five-star Euro NCAP crash test safety rating last year.
To everyone's astonishment, the new Mazda2 five-door was declared winner of the 2008 World Car of the Year
The Mazda MX-5 roadster has won the Best Convertible 2008 section of the Auto Express awards.
Mazda MX-5 has mid-term nip and tuck and applies for new image patent, only for pics to ‘accidentally’ find way onto net in yet another, ahem, ‘Leaked picture‘ shocker.
Tesla snaps up Mazda design wizard as its projected electric sports car future begins to take even more impressive shape.
Mazda will unveil an all-new concept in the shape of a compact crossover vehicle called the Mazda Kazamai at the Moscow International Automobile Salon.
The new-generation Mazda RX-8 R3 unveiled earlier this year will hit British showrooms in late August, but there are no options available on the car.
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