Revised Mazda2 in the pipeline for South African introduction

Showcased at the beginning of the year in Japan, and subsequently rolled-out in global markets, the most recent being the United Kingdom and Australia, Mazda has confirmed to The Citizen that the updated 2 is being lined-up for a South African introduction later this year.

Officially the Hiroshima marque’s oldest model as it debuted nine years ago, the 2 benefitted from an initial raft of revisions in 2019 that also saw the long standing Demio moniker depart in its home market.

What has changed

As part of the most recent refresh in January, the 2, still in its third generation, received restyled front and rear bumpers, a black honeycomb grille, new alloy wheels, more two-tone colour options and a sealed colour insert around the lower section of the grille on less sporting derivatives.

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Inside, the layout and design of the interior hasn’t changed, although in Japan, certain models are now available with heated and electric front seats, a bio-degradable instrument panel made out of plant-based materials and on the safety side, Lane Keep Assist, Radar Cruise Control and Autonomous Emergency Braking.

What to expect

Exact specification remains unknown, but chances are the 2, once approved, will carry over the existing Active, Dynamic, Individual and Hazumi trim levels, together with their respective level of standard features.

While available in Japan with both petrol and diesel engines, as well as front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive, in South Africa, Mazda is likely to retain the former drive layout, plus the six-speed manual gearbox and optional six-speed automatic.

As the oil-burning option fell away before the facelifted model arrived in local soil three years ago, the 2 will remain petrol-powered and deliver an unchanged 82kW/145Nm from its normally aspirated 1.5-litre engine.

Price bump likely

Mazda South Africa has, however, indicated that final details, including pricing, will only be divulged around August.

Expectations are that the 2 will receive a price increase from the R302 300 currently asked by the entry-level Active manual, to well above the R407 400 required to have the flagship automatic-only Hazumi.

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