Mazda2 three
Filed Under Curt Hennig | Posted on March 29, 2008
THE small-car class is poised for a price war among the premium
players.
Mazda unveiled a three-door version of its Mazda2 small hatch at
the Geneva motor show two weeks ago, and the car should reach
Australian showrooms by the middle of this year.
The three-door will be priced $500-$1000 below the five-door
Mazda2, which starts at $16,500.
It will bring some new competition to the popular Toyota Yaris,
the market leader in its class even though it is not the cheapest
among its peers.
Mazda is tight-lipped about its sales projections for the
three-door Mazda2, but the extra volume should be enough to firmly
establish it as the main rival to the Yaris.
Typically, the mix between three and five-door hatches in the
light-car market is roughly 40-60.
The three-door Mazda2 is the same length, height and width as
the five-door, but has a different rear window design, which Mazda
says gives it a sportier look.
Its 1.5-litre, four-cylinder engine is also more fuel efficient,
using 5.9 L/100 km in manual form, compared with the five-door’s
6.4 L/100 km.
A five-speed manual transmission is standard, although a
four-speed auto is likely to be offered in Australia.
It’s expected to be available in three equipment grades, with
the cheapest model getting dual airbags as standard and an optional
$1100 safety pack including side and curtain airbags and stability
control. — RICHARD BLACKBURN
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