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With an entry price kicking off at $16,500 for the five-door model, Mazda has room to move with its three-door Mazda 2.
The newest Mazda is expected to arrive in Australian showrooms by mid-year. And though reluctant to confirm an on-sale date, Mazda Australia is “very interested in the car,” company spokesman Glenn Butler says.
“Obviously, it would make a natural fit next to the five-door,” Butler says.
Mazda just has to decide whether all three models — Neo, Maxx and Genki — will be available.
“It might make some sense to just bring in a Genki three-door, but we'll see,” Butler says.
The three-door gets its first airing at the Geneva Motor Show in March.
Despite two less doors, the car sits on the same wheelbase and is the same physical size as its sibling.
In Europe it will be available with 1.3-litre and 1.5-litre petrol engines as well as the MZ-CD 1.4-litre common-rail turbodiesel.
However, Australian-spec three-doors will run with the 76kW/137Nm 1.5-litre four cylinder just like the five-door.
The Mazda2 five-door has been a hit with buyers since going on sale last September. Butler says though the entry Neo is the volume player, there is a rich buyer mix for the mid-range Maxx and range-topping Genki, which costs $20,845.
“The reality is that many people are downsizing, but do not want to lose the amenity or comfort of a larger car,” he says.
Butler agrees that a three-door Mazda2 could lend itself to a sports body kit and suspension.
However, he hosed down speculation that a full-blown MPS-style Mazda2 was on the cards.
“Japan has not committed to a sports Mazda2,” he says.
It is obvious, though, Mazda is heading in that direction, at least with a sports body kit.
Earlier this month MazdaSpeed unveiled a beefed-up Mazda2 five-door model at the Tokyo Auto Salon performance car show.
The hot little hatch had low-profile tyres, body kit and sports interior.
However, at present Mazda has no plans for a hotter MPS-style Mazda2.
If it does change its mind the company has a ready-made engine.
In Japan, Mazda sells a supercharged Miller-cycle 1.3-litre four cylinder for the Mazda2 that develops 66kW at 6000 revs and 120Nm at 4000 revs.
The engine is tuned for economy and the supercharger helps improve low-end torque, but it can be tweaked for performance.
A Miller-cycle engine was first used by Mazda in the 1990s on its Eunos 800.
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