Although Mazda Philippines is pivoting more towards crossovers, there’s still something deeply appealing about its subcompact Mazda2.

From its sharp styling to its class-leading driving dynamics, the little Mazda proves that, even after nine years, a small car doesn’t have to be a life sentence to a dull drive.

In Thailand, the Mazda2 has gotten a makeover, with the facelifted model launching on June 21, 2023. Aside from the new looks, it gets upgrades to its safety features to put it on par with the larger Mazda3.

“Mazda has a strong determination to deliver value with a pure essence of cars to create more moving and joy-of-driving experiences for people,” said Mazda Thailand president Tadashi Miura.

“The Mazda2 is one of our vehicles that express those experiences perfectly and being the model generating sales for Mazda after it was initially introduced with the SKYACTIV technology providing powerful performance and fuel economy,” he added.

Distinct variants

Most of the styling changes to the Mazda2 can be seen up front, with the addition of a color-keyed flush grill panel on the New Wave Design variants.

These also come with Pure White, Mirror Black, or Gloss Light Blue interior trim, with the instrument panel now made from environmentally friendly Bioplastic.

Meanwhile, the Sport Design models get a gloss-black, non-flush grill and distinct 16-inch, two-tone alloy wheels, gloss-black side mirrors, a gloss-back roof, and a ducktail rear wing for the sedan model.

The interior trim is a combination of leather and Grand Luxe Suede, with red accents and red stitching for a racier look.

All these changes were first seen on January 2023, when the facelifted Mazda2 had first been launched in Japan.

Dazzling special editions

The facelifted Mazda2 also gets two special editions in Thailand.

The first is the Rookie Drive, which features a Racing Orange rear roof spoiler, door mirror cover, front grille/rear bumper accent, full wheel cap set and center decal set.

The second is the Clap Pop, which features Ceramic Metallic side mirrors and a full-wheel cap set, a white front bumper, and roof, along with its Clap Pop center decal set.

Mazda Thailand said there are 83 designs to choose from in terms of body styling, along with exterior and interior colors.

“The launch of the New Mazda2 is to increase our customer base, which we mainly focus on Generation Z because they are a large population group that will become an important working age and a leader of new trends in the future,” Miura said.

“The target customers seek for distinction, select only what represents their distinctive character and unique identity,” he added. “Mazda, therefore, enhances all product appeals, especially with new exterior and interior design in order to meet the distinctive style of the target customers.”

Gasoline, diesel options

Thailand retains its two engine options for the subcompact hatchback and sedan.

The first is a 1.3-liter, twin-cam, 16-valve, inline-4 gasoline engine pumping out 93 PS and 123 Nm of torque. The second is a 1.5-liter, twin-cam, 16-valve inline-4 turbodiesel producing 105 PS and 250 Nm of torque.

For comparison, the Philippine-market Mazda2 only comes with a 1.5-liter inline-4 gasoline engine with 110 PS and 141 Nm of torque. This is mated to a 6-speed automatic gearbox.

The facelifted Mazda2 likewise keeps the G-Vectoring Control Plus system, which changes engine power output and controls brake distribution to help the car turn in better.

Mazda3 levels of safety

The Mazda2 has received a host of upgrades to put its safety features on the same level as the larger Mazda3.

The facelifted model carries over Mazda’s i-Activesense active-safety system, which now includes:

• Advance Smart City Brake Support

• Lane Departure Warning System

• Smart Brake Support

• Advanced Blind Spot Monitoring

• Mazda Radar Cruise Control

• Rear Cross Traffic Alert

There is no official word yet if Mazda Philippines will introduce the facelifted Mazda2 in the country.

Would you go for the Mazda2 with its cooler looks and stronger safety package?

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