Launch of Mazda 2 facelift 2023, delivery in Australia in July

The Mazda2 it’s been almost a decade but there’s no sign of a replacement, the Japanese marque has instead given the lightweight car another facelift.

It will go on sale in Australia in June 2023, with deliveries starting in July.

Pricing will be announced closer to launch, but Mazda says local 2 range will continue to include Pure, Pure SP, Evolve and GT variants. Currently, the GT is the only version that still offers a sedan option.

The update is mostly aesthetic, with tweaks both inside and out.

Most notable is the revised grille. There’s a more traditional honeycomb grille, plus a new, nearly enclosed grille area in the same body color. Both feature a single color accent on one side, the asymmetrical look first seen on the updated version. CX-5 Touring Active.

There is also an asymmetrical color accent on the rear bumper, while the hatchback and GT sedan models get a redesigned rear bumper. Mazda says colorful accents”[enhance] youthful spirit of the car”.

The GT features a new aerodynamically inspired multi-spoke alloy wheel design, as well as dual exhaust tips. It’s not clear if the other variants will get the new wheel design, of which there appear to be a few other models in Japan.

All of the Pure’s bars also feature a streamlined shark fin antenna, while the Aero Gray and Airstream Blue metal finishes join the intense nine color palette. Pure SP is covered with black film on the roof.

Inside, the Pure and Pure SP models get new colored dashboard trim pieces. These trims are finished in Pure White, Mirror Black or Mint depending on the exterior finish selected.

The mid-range Evolve version gets a black interior with red highlights, including seat stitching and vent trim, while the GT gets a red and black interior with partial leather upholstery. .

Mazda says the tweaks to the Evolve and GT are inspired by the old Mazda 2 Genki.

No notes have been made on mechanical changes. The Mazda 2 is currently offered exclusively in Australia with front-wheel drive and a 1.5 liter naturally aspirated 4-cylinder engine with 82kW power and 144Nm torque and a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.

It’s unclear how long the current Mazda 2 will last.

Although it was first introduced in 2014, it is not the oldest member of the Mazda lineup. That will be the present Mazda6launched locally in late 2012.

The Mazda 2 has received a facelift for 2020, with the company slashing the lineup and adding more safety equipment as well as a commensurately higher base price.

The current car has been replaced in Europe with an improved version of the car Toyota Yaris. Interestingly, the opposite was done in North America, with Toyota offering a mildly redesigned Mazda 2 there as the Scion iA and later the Toyota Yaris iA.

Last year, the Mazda 2 was the third best-selling light car in Australia with sales of 5146 units. That puts it a bit ahead of Kia Rio (4576) and quick suzuki (4405), but behind the stop suzuki baleno (6124) and not tired Grade 3 (16,168).

THAN: Everything Mazda2