Mazda dragged its feet with the new 2019 Mazda 3 for
long enough, but it finally unveiled the new C-segment model at the Los Angeles
Auto Show last week. Given the sea change this car represents for Hiroshima,
we’re interested to see how the design filters down to the rest of the range,
and luckily Photoshop wizard Theophilus Chin has given us an idea of what the
next generation of the smaller Mazda 2 could look like.
As you’d expect, the renders show a supermini that’s
a lot different than the current car, wearing a sportier, less cutesy look. The
headlights are slimmer – even though they’re a bit larger here than on the 3 –
and the grille is larger and cuts into the headlights. The body side has also
been cleaned up with less prominent creases and a greater emphasis on surface
volume.
Moving to the rear of the car, Theophilus added the
3’s circular tail light graphics and a larger blacked-out bumper panel on the
hatch. On the sedan, the number plate recess has been moved from the bumper on
the 3 to the bootlid, although we’d reckon that the real one will keep the
recess on the bumper. Overall, it looks like a handsome thing, just like the
current car is.
As for the technology, expect the 2 to come with
some of the 3’s latest new bits, including the revamped MZD Connect
infotainment system and a brace of new engines, including a revised 1.5 litre
SkyActiv-G petrol engine, paired to six-speed manual and automatic
transmissions. Also expect the car to be based on the 3’s SkyActiv-Vehicle Architecture
that should make it more rigid than before.
