Thailand has welcomed the new Mazda 2 facelift, with both hatchback and sedan body styles making their launch debut at this year’s Thailand Motor Expo. Both versions share the same styling revisions at the front, which appear to be inspired by the much larger (and also facelifted) Mazda 6. The new face features a thicker chrome grille surround that no longer cuts into the headlamps, allowing the clusters to be reshaped to be more slender and sharper than before. To along with this, the grille insert also gets a new mesh design that isn’t unlike that on the Mazda 6.
With the new grille shape, the lower apron has been simplified to accommodate a slimmer air intake that is flanked by two chrome strips. The strips are repeated at the rear bumper of the hatchback, and are part of a lower apron that now has a smaller matte black plastic area. This sees the number plate being placed on a body-coloured section, while other changes include new taillight graphics. Meanwhile, the sedan gets a more expressive bumper design that sports a wide-width chrome trim piece atop a mesh insert, which is flanked by a pair of reflectors.
For the Thailand market, the Mazda 2 is available with two engine options, starting with a SkyActiv-G 1.3 litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder petrol unit that makes 93 PS at 5,800 rpm and 123 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm. The second option is a SkyActiv-D 1.5 litre turbodiesel four-cylinder with 105 PS at 4,000 rpm and 250 Nm from 1,500 to 2,500 rpm. Both comes with a SkyActiv-Drive six-speed automatic transmission as standard, with drive going to the front wheels.
In terms of fuel economy, the petrol engine provides a rated consumption of 23.3 km/l, while the diesel offers 26.3 km/l. As a result, the Mazda 2 meets Thailand’s Phase 2 Eco Car framework, which requires cars to have a fuel consumption not exceeding 23.25 km/l (4.3 litres per 100 km). Both engines also feature Mazda’s i-Stop idling and i-ELOOP regenerative braking systems, while other driving related items include a drive mode selector and G-Vectoring Control Plus (GVC Plus), which is part of the brand’s SkyActiv-Vehicle Dynamics umbrella.
As for variants, both body styles have an identical line-up, with five options (1.3 E, 1.3 C, 1.3 S, 1.3 S Leather and 1.3 SP) available with the petrol engine and two (XD and XDL) with the diesel, although it should be noted the hatchback adds on a “Sports” designation to each variant name. Starting with the 1.3 E (priced from 546,000 baht or RM75,366), the list of standard equipment includes auto-levelling LED projector headlamps, 15-inch wheels, bulb-type DRLs, fabric seats, manual air-conditioning, a standard head unit with four speakers, keyless start, two front airbags, traction control, ABS, EBD, BA, DSC and hill start assist.
The 1.3 C (priced from 602,000 baht) adds on keyless entry, reverse sensors. a Mazda Connect infotainment system with Apple CarPlay support, two more speakers, a navigation function and automatic air-conditioning. Next up, the 1.3 S (priced from 627,000 baht) gets LED DRLs, power-folding side mirrors, cruise control, a head-up display, as well as a leather steering wheel and gear knob. The 1.3 S Leather (priced from 648,000 baht) throws in leather/suede upholstery.
The range-topping petrol variant, the 1.3 SP (priced from 690,000 baht) sees an upgrade to 16-inch wheels, a 360-degree view monitor, a blind spot monitor, rear cross traffic alert, front parking sensors and paddle shifters. The diesel XD variant (priced from 782,000 baht) shares the same equipment as the 1.3 S Leather, whereas the XDL’s (priced from 799,000 baht) kit list mimics that of the 1.3 SP.
Customers will have eight colours to choose from – Soul Red Crystal, Machine Grey, Polymetal Grey, Snowflake White Pearl, Titanium Flash, Jet Black, Ceramic Metallic and Sonic Silver. There’s also a range of accessories on offer, including a front bumper lip, side skirts, black door mirror caps, a wind visor, rear roof spoiler, aluminium pedals, a rear boot shelf, exhaust finisher and boot liners.
