Geneva show: New Mazda2 concept leaked

THE first full-body image of the next-generation Mazda2-previewing Hazumi concept has been leaked online, showing an evolutionary side profile matched with an aggressive new frontal design.

The first image, believed to have been published by Austrian blog Autofilou, shows how Mazda has applied its Kodo design language to its smallest offering.

If Mazda is true to form, the Hazumi concept will be scarcely changed before morphing into the road-going ‘DF-Series’ Mazda2. This was the case with the Mazda6-previewing Takeri and the CX-5-teasing Minagi from recent years.

Mazda’s red show-car appears to follow in the wheel-tracks of its bigger siblings with aggressive headlights, an oversized grille and prominent body contours.

Hazumi loosely translates from Japanese as ‘bounce’. The design is intended to “convey the image of an untamed animal leaping”, and is referred to as “bursting with energy”.

The new compact car will enter production later in 2014, but is unlikely to hit Australia until the early stages of 2015, meaning the aging – but still top-selling in its segment – current model will have to stick it out for another 12 months.

The new 2 will sit on Mazda’s now-familiar SkyActiv modular architecture – in this case a shortened Mazda3 platform – meaning a new platform and new drivetrains.

Mazda will premiere one of these engines, a small-capacity 1.5-litre diesel, at the Geneva show alongside the Hazumi.

Volume versions are expected to use the same 74kW/150Nm 1.5-litre SkyActiv direct-injected, ultra-high-compression petrol engine as European-market Mazda3s.

In addition, a new version of the current Japanese-market Mazda2’s 1.3-litre SkyActiv direct-injected petrol engine – overlooked for Australia in the current car – could also feature. That engine uses an astoundingly low 3.3 litres of fuel per 100km.

Expect the new Mazda2 to be the first SkyActiv model to use a cheaper and more compact rear torsion-beam suspension setup instead of multi-link. Also expect weight savings thanks to the new platform, and a new fuel-saving electro-mechanical steering system.