BREAKING: Mazda2 coming to the U.S.

This just in: that fantabulous little Mazda we've admired from afar for the past couple years, the Mazda2 (also known as the Demio in Japan), is coming to all of North America, the U.S. included. President and CEO of Mazda's North American Operations Jim O'Sullivan has just told the automaker's top dealers that the diminutive Mazda, which shares its platform with the also incoming Ford Fiesta, will go on sale in the U.S. around the end of 2010. That's just about the same time that the Mazda2 will go on sale in Canada, as well.

O'Sullivan cites the changing tastes and attitudes of consumers towards smaller cars as shifting the business case in favor of selling the Mazda2 here in the States below. While no other information was given, dealers were told they can expect to see the North American-spec Mazda2 debut later this year at the 2009 LA Auto Show.

What this means for Ford and the similar-in-almost-every-way-but-styling Fiesta remains to be seen. Knowing that the Mazda2 is on its way, would you reconsider buying a Fiesta in favor of test driving the same thing with a little extra Zoom Zoom?

[Source: Mazda via Mike Spinelli, auto123]