Mazda Perfects the Fun-to-Footprint Ratio Bigger used to mean better, but in the modern era, that old chestnut no longer applies. Mobile phones aren't the size of a brick, we can fit 2,000 songs in our pocket and this review was written on a computer that fits neatly on an airplane's tray table. Sometimes smaller is better, and here's a vehicle that proves it. While the 2011 Mazda2 might not be out to redefine the subcompact segment, it does offer something largely lacking from the rest of the pack: fun. But are Mazda's Zoom-Zoom driving dynamics enough to overlook its shortcomings ... Read More

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Official: Mazda's new Mexican plant capacity rises to 230,000 1357394460

After the turmoil of last year, 2013 is getting off to a much better start for Mazda. The company has issued a release indicating that the forthcoming plant in Salamanca, Mexico has had its production capacity raised even though it isn't scheduled to go online until March 2014. The original plans called for a 140,000-unit capacity, 90,000 of that allotted ...
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Official: Mazda to build small Toyota in Mexico for US consumption 1352474220

Mazda and Toyota have announced a partnership to produce a new vehicle for our market. Mazda will build a subcompact economy car for North America based on its own Mazda2 at its soon-to-be-finished facility in Mexico for sale under the Toyota banner. The plant will build around 50,000 units per year once production begins in during the summer of 2015, ...
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Report: Mazda1 under study 1350660600

Small seems to be the big new trend among automakers, and Mazda is trying to decide if it wants a piece of the potentially huge tiny-car pie. The Mazda1 would slot beneath the company's B-segment Mazda2, says Mazda's GM of global sales and marketing, Yasuhiro Aoyama, and could might be ready for sale toward the end of this decade. Aoyama was interviewed ...
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Report: Slow-selling Mazda2 may not be renewed for U.S. 1346246040

As with its platform-mate, the Ford Fiesta, the Mazda2 hasn't exactly made hay with the monthly sales numbers. Unlike it's Ford relative, however, Mazda isn't committed to sticking it out with the Mazda2 in the U.S. Ford has gone on record as saying it will remain committed to the Fiesta here, while a report in Automotive News claims the next-generation ...
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Mazda Demio EV leasing begins in Japan in October 1341857100

Looks like Mazda is going to do some "Zoom Zoom" of the quieter variety. The company will start leasing the Demio EV in Japan in October, as the Japanese automaker takes slow steps towards electric-drive-vehicle availability. The battery-electric version of the Demio, which sells as the Mazda2 in the U.S., will be made available to about 100 corporate ...

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Video: Watch a Mazda tackle the Wall of Death, live to tell the tale 1333472400

We love crazy promotional videos with hair-raising stunts that seem to defy gravity, and this particular spot certainly checks all those boxes. Mazda has teamed up with The Demon Drome crew to determine if its Mazda2 can successfully whirl around a motor drome. The motor drome is essentially a cylinder about 30 feet in diameter with wooden planks that ...
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SEMA: Mazda Turbo2 Concept promises forced-induction frolicking 1320269400

If the Mazda2 needs anything, it's a little more pep in its step. Mazda has moved to address that ail with the SEMA 2011 Turbo2 Concept. Boasting a direct-injection 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the small hatch is crammed with 263 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. Those are the kinds of figures that are sure to slather a grin across ...
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Official: Mazda previews hot MX-5 Miata Spyder and Turbo2 concepts for SEMA 1319815800

Truth be told, we find most SEMA concepts to simply be gaudy aftermarket overkill. These two Mazda models, however – now these are something we'd like to sink our teeth into. Let's start with the MX-5 Miata Spyder concept. The most obvious alteration here is the removal of the stock MX-5's folding soft top (or hard top) for the sake of a stretched ...
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Mazda Demio SkyActiv tops Japan's "Eco Cars" survey, Toyota Prius number 2 1315314180

Mazda's slightly remodeled Demio (aka the Mazda2 in this neck of the woods) subcompact has topped Japan's latest "Eco Cars" survey conducted by research firm SC-Abeam Consulting. The facelifted Demio is the first to feature Mazda's 1.3-liter SkyActiv gasoline engine. The Demio, which starts at 1.15 million yen ($14,950 U.S. at the current exchange rate), ...
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Mazda Demio orders soar to 13,500 in single month in Japan 1312981380

First-month orders for the slightly remodeled Mazda Demio (aka the Mazda2 in this neck of the woods) have soared to 13,500 units, more than double Mazda's original 6,000-unit monthly target. Additionally, Mazda says the number of Demios registered in Japan during the month of July exceeded 10,000 units. This, according to the Japanese automaker, is the ...