Mazda2 may come to America after all

When the new Mazda2 debuted at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show many of us were disappointed to learn that it probably would not be coming to the US market. Times have changed, though, and It now looks like the car might actually make it here in the second half of next year, following the US release of the Ford Fiesta sibling. The 2 and the Fiesta share a common architecture but each has unique styling. It will be interesting to see how the 2 is positioned in the market against the Fiesta. While the cars share much of the same underpinnings, the fact that the Mazda is built in Japan will likely result in a higher price than the Mexican-built Ford.

Both cars (the Fiesta and the 2) benefit from a major emphasis on weight reduction compared to their predecessors. In European trim, the 2 weighs in at 2,100 lbs compared to the 2,500 lb Honda Fit. Whatever happens, it's good to see more cool looking and fun to drive small cars coming to the US market.

[Source: ConsumerGuideAutomotive]