wrote:
> http://www.caranddriver.com/autoshow...8-mazda-2.html
>
> 2008 Mazda 2 - Auto Shows
> The Geneva debut of Mazda's B-segment fighter has everyone asking:
> Will Mazda bring this compact hatch to the U.S.?
> BY JARED GALL, February 2007
>
>
> Mazda recently announced that its Mazda 2 five-door hatchback will
> debut at the Geneva motor show in March. Measuring two feet shorter
> than the Mazda 3 hatchback, the 2 is even slightly shorter than a
> Honda Fit. Like most B-segment cars, the 2 sits tall on a long
> wheelbase to provide maximum room for people and gear in minimal
> space. The wheels are stretched so far to the corners that the rear
> overhang is barely more than the thickness of the bumper.
>
>
>
> Although the 2's face retains strong Mazda family proportions, with
> large headlamps flanking a pentagonal grille, the shape is less
> angular and more organic than that of the 3 and far more graceful than
> the 2's awkward predecessor. Mazda's signature raised hood sweeps up
> cleanly into the A-pillars, and the aggressive fender bulges plunge
> down into rakish body lines that shoot up the sides of the car to the
> taillamps, perched just below a high and tight rear window.
>
> In Japan and Europe, power for the 2 will come from a selection of gas
> engines, with a diesel set to join the party later. Two 1.3-liter
> inline-fours offer 74 or 82 horsepower. The big-daddy 1.5-liter spews
> out 101 horsepower and gently tugs on the asphalt with a cool 100
> pound-feet of torque. The five-speed manual did not have to be
> internally reinforced to handle this power output.
>
> So, will the Mazda 2 make it to the U.S.? Not with either of those 1.3-
> liter engines, it won't. But the bigger four's power figures are
> competitive with the Fit's. Mazda is resisting saying it will bring
> the car over here, saying instead that it is waiting to see how the
> 2's competitors-mainly the Fit and the Toyota Yaris-fare here.
>
I just googled it, and it's not all that attractive. At least the Honda
Jazz doesn't take itself too seriously; you can buy one in metallic pink.