The long-awaited Mazda 2 hybrid supermini will go on sale in the second quarter of next year, the company has announced.
Based heavily on the latest Toyota Yaris as part of Mazda’s new electrified partnership with the Japanese manufacturer, it uses that car’s same hybrid hardware.
Combined, the petrol engine and the e-motor develop 114bhp for a 0-62mph time of 9.7 seconds and depending on wheel size, the new 2 can return between 70.6mpg and 74.3mpg on the combined cycle. Emissions are also competitive for Mazda’s entry-level small car, and ranges between 89g/Km and 93g/Km.
On start-up, the 2 automatically runs in battery mode and promises “smooth, seamless and quiet running”, according to Mazda. At out-of-town speeds power is drawn from the petrol engine, the e-motor, or both “for optimum performance and the best possible fuel efficiency”.
Kinetic energy that would otherwise be lost as heat under braking on the current 2 is also captured and sent to the car’s onboard battery where it is stored until such times that it is needed.
Sold in three grades – ‘Mazda2 Hybrid Pure’, ‘Mazda2 Hybrid Agile’ and ‘Mazda2 Hybrid Select’ – it shares an identical footprint to the Yaris meaning room for four adults and a similar-sized 286-litre boot.
Oddly, Mazda has confirmed the hybrid 2 is set to be sold alongside the existing petrol-powered car from next April and has yet to indicate when it intends to take that car off the market.
“In the UK, the Mazda 2 Hybrid will be sold alongside the recently launched 2022 Mazda 2, giving customers in the supermini segment the choice of two distinct models depending on their needs,” said a company spokesperson.
Although built and supplied by Toyota, the 2 will be marketed exclusively as a Mazda model and joins the battery electric Mazda MX-30 and mild hybrid 3, CX-30 and CX-5 models.
Visually, there is little to differentiate the Yaris and 2 apart from the badges on the nose and tailgate, with the same applying on the inside as they adopt the same dashboard and centre console architecture.
Further technical details and pricing are expected to be announced closer to the 2’s on-sale date.
