Pint-sized favourite survives New Zealand's hatchback cull

Monday, 6 March 2023

The updated Mazda2’s changes are headed overseas by an increased amount of customisation options.

As more manufacturers phase hatchbacks out of their local line-ups, Mazda New Zealand is set to buck the trend.

A spokesperson for the marque has confirmed to Stuff that Mazda’s recently unveiled updated Mazda2 will make an appearance in local showrooms before the end of the year.

The funky new 2 survives whilst rivals fall by the wayside.

“Our product team have just confirmed that we will see an updated Mazda2 in Q3 this year and will advise more details as they become available,” they said in a brief statement.

Mazda’s continuation of local sale of the 2, also known as the Demio, is a welcome counterpoint to peers that are in the process of culling similarly sized hatchbacks from their line-ups.

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The Volkswagen Polo, Ford Fiesta, and standard Hyundai i20 have all disappeared from New Zealand’s roads in recent times, with the Mitsubishi Mirage and Kia Rio set to be next on the chopping block.

The culling of these models comes as a result of the success of larger SUV alternatives, colloquially favoured due to their higher retail prices and profit margins.

The similarly sized and priced Suzuki Swift topped New Zealand’s new passenger vehicle sales charts in February, perhaps showing that there is still life and demand in the segment yet.

Stuff recently travelled to Japan with Mazda to visit the brand’s Hiroshima and Hofu factories. The new Mazda2 made a popular cameo at the tail end of the Hofu Plant tour.

The 2’s latest updates are reasonably mild. They include new front and rear bumpers across the range, a ‘shark fin’ roof antenna, new colour options, and a heightened level of trim customisation (although it’s unclear whether this will be available down under).

A heated steering wheel and heated front seats are amongst the new features available in Japanese models, although once again local spec remains up in the air.

All models are powered by the carry-over 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine found in the current model, which develops 81kW of power and 144Nm of torque.

The Mazda2 and Demio have become infamous in recent times in New Zealand, with the Demio often cited as the country’s most stolen vehicle.