If Mazda’s current runt of the litter, the Mazda3, still offers a bit too much Zoom Zoom for your budget, take heed. An even tinier and more fuel efficient version is on the way.
The pint-sized Mazda2, which has already made its way around Europe, Japan and Australia, will finally come to the U.S. for summer 2010. Mazda revealed the North American version for the very first time at the LA Auto Show on Tuesday.
The compact hatchback bears a striking resemblance to Ford’s new Fiesta, but despite Mazda’s partnership with the U.S. automaker, the company insists the Mazda2 was “engineered from scratch to be a pure Mazda.”
It will come with a 1.5-liter engine and either automatic or five-speed manual transmissions, but Mazda hasn’t yet released performance or fuel economy figures. The engine used in the existing European version offers 103 horsepower and 101 foot-pounds of torque.
Mazda has also remained hush-hush on price for the moment, but anxious would-be owners can expect a starting sticker in the neighborhood of $16,000, based on the car’s price abroad.
