Paris Show: Mazda2 Facelift Makes Euro Debut

The subtly updated Mazda2 was given its European premiere in Paris today. The Fiesta's brethren enters the 2011 model year with a new face featuring a revised front grille and a re-sculptured front bumper. A fresh choice of exterior colors and alloy wheel designs complete the look.

On the inside, Mazda claims to have improved quality and feel with new materials, seat fabrics and colours, plus some other upgrades such as a new meter design with black background and a closed-type glove compartment.

Underneath the sheetmetal, the Japanese automaker has made changes to the chassis and suspension to provide a more comfortable and smooth ride. Completing the facelift package is the engine line-up that has been updated to comply with Euro 5 regulations.

There are three petrol engines including two 1.3-litre derivatives producing 75 PS and 84 PS, and a 1.5-litre with 102 PS, plus a revised 1.6-litre turbo diesel engine with 95 PS (+5 PS over the previous engine) and 205 Nm. Aside from being more powerful, the diesel unit is also more fuel efficient using 4.2 litres of fuel per 100 km (56 mpg US), while producing 110 grams of CO2per 100 km combined.

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Australia: Now you see the New Mazda2 Sedan, now you Don't

The Mazda2 four-door small sedan has been dropped from the firm's lineup in Australia, just eight months after launch. The reason is Mazda's decision to switch production of the Australian market version of the small car from its Thailand factory, which manufactures both sedan and hatchback body styles, to the company's Hiroshima plant in Japan, which builds only the hatchback version.

The Japanese automaker said the move was dictated by the success of the Mazda2 in the Thailand region and the fact it could not guarantee supply to the Australian market.

Mazda Australia spokesman Steve Maciver told reporters that the company does not except the loss of the four-door model to harm local sales as the five-door model was the most popular in the range.

An updated version of the Mazda2 hatchback with refreshed trim and all-new colours is due arrive in Australian showrooms this month. It will continue to be offered with 76kW 1.5 litre petrol engine, available with both manual or automatic transmissions.

VIDEO: Mazda MX-5 20th Anniversary Meeting at Le Mans

During the second weekend of June, more than 200 Mazda MX-5 / Miata roadsters of all sorts of colors and types took part at the model's 20th anniversary birthday party, which was organized in cooperation with MX-5 clubs around Europe, at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France. Our French friends from Supervroum2 participated in the event following the huge convoy of Miata roadsters to the Le Mans circuit. Watch the video after the jump.

Mazda5 MPV gets New 115HP 1.6-liter Turbo Diesel in Europe, Returns 5.2lt/100km - 45 MPG

Targeting better fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions, Mazda has announced that the European market Mazda5 minivan is now available with a new 1.6-liter 4-cylinder diesel engine, which replaces the previous 2.0-liter unit.

“For the engine line-up of the new Mazda5, we placed emphasis on environmental performance and fuel economy. This aim led us to use Mazda’s 2.0-liter direct-injection petrol engine with i-stop, and to replace the 2.0-liter diesel engine with a newly developed 1.6-liter turbo diesel unit that leads the class in low CO2 emission levels”, said Hideki Matsuoka, Program Manager Mazda5.

Thanks to its smaller displacement and aluminum alloy block, the new powerplant is a whopping 120 kg (265 lbs) lighter than the 2.0-liter diesel it replaces, without sacrificing performance. In fact, with 115HP and 270 Nm (199 lb-ft) of torque, the turbocharged four-pot produces +5HP, while using 14.8% less fuel in the combined cycle (5.2 lt/100 km or 45 US mpg) and emitting 13.2 percent less CO2 (138 g/km).

The new engine is also Euro5 compliant. It does this by using a low compression ratio (16:1) and an efficient exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler and bypass system. Other features of the MZ-CD 1.6 unit are the piezo injectors, variable-geometry turbocharger and maintenance-free diesel particulate filter (DPF) system.

The Mazda5 MZ-CD 1.6 accelerates from standstill to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 13.7 seconds and can reach a top speed of 180 km/h (112 mph).

All Mazda5s come as standard with power-adjustable side mirrors, manual air conditioning, driver seat height adjustment, power windows, power door locks and four-speaker radio. The safety equipment list includes six airbags, ABS, dynamic stability control (DSC), electric brake-force distribution (EBD), brake assist and traction control (TCS).