LA 2009: Mazda2 Gets North American Debut, But Details Scarce

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Mazda has just officially debuted the new Mazda2 sub-compact at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Designed to compete in an increasingly crowded market against car's like the Nissan Versa, Toyota Yaris and Honda Fit, the Mazda2 is designed to be an affordable, sporty car that delivers what Mazda refers to as Zoom-Zoom Concentrated.

While we do know what the car looks like, Mazda hasn't released any info on engines, horsepower or fuel-economy. In Europe and Japan, the 2 comes with either a 1.3-liter or 1.5-liter 4-cylinder, with the larger engine making 101-hp. That output number seems too low for U.S. customers and would be less than any of its competition. Even the newly unveiled Ford Fiesta (which is based on the same platform) comes with a 119-hp motor.

The Mazda2 is, however, incredibly light (weighing just 2,100 lbs in base trim), which could help it deliver ideal performance. However, as we've seen with cars like the Mazda3, Mazda often prefers to use a larger displacement engine, helping make sure it delivers on its "Zoom-zoom conventrated" tag line.

More: LA 2009: Mazda2 Gets North American Debut, But Details Scarce on AutoGuide.com

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