Mazda Australia has announced the arrival of a new 'cheapie' to fill in the bottom spot of its range of passenger cars. The new Mazda 2 3-door joins a line-up that is missing a 3-door car in the light car class, a big-selling class which includes such strong sellers as the Ford Fiesta, Kia Rio, Peugeot 207, Suzuki Swift and Volkswagen Polo.

The Mazda 2 3-door goes on sale this month priced from $15,750 (RRP), making it the most affordable car in Mazda's range.

The Mazda 2 3-door will be available in two specification levels – Neo and Maxx – each mirroring the specification of their 5-door 'siblings'. All Mazda 2s are powered by the same 76 kW, 1.5-litre, MZR four-cylinder petrol engine. A five-speed manual transmission is standard; a four-speed automatic is optional.

Standard features include an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Emergency Brake Assist (EBA), remote locking, driver’s seat height adjustment, a centre rear headrestraint and an AUX jack that enables any MP3 player (including iPod®) to be played through the car’s audio system.

Air-conditioning, power windows and mirrors and an MP3 compatible CD player with four speakers are also part of the package.

Mazda 2 3-door is also available in Maxx grade which adds 15-inch alloy wheels, 6-disc CD player, steering wheel-mounted audio controls and a rear spoiler. The Mazda 2 Maxx 3-door is priced from $17,960 (RRP).

The Mazda 2 3-door shares the same external dimensions as the Mazda 2 5-door model. It measures 3,885 mm in length and rides on a 2,490 mm wheelbase.

Pricing (RRP)

The new Mazda 2 3-door and 5-door hatchback is up to 60 kg lighter than the first-generation Mazda 2 launched back in 2002. By reducing vehicle weight, the new Mazda 2 reverses a general trend in the automotive industry of making each new model heavier.

This result was achieved mostly by engineering solutions – like employing large amounts of light high-tensile steels and reducing weight wherever possible – and also by reducing the car’s dimensions.

All Mazda 2 models come with ABS anti-lock brakes with EBD Electronic Brake-force Distribution and EBA Emergency Brake Assist fitted standard. A driver and passenger front airbag are also fitted to every Mazda 2 model.