2009 Mazda 2 upgrade

Mazda has released an upgrade for the popular Mazda2 (or Demio) in Japan today with several interior and exterior refinements aimed at extending the popular model’s appeal.

A freshened interior featuring a piano black center panel and revised seat and door trim fabrics (three in all), new alloy look gear knob, parking brake and door handles door trim and an illuminated gear shift (auto only) all of which compliment a new exterior colour, Aluminium Metallic, which brings the colour pallet to an even dozen.

The top shelf Genki model also picks up climate control air-conditioning with particle filter.

Australia will most likely see the revised model sometime in the first quarter of 2009.

http://skyline The Salesman

I am surprised to see it dose not have the gated shift that is so popular in other makes. Is their an advantage to that? I cant see any benefit.
Realcars

Best of the buzz boxes.SUPERIOR TO A YUKIS.
http://navelcontemplation.blogspot.com/ SuperCujo

The gated shift is activated by the steering wheel mounted buttons, rather than a push of the stick. Those autos aren’t that quick on shifts, so using a manual shift would be useless really.
http://www.fmgjbv.au rich boy

Ladies would love the new and improved Demio or 2.
Bret

Does it share the same platform with the Fiesta? I think the styling looks more like a Fiesta than any other Mazda, and I recall reading something….
singleton

is that a pioneer screen i see in the dash? maybe they should have thought less about cd player and more about all that plastic
absi

i read on another website “autoincar.com” that they have introduced a CVT version also in Japan along with these upgrades that you have mentioned here. Any news on if the CVT transmission will make it to Aust?
Tim

Sat in one for for 10 seconds, and couldnt take that horrible, cheap, drab plastic/interior.

Although a good car dynamically.
Dlr1

Bret, interesting question about whether it is built on the fiesta platform… even more interesting is that Ford currently build the Fiesta on 3 different platforms according to Automotive News.
Andrew M

Tim,
then i take it the small car segment isnt for you???

every other vehicle in its class is filled with cheap looking plastic.
on the up side, this is the best vehicle in its class!!!

Dlr1,
Is that right hey???
they must be reffering to the old shape we can still get here, and then the one that will replace it, but the 3rd one????
Frenchie

Get use to it. Most car interiors are made of plastic.
So quit with the “oh it looks cheap with all that plastic”.
Get with the 21st century we have moved on from the 1970′s!
Dlr1

Andrew M, just quoting what i’ve read in Auto News, apparently Ford has 35 different platforms around the world which they intend to reduce to 9. Even the journalist seemed surprised that one one hand there were 3 different Fiesta platforms and on the other hand not suprised they were losing money.
Alan

With the new fiesta announced, this suddenly seems to be 2nd best. This interior looks cheap and horrible with black pastic everywhere, whereas the fiesta’s interior looks much much nicer. Personally, i would say the new fiesta is easily the best in class, hopefully it will sell well here and lift ford’s sales up.
Tim

Frenchie wrote:
“Get use to it. Most car interiors are made of plastic.
So quit with the “oh it looks cheap with all that plastic”.
Get with the 21st century we have moved on from the 1970’s!”

Yes, but there is good plastic and bad plastic. To my taste, the plastics of a Swift/Jazz/Fiesta are better than the ones found in Mazda 2.
Al Juraj

With plastic, the Japs tend to do a great job. They’re able to place them at the right spots, particularly in the dashboard. Take for instance the Accord Euro. It’s nowhere near German in quality, but it’s well thought of and hard plastics are where they should be.

The 2 is a particularly cute car but with the new Jazz, I’m not sure if it’s still the class leader. For starters, the small Honda is the only one that offers 5-speed auto in the segment.
Cupid Stunt aka No Name

Not a patch on the new fiesta, look at the new Fiesta dash for a small inexpensive car its way stylish emping a mobile phone. The Mazda 2 if boring in comparison.
I failry sure they share the same platform as does the Fiat 500, the new Ford Ka and I think some new Toyota soon to be on the block.
Andrew M

Dlr1,
mate i believe you if you say,
and i agree with the sentiments of the Jurnos.

Once again another thing controlled by the US.

Gee they are really on fire arent they
perhaps if they fell on their A*se it would knock some stubborness out of them.

Lets hope they dont dent the other branches when they trip.
I actually think Ford has taken some antibiotics just in time……..

On topic,
i just pulled up some fiesta pics to refresh myself, and when you look there are quite a few styling differences.
the Mazda2 actually looks dated when held against the aussie spec fiesta.

The fiesta will certainly take the cake, but will ford sell it?? They have a history of not being able to sell good cars.
Ford just sent me an online survey relating to my FG purchase, and i certainly let them know about their dealers poor product knowledge…….

Cupid,
are we getting the Ka???
the last one didnt look much chop, but the newbie looks the goods
Frontman

I’m pretty certain you will find the different floorpans for Fiesta are Euro outgoing, Euro incomming, and the Extended unit used in India as Fiesta Sedan. The extended unit is not such a big deal as the masters of minimilist floorpans (VWAG) often don’t count extended pans as seperate units.
Dude1

if you squint hard enough, the centre console looks like the shape of mickey mouse…with an erection. LoL.
Bret

Dude, you’re a sick puppy (but right!)
Matthew

Does the 09 model get that red and black instrumentation instead of that ugly cream one they’ve got now?