Mazda is going to use a variation of its CX-5 platform to underpin the next generation Mazda2 / Demio supermini, according to a report from Just-auto.
The Japanese crossover was the first to get the brand’s SKYACTIV philosophy imprinted into its engineering and construction, while the Mazda6 sedan is the first vehicle which embraces it from the ground-up – both cars share lots of mechanical components and have received positive reviews since launch.
The information about the platform sharing seems odd to us, because the Mazda2 would be a considerably smaller vehicle than either of the other two, in both length and width, and its proportions would have to be different as it is a compact hatchback with short overhangs – important for good maneuverability in town.
They would have to do a lot of chopping to make it fit, when the far easier solution would be to ask Fiat, with which they have already entered a partnership to co-develop the Alfa Romeo Spider along with their own all-new MX-5. The Italians could lend one of their platforms and possibly build the European market 2 alongside their own next-gen Punto at the Melfi factory (once they do decide what they want to do with it) – it could use the extra capacity anyway. Currently, the Mazda2 is assembled or built in Japan, China, Thailand and Vietnam, and a possible location of manufacture for the new model could be the automaker’s new Mexican plant.
The analysis made by Just-auto, which uses information passed on by “a spokesperson for the company’s UK importer,” includes additional information about Mazda’s product lifecycle plans that will have the Japanese automaker replacing its models every four years. The exceptions are vehicles like the aforementioned MX-5, which is a joint project, so it could stay on the market for longer.
By Andrei Nedelea
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