The lifecycle of the third-gen Mazda2 has just been expanded thanks to a second facelift, which made the supermini look sportier than ever. Still, the Japanese tuner Auto Exe is here for those who want something even spicier in terms of styling, making the Mazda2 look like the hotter variant we never got from the factory.
Predictably, the new “DJ-2” styling kit is based on the Mazda2 Sport+ trim which is the most fitting thanks to the grille pattern and red accents. Auto Exe added a fairly large front bumper extension with an integrated splitter and a piano black finish.
Read: Japan’s Auto Exe Spices Up The Mazda CX-60
The tuner also added deeper side skirts with aerodynamic features, black covers for the door handles, a metal-style fuel cap cover, and window deflectors, which is a must for all tuned vehicles in Japan. We have to admit though that the small stock alloy wheels don’t do justice to the aggressive looks of the body kit. At the back, there is a fixed rear wing mounted on the stock spoiler, faux inlets on the sides of the rear bumper, a pronounced diffuser, and a larger exhaust pipe.
Unfortunately, the Japanese supermini doesn’t have the performance to justify the looks; the most powerful powertrain option is the naturally aspirated mild-hybrid 1.5-liter Skyactive-G petrol engine producing a modest 113 hp (85 kW / 115 PS).
If you want to make your Mazda2 the exact opposite of a sleeper, you can order the aforementioned components from Auto Exe. The splitter will cost you ¥90,200 ($692), the side skirts ¥93,500 ($717), the decorative rear vents ¥63,800 ($489), the diffuser ¥57,200 ($439), and the rear wing ¥83,600 ($641). For a complete brochure-style look you’ll also need to pay ¥16,500 ($127) for the window deflectors, ¥29,260 ($224) for the door handle protectors, and ¥11,000 ($84) for the fuel cap cover. Adding it all up, the total treatment costs ¥445,060 ($3,412) which is a fair amount for the Mazda2 Sport+ which starts from ¥2,002,000 ($15,355) in the Japanese market.
