- Mazda has pulled its supermini from the UK market, likely due to emissions rules.
- The Mazda2 has been around since 2014, but received its latest facelift in 2023.
- The Toyota-based Mazda2 Hybrid will stay on sale as an indirect replacement.
After more than a decade on sale, the Mazda2 supermini has officially been dropped from the brand’s UK lineup. While there’s no direct successor, buyers looking for a Mazda-badged small car still have the option of the Mazda2 Hybrid, which is a rebadged (and significantly pricier) version of the Toyota Yaris.
The current generation of the Mazda2 was originally introduced in 2014, and received two subsequent facelifts in 2019 and in 2023. Despite the fact it is now gone from the UK, it is still available in Japan, where it received a new infotainment for 2024.
Originally introduced in 2014, the current-generation Mazda2 received two facelifts, one in 2019 and another in 2023. Though it’s now gone from the UK, the model remains on sale in Japan, where it was updated with a new infotainment system for 2024.
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A Mazda UK spokesperson has confirmed the model’s demise to Autocar stating: “As we move towards increased electrification of our cars, the Mazda 2 Hybrid meets consumer demand in the B-segment and is a step in our journey to ensure all our cars have some form of electrification by 2030.”
According to the same source, Mazda has already stopped taking new orders for the Mazda2, with only a “few hundred” units left in dealer stock. The outgoing model was available with either a standard gasoline or mild-hybrid 1.5-liter engine, with pricing starting at £18,625 ($23,500).
Meanwhile, the Mazda2 Hybrid that introduced in 2022, received a mild facelift for 2024 to better distinguish itself from its Toyota Yaris twin. This hybrid-only model starts at £24,135 ($30,400) in the UK.
Notably, the rebadged Toyota was never meant to be a direct replacement for the Mazda2, but rather an alternative aimed at European and UK buyers prioritizing electrification. Still, 11 years after the Mazda2’s debut, there’s no sign of a next-generation model, leaving the fate of the nameplate uncertain.
Why Drop the Mazda2 Now?
Every automaker selling cars in the UK must keep an eye on its annual “carbon credit” allowance. By removing aging ICE-powered models from its lineup, Mazda aims to lower its overall CO2 emissions and avoid potential fines.
According to the publication, the 4,400 Mazda2 units sold in the UK last year, 1,700 were standard gasoline models with an average CO2 output of 109 g/km, while the remaining 2,700 were mild hybrids emitting 107 g/km. In contrast, the Toyota-derived Mazda2 Hybrid is significantly cleaner, with emissions rated at just 87 g/km.
The fully electric Mazda 6e sedan is expected to arrive in the UK market in early 2026, meaning that the MX-30 is the Japanese brand’s sole BEV offering at the moment. In 2024, the MX-30 accounted for only 5% of Mazda’s UK sales, which is far below the 22% target set by the country’s zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate. According to the latter, ZEV sales should account for 80% of the UK market by 2030, reaching 100% by 2035.
