The Mazda 2 has an angrier face for 2023

It is the turn of the 2 to get updates in the lineup. PHOTO FROM MAZDA

The Mazda 2 is currently one of the best-looking subcompacts on the market today. The third-generation model has been on sale since 2014, having undergone a facelift in 2019 that updates it with elements from the current iteration of the Kodo design.

Well, it seems the automaker is busy updating its current lineup, as the CX-5 and the CX-8 recently got a nip-and-tuck. It is finally the turn of the 2, and it receives a rather intriguing facelift, and maintains the same powertrain options as before: 1.5-liter Skyactiv-G (gasoline) or 1.5-liter Skyactiv-D (diesel) engine.

The new face is a love-it-or-hate-it affair. PHOTOS FROM MAZDA

For starters, the entire front bumper has been revised, with most of the signature grille blocked off (much like the face-lifted Nissan GT-R) to give the appearance of a single, continuous bumper with a single color accent on the front grille.

If you don’t like the body-colored panel, you have the option to finish it in gloss black or get it with a different mesh pattern and silver accents to mimic those on the CX-60. That is for the Sport trim.

Unfortunately, regardless of finish, the new black trim surrounding the bottom air intake gives the new 2 a scowl, which is something that people will either love or hate. Oh, and the rear bumper gets redesigned as well, with a gloss black strip just above the exhaust.

To give credit where it's due, Mazda is experimenting a little with its color and customization options. PHOTOS FROM MAZDA

It also debuts two new colors: Airstream Blue Metallic and Aero Gray Metallic. You also have the option to have color-matched hubcaps for the 15-inch wheels, while the 16-inch wheels come in a two-tone finish.

Plus, you can also have the roof and the door mirrors wrapped with either black or white carbon-fiber film.

You can have your dashboard match your car's exterior. PHOTOS FROM MAZDA

Finally, the interior doesn’t get any of the new tech (such as the latest Mazda Connect system or digital gauges), but instead you can have the trim panels on the dashboard finished either in white, black, or light blue.

Or have a sporty cabin with red accents all over. PHOTOS FROM MAZDA

If you don’t dig that, the dashboard trim can either be finished in leather or textured plastic, alongside the option to have red contrast stitching and accents all throughout the cabin.

It’s a customizer’s dream, with a possible 198 color combinations. This refreshed model will go on sale in Japan by the end of March, so it is more a matter of when Mazda Philippines will decide to bring this refresh in.