Mazda PH refreshes the 2 to be a little sportier and angrier

Mazda's smallest hatchback gets a scowl on its face for 2023. PHOTO FROM MAZDA

It’s shaping up to be a very busy year for Mazda Philippines as it continues to update the rest of its lineup. One of them is the 2 hatchback, which was no stranger to controversial design with its recent facelift.

Previously, the hatchback leaned on the more premium side of the subcompact spectrum as it had a very classy look inside and out. But with its recent and rather contentious facelift, it seems that the automaker did a complete 180° and decided that its littlest offering should go all-in on sportiness.

Good thing we got the more traditional-looking variant. PHOTOS FROM MAZDA

Thankfully, Mazda Philippines decided to bring in the tamer Sport trim instead of the “youthful” base trim.

This receives a more normal-looking mesh front grille with a contrasting accent instead of the controversial one-piece, body-colored front panel, but the scowling lower grille is still present. The roof is wrapped in a faux-carbon-fiber pattern, and the 16-inch wheels come in a two-tone design. Finally, the rear bumper also receives a slight redesign with the same contrasting accent at the front.

Do you prefer the more luxurious interior over this sportier one? PHOTO FROM MAZDA

The interior also adopts racier undertones. The leather-and-suede upholstery is now dominantly black with red accents.

Regardless, the hatchback is still one of the most feature-rich vehicles on the market today, coming with a heads-up display, wireless phone charging, automatic climate control, a seven-inch infotainment with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, and six speakers.

The Mazda 2 is still one of the most fun subcompacts to drive today. PHOTO FROM MAZDA

The powertrain is carried over, with a 1.5-liter in-line-four gasoline engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission that courses 108hp and 141Nm to the front wheels, with G-Vectoring Control Plus helping with the car’s handling.

It also comes with the i-Activsense safety suite, which features front and rear smart city brake support, forward obstruction warning, lane departure warning, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert.

The Mazda 2-based CX-3 also gets the Aero Gray color at no additional cost. PHOTOS FROM MAZDA

All of this goes for P1,250,000. That price can go slightly higher if you opt for such special colors as Soul Red Crystal and Machine Gray, but the newest color introduced is Aero Gray (which replaces Ceramic Metallic and is also available in the CX-3).