Revealed in January, the 2023 Mazda 2 facelift has now been launched in Thailand in both hatchback and sedan forms, with the latter making its first showing, shown here in live images courtesy of Headlight Magazine. This is the second update for this Mazda 2, which has been around since 2014, following a facelift carried out for it in 2019.
As shown when the update made its debut, the changes are mostly cosmetic, led by a revised front end. Two faces are available, offering differently-styled grilles. The first is a panel, which offers an EV-like appearance by being largely closed off, while the second features a black honeycomb mesh insert, offering a sportier take. Both are accompanied by a reprofiled trim surround in black as well as a downturned lower intake.
There’s also a colour accent on the front grille and rear bumper on the hatchback, which the automaker says provides an element of contrast. The sedan makes do with just the front colour accent, because it has a different lower insert.
Rounding up the exterior changes are an assortment of new wheels designs and external colours (nine in Thailand), including two new metallic shades called Aero Grey and Airstream Blue. The hatchback adds on two special editions, Rookie Drive and Clap Pop, which are dressed with themed packages to further individualise the car. These are accomplished with the addition of decals, high contrast elements and a selection of differently coloured wheel caps.
Inside, the dashboard layout is pretty much unchanged, although its now brightened by coloured dashboard panels that match the exterior hue. The free-standing touchscreen has also increased in size to an eight-inch panel, although it remains powered by the older Mazda Connect infotainment system.
Two engines choices are available for the Mazda 2 in Thailand. The first is the Skyactiv-G 1.3 litre naturally-aspirated petrol, which offers 93 PS at 5,800 rpm and 123 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm. The second is a 1.5 litre turbocharged diesel that makes 105 PS (103 hp or 77 kW) at 4,000 rpm and 250 Nm from 1,500 to 2,500 rpm. Both mills are paired with a six-speed automatic transmission.
The engines are offered on five variants on both hatchback and sedan, with three petrol and two diesel versions for each. The petrol sedans are the 1.3 C, the 1.3 S and the 1.3 SP, while the diesel variants are the 1.5 XD and 1.5 XDL. The same model designations are also applied to the hatch, with all the versions getting a Sports suffix to identify them by name. The Rookie Sport and Clap Pop editions are based on the 1.3 C petrol hatchback.
Kit and specifications include LED headlamps and daytime running lights,smart keyless entry/push button start as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support. Meanwhile, wheel sizes are 15-inch units for the petrol and 16-inch for the diesels.
Pricing for the Mazda 2 starts from 599,000 baht (RM79,850) for the 1.3 C sedan/1.3 C Sports hatch and goes all the way to 830,000 baht (RM110,630) for the 1.5 XDL sedan/1.5 XDL Sports hatch.
GALLERY: 2023 Mazda 2 facelift, 1.3 C sedan, Thailand-spec
GALLERY: 2023 Mazda 2 facelift, 1.3 S sedan, Thailand-spec
GALLERY: 2023 Mazda 2 facelift, 1.3 SP sedan, Thailand-spec
GALLERY: 2023 Mazda 2 facelift, 1.5 XD sedan, Thailand-spec
GALLERY: 2023 Mazda 2 facelift, 1.3 S Sports hatchback, Thailand-spec
GALLERY: 2023 Mazda 2 facelift, 1.3 SP Sports hatchback, Thailand-spec
GALLERY: 2023 Mazda 2 facelift, 1.5 XD Sports hatchback, Thailand-spec
GALLERY: 2023 Mazda 2 facelift, 1.5 XDL Sports hatchback, Thailand-spec, in Aero Grey and Airstream Blue
GALLERY: 2023 Mazda 2 facelift, 1.3 C Rookie Drive Sports hatchback, Thailand-spec
GALLERY: 2023 Mazda 2 facelift, 1.3 C Clap Pop Sports hatchback, Thailand-spec
GALLERY: 2023 Mazda 2 facelift hatchback, Japan
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It looks electrified when its not ……….
Did they just fire the disigner?
Mazda cars r super expensive compared to the competition.
They just announced profits in excess of Rm 300 juta last week.
Datuk Ben’s outfit is very well managed,even with lockdowns.
seriously, i think they should stop milking this 10yo model already..
They are not a large company like toyota . Gtr also selling since 2007
If you mean the Skyline GTR, then you should know thats a legend. Meanwhile this mazda is just a soccer mom’s car.
urm, NOPE.
They simply slap on a piece of plastic to cover the front grill and hope it works? It’s ugly.
Take some design ques from Volvo, please.
Mazda Mach-E
Love the clean look with the airstream blue. Those who bash can’t afford or won’t buy anyway, only have mouth to talk and fingers to type
mazda japan or bermaz?
everyone except yourself can afford this car, it’s just a humble B segment sedan
Dark graphite grey color that 1 still ok, others like got weird misai on the front grill.
Mazda smart. spend RM1 on design mod, change 100x more for the car. savvy business
What’s with the mustache?
Only those bengs will go for visa or city