The new Mazda 2 hatchback will get a more feminine appeal when it launches in Europe next year

The new Mazda 2, due in European showrooms next autumn, is intended to have a softer, more feminine appeal than today’s car.

Mazda Europe design chief Peter Birtwhistle said: “The car is much more profitable in Asia than it is in Europe and has therefore been designed to appeal to a predominantly feminine customer base.

“It’s prevented us from putting too much visual muscle into the styling, for fear of scaring people off,” he said. “But it’s a good-looking car, and I’m happy with the result.”

The new 2 is also set to spawn a compact SUV, a model that is new to Mazda’s line-up.

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Back in 2008 the Mazda 2 was voted World Car of the Year. Considering the car’s engineering thoroughness and individuality, that shouldn’t be a surprise.

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Matt Saunders

Matt Saunders Autocar
Title: Road test editor

As Autocar’s chief car tester and reviewer, it’s Matt’s job to ensure the quality, objectivity, relevance and rigour of the entirety of Autocar’s reviews output, as well contributing a great many detailed road tests, group tests and drive reviews himself.

Matt has been an Autocar staffer since the autumn of 2003, and has been lucky enough to work alongside some of the magazine’s best-known writers and contributors over that time. He served as staff writer, features editor, assistant editor and digital editor, before joining the road test desk in 2011.

Since then he’s driven, measured, lap-timed, figured, and reported on cars as varied as the Bugatti Veyron, Rolls-Royce PhantomTesla RoadsterAriel Hipercar, Tata Nano, McLaren SennaRenault Twizy and Toyota Mirai. Among his wider personal highlights of the job have been covering Sebastien Loeb’s record-breaking run at Pikes Peak in 2013; doing 190mph on derestricted German autobahn in a Brabus Rocket; and driving McLaren’s legendary ‘XP5’ F1 prototype. His own car is a trusty Mazda CX-5.

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xxxx 26 November 2013

I thought....

I thought that's was the MX5's job!
CentralContractsUK 26 November 2013

The Marilyn Monroe of the Car World!

We love the curves and softer lines of this beauty - you could say it's the Marilyn of the Car World! Mazda have done a great job and are proving that car design needs to appeal to all, not just macho petrol heads! Great job! We can't wait to take the Mazda 2 for a spin when it launches in Europe. Do they do it in pink too? ;)