Photo: Scion
The fourth-generation Mazda2 (Demio) is one of the most enticing propositions in the supermini segment these days, and it won’t be sold in the United States. Despite all the positive reviews and excellent sales volumes around the world, the Japanese company decided to let the 2016 Scion iA take the 2’s place.
Mazda USA senior vice president Robert Davis told AutomotiveNews a couple of reasons for forgoing. A no-brainer is the low price of gasoline. Secondly, the manufacturer’s assembly plant in Salamanca, Mexico can’t ramp up Mazda2 production just for the hell of it.
"We would have had a number that didn't make much sense with 600 dealers and with the marketing it takes to launch a new car," Davis concluded. Truth be told, other Mazda models return better profit per unit for the automaker. In the supermini segment, Ford struggles to sell the $13,965 Fiesta sedan. To put that price into perspective, the 2015 model year Mazda3 compact hatchback makes more sense, all things considered.
The $5,000 leap from supermini to compact renders the 2016 Mazda2 a burden for the brand’s US dealers. The ultimate reason the 2 won’t arrive Stateside is the existence of a Scion model. The iA is a badge-engineered Mazda2 sedan with a so-and-so face. A 1.5-liter SkyActive 4-cylinder with 106 horsepower and 103 lb-ft (139 Nm) of torque comes as standard and pricing is expected to start in the low $16,000s.
That's perilously close to the Mazda3's starting price, but only time will tell if Toyota made the right move to sell a rebadged Mazda2 in the US. If you're curious what the US motorist is missing on, you can find more data on the Mazda2 in our review of the Hazumi 1.5 SkyActiv-G model.
"We would have had a number that didn't make much sense with 600 dealers and with the marketing it takes to launch a new car," Davis concluded. Truth be told, other Mazda models return better profit per unit for the automaker. In the supermini segment, Ford struggles to sell the $13,965 Fiesta sedan. To put that price into perspective, the 2015 model year Mazda3 compact hatchback makes more sense, all things considered.
The $5,000 leap from supermini to compact renders the 2016 Mazda2 a burden for the brand’s US dealers. The ultimate reason the 2 won’t arrive Stateside is the existence of a Scion model. The iA is a badge-engineered Mazda2 sedan with a so-and-so face. A 1.5-liter SkyActive 4-cylinder with 106 horsepower and 103 lb-ft (139 Nm) of torque comes as standard and pricing is expected to start in the low $16,000s.
That's perilously close to the Mazda3's starting price, but only time will tell if Toyota made the right move to sell a rebadged Mazda2 in the US. If you're curious what the US motorist is missing on, you can find more data on the Mazda2 in our review of the Hazumi 1.5 SkyActiv-G model.
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