Finally, some real movement into a segment where Ford really needs to compete.

The "new" Mazda2 was jointly developed by Mazda and Ford of Europe engineers, which ties directly into my theory about the global engineering integration that Mulally seems to be advancing company-wide within Ford.

 

Taht is really great news... I would love to see what they come up it.

 

 

i've also been waiting for news on this front for a long time. I just wish they could speed this thing along a little bit. They shoulda been ready for this market even two years ago, but we still have to wait at least another year before we see something in the showrooms.

 

Not if you buy the Mazda. It will be here next year.

Ford should just slap a Blue Oval badge on Mazda's design; it looks hot - much better than the crappy Fit and Yaris <yawn>.

 

Autoblog and Automobile share your opinion, Hollywood:
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/03/h...t-ford-escort/

 

http://www.km77.com/00/mazda/2/g01.asp
http://www.km77.com/00/mazda/2/g02.asp

 

Personally, I like the name Fiesta. Was a good car, it's a known name, and it really fits the personality of this little runabout. "Fit," "Yaris," "Fiesta"...it works.

I also like that Photochop - the car actually looks a little better with a subtle version of Ford's new three bar grille than the Mazda version.

 

I wouldnt like to see the threebar grill on this car
It wouldnt fit

Fiesta would fit this car perfect though

 

I think that thin version of the three-bar grille looks great in the picture above.

 

I agree, Automobile's Chop looks quite snazzy. Far better than the interim Focus's two-bar.

 

i would definitely settle for an all out rebadge if it meant Ford had its own B-car a full year earlier. I can seriously imagine this being the first car I ever buy...


oooh.. but gimme a two door version!

 

Fiesta would be a good name, since it has a fun/"positive" ring to it - definitely better than silly-sounding gobbledyguk "Yaris" or "Versa". Maybe this could spawn a SVT version like the Puma...

 

Some how I knew this was going to happen.

 

More Pics: http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/04/g...w-2008-mazda2/

 

This car will blow other B-cars out of the water!


Here's hoping they don't mess with this design once it comes to the US

 

Mazda2 looks great.

 

 

My parents raised me driving Escorts, so I must say I have a preference for the name out of the two. Fiesta never did anything for me, calling your car "Party" doen't make it one. But I think both names are wrong. I say they should revive the Maverick name. It sounds cool, comes from far enough in the past that people remember it but don't have a bad taste in their mouth, and fits with the Zoom Zoom pedigree from Mazda.

 

Yeah, Maverick is pretty cool. The Taurus was a good name to bring back, and this was for a car that needed something like that to catch attention due to a ****ty launch in terms of marketing with the 500 name. I don't think we should take the Taurus/Sable renaming as a sign that we should expect a name like Escort to come back on a completely brand new car. I don't see why Ford wouldn't slap a brand new name, or a really old, almost forgotten name like Maverick on this new little hatch, and just do a decent job of getting the name out loud and early with a good ad campaign. Its not impossible to establish a new nameplate if the car is significant enough.

The Taurus did it pretty quick didn't it?