The facelifted Mazda2 hatchback has quietly arrived in South Africa, now offered with a choice of front-end designs. Here’s what you’ll pay for this refreshed B-segment hatch…

The refreshed Mazda2 hatchback has quietly touched down in South Africa, sporting a choice of new front-end designs and a slightly truncated line-up.

Of course, this 3rd-generation Mazda2 is one of the oldest contenders in the local B-segment hatchback game, having been revealed as long ago as 2014 (and launching in South Africa early the following year). For the record, the DJ-generation Mazda2 received what we thought would be a mid-cycle refresh in 2019, effectively making this its 2nd facelift.

Note the 2 distinct front-end treatments.

From what we understand, the updated Mazda2 is mechanically unchanged, which means all models are still powered by a naturally aspirated 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine, which delivers an unchanged 85 kW and 148 Nm to the front axle via either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a torque-converter automatic transmission with the same number of cogs.

However, the range has been trimmed slightly, since the previous flagship derivative – badged as the Hazumi – has seemingly fallen away, along with the manual version of the Individual grade. That means the local line-up now comprises 4 rather than 6 variants, starting with the 1.5 Active, which is offered exclusively in 3-pedal form and kicks off at R307 100.

Next up is the mid-tier Dynamic grade, which comes in from R335500 in manual guise and R354 700 in self-shifting form. Finally, the Individual trim level will cost you from R398700 and now comes exclusively with an auto cog-swapper.

From left to right: the Active, Dynamic and Individual grades.

So, what about those new front-end designs? Well, the base Active model ships standard with what appears to be a flat black grille panel, while the Dynamic features a distinctive body-coloured version (along with subtle yellow detailing). The flagship Individual, meanwhile, comes with a more conventional honeycomb-effect black grille, complete with red detailing. New exterior paint colours include Airstream Blue and Aero Grey.

The Active’s standard-features list includes items such as LED headlamps, 15-inch steel wheels (with plastic covers), keyless entry, push-button ignition, electric windows, a 4-speaker sound system (with Bluetooth), manual air conditioning, black cloth upholstery, dual front airbags and ABS (with EBD and EBA).

The top-spec Individual grade features leather and cloth inside.

Meanwhile, the Dynamic specification adds 15-inch silver-coloured alloy wheels, a 7-inch infotainment display (featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, run through a console-mounted dial and linked to 6 speakers), cruise control, an electro-chromatic rear-view mirror, power-folding side mirrors, extra airbags (side and curtain), stability control and leather trim for the steering wheel, gearknob and handbrake lever.

Finally, the Individual trim level boasts items such as 16-inch 2-tone alloys, smart keyless entry, automatic headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, automatic air conditioning, rear parking sensors, a reverse-view camera, wireless charging, a head-up display, leather-and-cloth upholstery, black side-mirror caps, a black roof decal, privacy glass and paddles for its automatic transmission.

How much does the updated Mazda2 cost in South Africa?

Mazda2 1.5 Active 6MT – R307 100

Mazda2 1.5 Dynamic 6MT – R335500

Mazda2 1.5 Dynamic 6AT – R354 700

Mazda2 1.5 Individual 6AT – R398700

The prices above include a 3-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and a service plan of the same duration.

Buy a used Mazda2 on Cars.co.za!

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