Three-door Mazda 2 announced

The excellent Mazda 2 will be revealed in a sporty three-door body shape in March

The excellent Mazda 2 will be revealed in a sporty three-door body shape in March.

Mazda claims it will retain all the features of the five-door which went on sale in September.

The carmaker hopes the three-door will attract buyers looking for a sportier look than the nippy five-door Mazda 2.

It retains the same engine line-up of 1.3 and 1.5-litre petrol engines and a 1.4-litre diesel, which all achieve high fuel efficiency and low emissions.

The range-topping 1.5-litre petrol has 100bhp and accelerates from 0-62mph (0-100km/h) in 10.4 seconds.

Mazda has not strayed from its ‘gram strategy’, the maker’s decision to make its cars weigh as little as possible.

All Mazda 2’s weigh less than 1,000kgs, making it among the lightest city cars on sale and 100kgs lighter than its predecessor.

Weighing less has benefits in handling, fuel economy and wear and tear – because components have less stress.

The Mazda 2 has been a hit since it went on sale last year, with the press and consumers. It has been made Car of the Year in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Greece, New Zealand and Japan.

In December it was awarded a five-star crash safety rating by Euro-NCAP for occupant safety.

The three-door Mazda 2 will make its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show on March 4th and we’ll be there with a full show round-up, so be sure to check back.

A beefed-up MPS version of the three-door is rumoured, with a turbocharged 1.6-litre engine producing 200bhp. But Mazda have not confirmed it will be built.