Before we get into the questions, let’s start with what we know. We know the Mazda2 has been designated for the Japanese market but is not planned for North America at all. We know the car is a small entry level sedan or hatchback that we have admired and enjoyed in the past, even though more of our drivers preferred the Mazda3. That’s really about the extent of what we know. With the news that a Mazda2 was testing in California recently the questions are raised for us to wonder why it was testing here and what it actually has under the hood.

What version of the Mazda2 was testing in California? It appears the car that was spotted is a plug-in hybrid version of the Mazda2 with had right hand driving capability, which lets you know this car was not meant to be driven in the US. This car has the second port in the front fender that is used for plugging in the car and charging up the battery for the hybrid powertrain. Even though we won’t have this model in the US it’s an interesting car to admire and see driving on our roads to give us a possible chance at maybe having it sometime in the future.

How long has Mazda been working on this car? For over two years Mazda has been testing the Mazda2 with a Range Extender. The car that was spied testing in California was badged as the Mazda Demio which may simply mean this car was a demo model that was being tested for specifics. The Mazda2 will be a car that is easy to drive and offers the fuel efficiency that is desired in this small entry level sedan that will be sold on the market in Japan.

What is the Mazda2 Range Extender? For this car the range extender used is actually going to be an extremely small rotary engine. This engine is a 0.33-liter engine that is made to add power back to the electric motor for us to enjoy the drive. This is similar to the BMW i3 and the range extender that is offered to add power back and extend the distance the car can travel using the electric motor. This idea for propulsion is one that has begun to be more prevalent on the market and using a rotary engine makes great sense as Mazda seems to be the only company that loves this type of engine.

Will there be a variant of this car in the US? While we have been told the Mazda2 won’t make its way to North America at all the speculation is the reason this car was testing is to see if there could be a version of the car that would meet the regulations and requirements of CARB and the EPA to be considered as one of the most fuel efficient models ever seen on the market in this area. If this powertrain works well in any of the other models offered from Mazda it could easily be the right version for us to admire and enjoy.

Does this mean we will see a rotary engine in the future from Mazda as well? Whether or not we will have the RX-7 or RX-8 with a rotary engine as the power system for a great sports car will be part of the future plans from Mazda, but it seems this hybrid powertrain is more likely than the full rotary engine that would possibly be part of the sports car lineup that will be offered from Mazda. With the rotary engine as the Range Extender for the hybrid model the Mazda2 will be a great new model in Japan and hopefully will be a powertrain we can use here in the US as well.