If US customers want to buy a new Mazda2, they will have to get it from Toyota.

Mazda has announced it will not sell the Demio, the Japan-market name for the compact hatchback, in the States. Instead, a sedan version originally designed for southeast Asian and South American markets will arrive in Toyota dealerships as the newly unveiled Scion xA.

Speaking with Automotive News, Mazda senior VP Robert Davis cited low gas prices and limited supply from Mazda’s Salamanca, Mexico factory (where the Scion xA is built alongside the Mazda2) as reasons for forgoing the US market. “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 explained, adding that there were other cars that made more profit for Mazda.

“It’ll always be there if we need it,” Davis added, referring to the fact that the car has already passed federal safety and EPA tests in order to be sold in Puerto Rico.

Internationally, the Mazda Demio has won much acclaim for its fuel economy and fun-to-drive handling. It even secured the coveted Japan Car of the Year award in its home country, ironically described by the voting panel as “a compact car filled with charm and the ability to appeal to the global markets.”

Though the new Honda Jade, a three-row hybrid wagon, is still relatively fresh after debuting in Japan this February, the company is already offering a sporty, turbocharged gasoline-only variant.

The Honda Jade RS is the latest car to receive the new 1.5L direct-injection VTEC Turbo motor, slated to debut in the US on the next-generation Civic. In fact, the Jade is more or less a Civic wagon, but with a unique 2+2+2 seating configuration that trumps the similarly-sized Prius v. At launch the Jade RS will only be available with a continuously variable transmission as its only gearbox option.

However, the chassis does see some sporting improvements with a 15 percent increase in stiffness up front, and a 20 percent increase out back. Honda also adds chassis reinforcement braces under the floorpan to help cornering.

Visually, the RS distinguishes itself rom the hybrid with a mesh grille and dark chrome trim. 17-inch alloy wheels are also unique to the model. Red “RS” badges can be found front and rear, a throwback to the 1974 Civic 1200 RS, which upped power by 7 percent and had a sportier suspension. In essence, the RS was the first sporty civic, preceding the first Civic Si in 1986 by over 20 years. The Civic was canceled in Japan in 2010. The Jade RS debuts at the end of the month.

Renault is busily developing the first Alpine sports car of the 21st century. Official details are few and far between, but the company has confirmed it will preview the coupe with a new concept that’s set to bow next month at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
“The last thing I want to do is to spoil the surprise. I can tell you that it will be a fantastic car, it will make a lot of noise and you’ll see the DNA of the new Alpine in this car, so it’ll be a fantastic surprise,” said Laurens Van Den Acker, Renault’s design boss, in an interview with IndianAutosBlog.

Renault has previously confirmed the upcoming Alpine will not look anything like the 400-horsepower A110-50 concept (pictured) that was shown at the 2012 Monaco Grand Prix to announce the brand’s long-awaited return. Instead, the coupe will boast a retro-inspired design that will borrow key styling cues from the A110 Berlinette that was built in the 1960s and the 1970s.

Stay tuned, this year’s edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans will kick off on June 13th and we suspect Renault will publish a few teaser images in the days leading up to the race.

What’s next?
Alpine – which will turn into a standalone brand – will introduce its yet-unnamed coupe next year. Aimed at cars like the Lotus Elise and the Alfa Romeo 4C, it will be powered by a mid-mounted turbocharged four-cylinder engine rated at about 250 horsepower.

Fiat has introduced a new compact sedan called Ægea Project at the Istanbul Motor Show.
Designed to replace the aging Linea, the Ægea Project stretches 177 inches long, 70 inches wide and 58 inches tall, dimensions that make about as big as a Toyota Corolla. Fiat explains the Ægea boasts harmonious proportions because it was designed as a three-box sedan from the very beginning. By contrast, many of its competitors – and its predecessor – are hatchbacks onto which designers grafted a longer rear end.

Inside, the Ægea leaves behind the Linea’s drab, low-rent interior and adopts a more upscale-looking cockpit with a TFT screen integrated into the instrument cluster, a more rounded dashboard and a three-spoke multi-function steering wheel. Fiat-Chrysler’s touch screen-based Uconnect infotainment system is available on select trim levels.

Precise technical specifications are not available, likely because they will vary from country to country. However, Fiat promises the Ægea will be offered with two gasoline-burning four-cylinder engines and two turbodiesel units whose outputs range from 95 to 120 horsepower. All engines send power to the front wheels via a manual transmission, and a few are available with an automatic gearbox at an extra cost.

Built in Bursa, Turkey, the Ægea Project will get a new name and go on sale in over 40 countries before the end of the year. However, Fiat is not currently planning on selling the sedan in the United States.