Tentatively dubbed Verisa, the hatchback will be considerably more upscale than the next-gen Mazda2 in order to appeal to a young, image-conscious target audience. The two cars will ride on the same platform but they will not share any sheet metal, indicating the Verisa will be more than merely a badge-engineered 2.
Interestingly, the same report claims Mazda will go after the performance-focused MINI Cooper S with a hot-rodded version of the next Verisa powered by an evolution of the automaker’s 2.2-liter SkyActiv-D four-cylinder engine. Also used in the Mazda6, the mill will be tuned to send at least 150 horsepower and 280 lb-ft. of torque to the front wheels.
More tame versions of the Verisa will be offered with several gasoline- and diesel-burning four-cylinder engines shared with the 2. Whether Mazda’s upmarket hatch will be built alongside the 2 and the next Toyota Yaris in Mazda’s Salamanca, Mexico, plant is not known.
If the rumor proves true, the MINI-fighting Mazda Verisa will greet the public for the first time at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show and go on sale in early 2016. It will be sold in Asia and in Europe, but whether it will be distributed in the United States is up in the air.
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