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Mazda recalling 88k vehicles for ECU glitch

Need a break from news about the General Motors ignition switch recall? This Mazda recall should serve as a nice change of pace. It involves 88,000 cars across the globe, and focuses on the brand's three most recent (and important) models - the Mazda3, Mazda6 and CX-5.
The issue rests with Mazda's new i-ELOOP regenerative braking system. Apparently there's a problem with the ECU program that monitors whether a capacitor in the regen system is working. Acceleration is affected, and in severe cases, the engine could stall. There have been no mention of accidents or injuries due to the issue, and the glitch itself can be cured by an ECU reflash.
As i-ELOOP is a fairly new system for Mazda, particularly in the US, the total number of affected models is rather low, with just 6,500 US cars affected. Europe is hit hardest, with 38,000 models while Mazda's home market of Japan adds 27,600 cars and crossovers. Affected models were built between October 2012 and January 2014.

2016 Mazda2 won't come to the US

Hoping to get your hands on the new Mazda2? Don't get your hopes up too high, because the latest word has it that the new hatchback won't be available in the United States. According to the report from Automotive News, Mazda's US office has decided against bringing the new Mazda2 to American showrooms. This despite it being made just south of the border in Salamanca, Mexico. The reasons are apparently two-fold. For starters, Mazda sales offices around the world have been clamoring for larger allotments of the new 2, and the company can only supply so many. "We could have had it, but 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," Robert Davis, Mazda's senior VP of US sales operations, told AN. For another, Mazda is apparently not convinced the new supermini would resonate with US buyers, who are increasingly migrating towards crossovers. So Mazda is focusing instead on "products that make us and our dealers considerably more profit than a Mazda2 does." That doesn't mean the latest Mazda2 will be entirely out of our reach forever, though. The company's agreement with Toyota will see a sedan version sold in the US as the Scion iA. Mazda is also certifying it to US safety and environmental standards so that it can sell the 2 in Puerto Rico, which means that it wouldn't take much to change course and bring the hatchback into the US in the future: "It'll always be there if we need it," Davis told AN. Reached for comment, a spokesman for Mazda's North American operations told Autoblog that "The Mazda2 launch in the U.S. market is on hold in order to evaluate the B-Car segment and enable us the opportunity to focus on the launches of the refreshed Mazda6 and CX-5, and the all-new MX-5 roadster and CX-3 subcompact crossover SUV." That leaves the aforementioned CX-3 - which is, incidentally, based on the same architecture as the Mazda2 - as the smallest mainstream model that Mazda will offer Stateside.

Mazda2 sedan images released ahead of Thailand reveal

Mazda will let customers put some junk in the trunk of its Mazda2 with the introduction of a new four-door model at the upcoming Thailand International Motor Expo on November 28. While the show is still days away from beginning, the Japanese automaker is already spilling some of the details about the sedan variant of its fetching subcompact. The four-door and traditional hatchback versions of the Mazda2 will both hit Thailand in early 2015. The two of them are essentially identical other than the added trunk and adjusted rear styling for the sedan. It basically makes the model look like a shrunken down version of the Mazda3 sedan, which isn't a bad thing at all. The company has big expectations for the little car because they're already Mazda's bestselling passenger models in Thailand. Both models will be sold with the SkyActiv-D 1.5 diesel in Thailand, which gives them lower taxes under the government's low-emission, compact car incentive plan. According to a previous rumor, a gasoline-fueled mill could join the lineup eventually, too. There's also gossip that the Mazda2 sedan could eventually be sold in Australia and Europe, but US sales are still a mystery. When asked about the four-door here, Mazda spokesperson Eric Booth told Autoblog, "We'll have more to say on Mazda2 at a later date. Right now, our focus is on the launches of the all-new CX-3 and MX-5 as well as the refreshed CX-5 and Mazda6." The company is showing all of those models at this week's Los Angeles Auto Show. Mazda to Debut the All-new Mazda2 Sedan at Thailand International Motor Expo - Goes on sale in Thailand alongside the hatchback model early 2015 - HIROSHIMA, Japan-Mazda Motor Corporation will debut the sedan model of the all-new Mazda2 (known as Mazda Demio in Japan) at the Thailand International Motor Expo 2014*1 on November 28, 2014. The all-new Mazda2 compact sedan features handsome proportions and bold styling, a high-quality, sporty interior and a combination of excellent driving performance and outstanding environmental and safety performance. The all-new Mazda2 hatchback will also be exhibited at the expo; the first time the model has been displayed to the public in Thailand. Both the sedan and the hatchback feature the SKYACTIV-D 1.5, Mazda's newly-developed small-displacement clean diesel engine. The all-new Mazda2 goes on sale in Thailand in early 2015.