MAZDA is introducing three-door versions of its all-new Mazda2 small car, with a starting price of £7,999 on-the-road - making the Mazda2 TS 3dr 1.3 petrol one of the most price-competitive small cars in the UK.

This is the first time that Mazda has offered a three-door variant in its popular Mazda2 model range.

Since its launch, the new Mazda2 has attracted almost 7,000 buyers and raised Mazda's share of the small car market in 2008 to 2.4 per cent. The Mazda2 five-door, which was introduced in September 2007, broke the industry trend for increasing weight and size with each successive replacement model.

The new Mazda2 is 100kg lighter than the previous model, thanks to the use of lightweight ultra-high tensile steels and new technology - leading to excellent fuel consumption and low CO2 emissions.

Mark Cameron, Mazda UK marketing director, said: "Demand for the new Mazda2 5dr has been greater than we anticipated and the arrival of the new three-door model, with its special appeal to a different group of consumers, will accelerate sales to a much higher level.

"Our original small car segment sales target for 2008 was an ambitious, but realistic 12,000 units - tripling our sales in this sector. Now, we are confident of achieving 15,000 sales as the three-door model with its keen pricing, £500 lower model-for-model, boosts the Zoom-Zoom appeal of Mazda2 to a wider audience."

Mazda anticipates that up to 50 per cent of new Mazda2 buyers will choose the three-door body style and that a large number will opt for the highly specified Sport' version.

Crystal White Pearlescent exterior paint is also expected to be popular.