2011 Mazda 2 at 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show

LOS ANGELES — The redesigned Mazda 2 has been rolling out to markets across the globe since its introduction in 2007, and now the five-door hatchback — a close cousin to the Ford Fiesta — is heading to North America. It will debut at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show and arrive late next summer in U.S. showrooms as a 2011 model.

Mazda, Ford's longtime partner in Japan, did much of the initial engineering development on the companies' shared global B-segment platform that underpins both the Fiesta and the Mazda 2 (known as the Demio in the home market).

In North America, the car will be offered with a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine and a choice of five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmissions. It will ride on 15-inch wheels and tires. Mazda said it will release additional U.S. specs "at a later date."

Inside Line says: What's taking them so long? — Paul Lienert, Correspondent