The Mazda Demio is a supermini manufactured and marketed globally by Mazda since 1996, currently in its fourth generation. The Demio is marketed prominently as the Mazda2 and under previous nameplates including Mazda 121, Mazda Metro and Ford Festiva Mini Wagon.
The third generation Demio earned the 2008 World Car of the Year title, while the fourth generation was awarded the 2014–2015 “Japanese Car of the Year”.
In Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, the Demio DJ model is sold by Toyota as an iteration of the Yaris sedan. In the United States, it was initially marketed under its youth-oriented Scion brand as the Scion iA. After August 2016, it is set to be re-branded as the Toyota Yaris iA due to the discontinuation of the Scion marque.
Originating with the introduction of the Mazda 121 in 1987, this B-segment small car was based on the Mazda D-platform. Ford also used a version of the first-generation DA 121 known as the Ford Festiva. Mazda later released the Autozam Revue in 1990 with the next generation of the D-platform DB. It was redesigned for January 1993, still based on the same DB platform. Kia also built versions of the DA and DB, both for itself and for Ford’s sale as the Ford Aspire in the United States which Kia sold as the Pride and Avella. The name “Demio” is derived from Latin mio to show possession.
