Mazda's much lauded small car has another reason to shine this week, as it rolls into showrooms across Australia sporting a radiant new body colour, Soul Red Crystal.

Initially launched to Australia in April 2017 on the Next-Gen CX-5, the Mazda2 joins a select number of nameplates to offer Soul Red Crystal, alongside the CX-9, Mazda3 and Limited Edition MX-5 RF.

Proving a popular choice with Australians, Soul Red Crystal has accounted for 20% of sales on models offering the new paint since November 2017.

Developed according to Mazda's acclaimed KODO: Soul of Motion design philosophy, Soul Red Crystal offers an exuberant finish that works in tandem with the Mazda2's styling to breathe life into the car.

Balancing vibrant energy and vividness with clear depth and gloss, Soul Red Crystal boasts 20 per cent greater colour saturation and 50 per cent more depth than its predecessor, Soul Red.

Managing Director of Mazda Australia, Vinesh Bhindi, said that Soul Red Crystal offers a deeper expression of KODO styling in the Mazda2.

"Mazda is always innovating and evolving its design process; the introduction of Soul Red Crystal across the range is testament to this," said Mr Bhindi.

"The new paint offers a radiance we haven't seen before, further enhancing the sense of movement and vitality achieved through KODO design."

The Soul Red Crystal paint retains a simple three-layer structure, comprising clear, translucent and reflective coats.

The translucent layer features a newly developed, highly saturated red pigment for a richer red. While the reflective coat uses extremely thin, light-absorbing aluminum flakes that intensify shaded areas to achieve a depth of colour that previously required two layers of paint.

The aluminum flakes are made to a uniform size; the consistency of the paint was enhanced and a technique to shrink the volume of paint during the drying process was employed. The result is smooth and even coverage of the flakes, allowing more precise control of light reflection, making for a substantially deeper and more vivid colour.

The Mazda2 follows the CX-5, CX-9, Limited Edition MX-5 RF and the Mazda3 in the Soul Red Crystal roll out, which will see the new paint applied to new and existing models.