Category: Mazda

Here is the first sketche of the forthcoming small 1 that Mazda will unveil at the Paris Motor Show.

Auto Express website has unveiled some sketches of the Mazda 1 that will preview a future city model expected to hit the showrooms by 2010. As expected, the vehicles on the sketches takes heavily inspiration from the Hakaze concept car seen at the last year’s Geneva motor show.

Due to be positioned below the Mazda 2, the future small car will be targeted at young buyers offering an equipment which includes iPod connectivity, Bluetooth technology and navigation system. At this eraly stage, it is unknown how the small car will marketed. The Smart ForTwo relies on a funky image, while the eagerly-awaited Toyota iQ will promote its 3+1 concept.

Click here to see the sketches

Here is a video of the Furai, a concept car Mazda unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show in January. Based on a Courage C65’s inner-structure, the Furai is powered by a 3-rotor Wankel engine which delivers 450bhp.

The Furai is the latest iteration of a series of concept cars designed by the Japanese carmaker: Nagare, Taiki, Hazare and Ryuga.

Mazda is rumoured to unveil a small Mazda 1 at the next Paris Motor Show in September.

The Japanese starts expanding its lineup to increase its sales worldwide after years of recovery. The Mazda 1 will be the first new addition to the range which is expected to be launched in 2010. If technical details remain unknown, the Mazda 1 is reported to be the first model to feature the new corporate’s DNA that appeared on the Nagare concept car.

Like the Ford Ka, the Mazda 1 might be based on the Fiat Panda platform unless the Japanese carmaker decides to go on its own. After all, it has a long expertise of building Kei car in its domestic market.

The Mazda 1 will spearhead a launch of new vehicles with stronger identity in order to improve brand image. In addition to the Mazda 1, Mazda will also unveil a small crossover at the Moscow Motor Show. The next-generation MX-5 will be the first model available in the current lineup to feature the new styling DNA.

Mazda has announced pricing for the three door Mazda 2.

The three door Mazda 2 is hitting the showrooms this month and the entry-level starts at £7,999 for the 74bhp 1.3-litre petrol engine version with the TS trim level. Two trim levels are available: TS and TS2. Standard equipment on the TS includes: driver and passenger front airbags, remote central locking with deadlocks, electric front windows, driver seat height adjust, CD radio with auxiliary jack and a Thatcham Category 1 alarm and immobiliser. The TS2 adds 12 unspecified equipments according to the carmaker.

With the three door and five door combined, Mazda plans to sell 15,000 units on the British market this year.

Three door Mazda 2 price list

1.3 TS: £7,999

1.3 TS2: £9,509

1.5 Sport: £11,399

1.4D TS: £8,999

1.4D TS2: £10,504    

Mazda makes the most appealing models, but still needs to stick with the specific demand of its domestic market. The carmaker has unveiled a new people-carrier called Biante.

This isn’t the first people-carrier  in the company’s lineup as Mazda sells the MPV recently facelifted. However the MPV model is a bit too upmarket compared to the best selling Toyota Noah and Voxy, and Nissan Serena. The Biante will be able to carry up to seven people.

Like the competition, the Biante will likely be based on a compact model platform. Mazda hasn’t confirmed if the Biante will be sportier than the competing models. Engine lineup remains unknown although the carmaker might fit the 2.3-litre petrol unit already seen on the MPV.

Initially launched in Japan and in Europe, the new Mazda 6 was unveiled in the US. Generally, a launch in a new country doesn’t require to mention it, but the American Mazda 6 is different from the European and Japanese versions.

First, the American Mazda 6 is only available as a saloon. The outgoing model was also available with the five-door and estate variants, but poor sales condemn them to disappear. Secondly, the Americanised Mazda was redesigned at the rear end. The boot lid is now longer and real lights are bigger than the European/Japanese version. At the front end, the bumpers are lightly modified.

Under the bonnet, the 6 will start with the 2.5-litre unit which is the topping engine in Japan and in Europe. It can be hooked up to a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic gearboxes. The most powerful engine will be the 3.7-litre V6 petrol unit from the CX-9. Only associated with a six-speed automatic gearbox, it delivers 269bhp.

Like the outgoing model, the new Mazda 6 will be built at FlatRock in Michigan.

Mazda has unveiled to its dealer network a facelifted MX-5 due to be launched at the Paris Motor Show.

The revamped MX-5 will adopt the new corporate front fascia by getting some visual details taken from the Mazda 6. It will get new headlights and rear lights. Mazda will also increase the power of its best seller.

Mazda might also  take the opportunity of a facelift to launch a more powerful MX-5. According to company sources, the company’s engineers are currently working on a MX-5 powered by the same turbocharged 2.3-litre petrol unit as the Mazda 3 MPS. With a power of 256bhp, the MX-5 would become a potential alternative to the Lotus Elise.

Mazda designers are already working on the next-gneration MX-5. General Manager of Mazda’s Design Division Laurens van der Acker has revealed in an interview that the next MX-5 will be unveiled in 2011.

Mazda has revealed the three-door variant of its successful Mazda 2 small car at Geneva which will boost the carmaker sales in Europe.

Like the new Fiesta, Mazda shakes up the small car segment by unveiling a three-door Mazda 2. The Japanese carmaker applied with success its Zoom-Zoom philosophy on this new iteration of its small car. The three-door variant keeps the same length as the five-door model, but the company’s designers took the opportunity to spice up the overall shape by featuring sportier bumpers at the front and at the rear.

The three-door Mazda will be available with a 75bhp 1.3-litre petrol engine, 103bhp 1.5-litre petrol unit and a 68bhp or 90bhp 1.4-litre diesel unit. Mazda will likely launch in the future a MPS version.

Mazda has started testing the ASV-4 on public roads in the Hiroshima region. The ASV-4 is a vehicle which utilizes vehicle-to-vehicle communications to alert drivers of oncoming vehicles at blind intersections or on twisting roads with limited visibility.

By reducing driver oversight or error, Mazda aims to mitigate two vehicle collisions at blind intersections, rear-end collisions and accidents when a vehicle performs right turns.

As predicted the number refers to the fourth ASV vehicle which is part of a project that began in 1991. Previous projects gave birth to various advanced safety technologies. These include: a rear vehicle monitoring system that detects vehicles approaching from behind at highway speeds; and Mazda’s Precrash Safety System, which uses milliwave radar to monitor for oncoming obstacles, then alerts the driver and automatically applies the brakes if necessary.

These new safety devices have recently been praised by Thatcham.