Mazda's Winds Of Change

The Age

Wednesday August 27, 2008

Barry Park, With Jez Spinks

A concept car unveiled in Russia provides a peek into the future, writes Barry Park.

MAZDA is providing a tantalising insight into its future thinking, revealing details of a sleek, swept concept car likely to evolve into an all-new compact soft-roader.

The Kazamai, unveiled overnight in Russia in recognition of the nation's growing importance as a fast-emerging car-buying market, uses lightweight material to strip bulk.

Combined with a petrol engine that will improve fuel economy by 30% and a new, six-speed, automatic gearbox, the two-door, four-seat Kazamai leads what Mazda refers to as its "sustainable crossover concept".

Drive revealed several weeks ago that the Kazamai is likely to evolve into a model that will fill an important gap in the Japanese car maker's line-up; a $30,000 compact soft-roader to sit below the $39,910 five-seat CX-7 and $49,990 seven-seat CX-9. It will compete against the likes of Toyota's RAV4, Honda's

CR-V and Subaru's Forester.

The wedge-shaped Kazamai is designed to slip through the air more easily than any of its rivals. And it should shed about 100kg in weight compared with an all-steel body by using a blend of aluminium and aluminium alloy in its bonnet, chassis and engine block, and plastic panels.

Combined with Kazamai's lighter body, the next generation of Mazda's 2.0-litre, fuel-injected petrol engine is expected to cut fuel use to less than 6.0L/100km. By comparison, the current Mazda3 averages an official8.4L/100km when combined with its four-speed automatic transmission.

Like the CX-7 and CX-9, Kazamai features an all-wheel-drive system.

Kazamai - its name means "swirling crosswinds" in Japanese - is likely to share its underpinnings with several other models, including the Mazda3 compact sedan, hatch and wagon, the Volvo S40/V50 range and Ford's Focus.

That will also make it the same platform as the upcoming Kuga, Ford's version of the compact soft-roader, due for release in Australia next year.

However, if you like the idea of the Kazamai, you may be better off buying a Kuga in the short term. If the Kazamai concept does become reality, it's not likely to appear in Australian showrooms until 2011.

Mazda's concept car sits on 22-inch wheels, stands 1.5metres tall, 4.5metres long and 1.9metres wide - about the same height and length as a Mazda3, but significantly wider. The Kazamai also has a slightly longer wheelbase.

Production reality, however, is certain to mean that the production version - likely to be dubbed the CX-5 - will have a less bold look than the 22-inch-wheeled Kazamai when it finally rolls off the line. Also expect it to have the practicality of four doors and five seats. -- With JEZ SPINKS

© 2008 The Age

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