Don’t ask me how they do it, but Mazda is is getting ready to unveil the latest of their concept vehicles expressing their flowing Nagare design language. This time it’s the Kiyora meaning “Clean and Pure” in Japanese. The Kiyora is the Urban Compact variation ever growing range of concepts being shown by Mazda. They say water is the design theme, but in more than a few of these latest concepts from Mazda, this one most of all, I’m seeing a bit of Bruce the shark from Finding Nemo. Call me crazy, but I’m telling you, this car is Bruce

Bruce, er Kiyora is equipped with a direct injection 4 cylinder and Mazda’s Smart Idle Stop System. It all adds up to something like a Mini Cooper that looks more like a shark than a bulldog.

Of course few of these Nagare concepts look very buildable as production cars, but it we can hold out hope that something as interesting as the Kiyora may find its way into show rooms in the years to come. Even now we’re seeing Nagare design language creep into Mazda’s existing line as seen in the latest version of Mazda’s 6. Also to be seen at the Paris show will be a refreshed version of the third generation MX-5 (Miata) More pictures and Mazda’s full press release after the jump.

Click on thumbnails for larger images.

HIROSHIMA, Japan—Mazda Kiyora, a lightweight, next generation, urban compact concept car, will be revealed at the 2008 Paris International Motor Show to be held from Thursday, October 2 through Sunday, October 19, 2008.

Mazda Kiyora (meaning ‘clean and pure’ in Japanese) represents the harmony between driving pleasure and environmental and safety features aspired to in Mazda’s long-term technology development vision, “Sustainable Zoom-Zoom.”

Mazda Kiyora

The concept of “Kiyora” helped the designers to imagine a city car cutting cleanly through an urban landscape, with water as the design theme. Equipped with Mazda’s next generation 4 cylinder direct injection engine and featuring the company’s unique Smart Idle Stop System, the car achieves excellent fuel economy and low CO₂ emissions. The improved aerodynamic performance of Nagare design also contributes to this. The new Mazda concept car is based on an all-new platform designed to maximize weight reduction and a high level of safety, in pursuit of enhanced driving pleasure. It also features an interior design and new functions that support a youthful lifestyle.

Joining the Mazda Kiyora concept car on Mazda’s stand at the Paris show, the Mazda MX-5 facelift will make its world debut, together with the Mazda6 equipped with Mazda’s newly developed MZR-CD 2.2-liter turbo diesel engine, and the Mazda2 powered by a MZ-CD 1.6-liter diesel.

Officially titled the Mondial de l’Automobile, the Paris motor show press days are October 2 and 3, and the public days are October 4 to 19. Mazda will hold its press conference on Thursday, October 2, at 12:15 p.m. (local time).

2008 Paris International Motor Show vehicle exhibits

Reference exhibits
Concept car
Mazda Kiyora (World Premiere)

Scheduled for sale
Mazda MX-5 facelift (World Premiere) European Specification
Mazda6 MZR-CD 2.2 (World Premiere) European Specification
Mazda2 MZ-CD 1.6 (World Premiere) European Specification

Models currently on the market
Mazda2, Mazda3, Mazda5, Mazda6, Mazda CX-7, Mazda BT-50 pickup

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This must be, at least in part, due to the impact of GM’s Solstice and Sky roadsters. Sure both cars are heavier and not as well thought out as the MX-5, but styling and excellent power options have set them apart. No doubt, the MX-5 is the one most people would rather spend time driving, but 260HP in the Solstice GXP is hard to ignore compared to the MX-5’s 160HP. It’s worth noting however that the Honda S2000 appears to have been the first casualty of the new roadster offerings from GM. Mazda soldiers on in the segment they reinvented with their first MX-5 in the summer of ‘89.

Expect some styling cues that may look as if they came from one of the recent concepts from Mazda. Mix that with a bit of direct injection power/economy and Mazda will be back in the fight for 2012 when the new model bows. Let’s hope they shave a bit of weight off too. Although lighter than all its competitors the current MX-5 has gained a bit of weight over its previous iterations.

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continued with more pictures after the jump

Mazda more than any other car maker goes out of its way to make their utility vehicles look un-truck-like, and the Kazamai is no exception. The most extreme details on this Nagare series of concepts hardly seem likely to make it to production, but the design language may be hinting at what can be expected in upcoming production models from the auto maker.

So far, I have to say I like them as concepts, but Nagare isn’t something I’d be rushing out to buy. Still, the latest shots of a supposed 2011 RX-7 floating about have a bit of Nagare to them and they’re quite nice. I’ll have more on that in an upcoming post. For now, here’s a family photo of the original Nagare concepts followed by the newly released Kazamai pics.

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Mazda is proud of the weight saving measures and it should be. On the rear axel alone they’ve managed to save 9.22 kg, or about 20 pounds. They could have saved a lot of engineering expense by using the same piece from the old model, but they knew that applying this philosophy throughout the car would yield dividends in the finished product. Last March the Mazda PR machine was putting out the message of Sustainable Zoom Zoom. Now we can see what they meant. In an upcoming article we’ll encounter the same philosophy as it has been employed in a very different type of vehicle, the Mazda6.

The car has been selling well in Japan since it’s release in August and Auto Express has taken a spin in the Mazda2 diesel. Now if you’re thinging to yourself that Zoom Zoom and diesel don’t go together, with a 0 to 62 MPH time of 15.2 seconds you’re right, but who can argue with 54.7 MPG. And before some wiseguy comments that Auto Express says it gets 65.7 MPG, I converted for US gallons (the Brits have bigger gallons than we do.)

I can’t find any firm numbers yet on when the Mazda2 will show its face in the USA, but Ford has commited to bringing out a Fiesta or Festiva or some similar name for 2009. Don’t Expect Ford’s version to be all that dissimilar to Mazda’s.

Now please enjoy the pretty pictures.

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