Mazda RX-Z Concept

Mazda RX-Z Concept
Mazda RX-Z Concept
Mazda RX-Z Concept
Mazda RX-Z Concept
Mazda RX-Z Concept

Mazda RX-Z Concept

new Mazda Carol

We saw a concept car showcased by Suzuki with the name “Alto Concept” that looked completely different (and nicer) from the Alto that’s selling in countries like India. And today, we see that different Alto body get announced for production, but not with a Suzuki badge. The car above is the new full model change Mazda Carol and it’s essentially a badge engineered Alto, a common practice between Japanese compact carmakers.

You can have it with either a 5-speed manual, a 4-speed automatic or a CVT transmission. There is also a 4WD CVT model as well as a 4WD 4-speed auto model, surprisingly. The sole engine option is a 660cc VVT engine. The front wheel drive CVT version is claimed to be able to achieve 24.5km per liter according to the 10-15 cycle.

This may not be relevant info for us but all variants of the Carol qualify for Japan’s eco-car tax reductions (grades with CVT or five-speed manual qualify for 75 percent reductions while 4-speed auto models get 50 percent reductions). All grades also qualify for Japan’s eco-car incentive program which has various incentives like tax incentives and etc. Compared to the bigger Mazda Axela, only 6 out of 9 Axela variants qualify for the incentive program.

New Mazda Carol Launched in Japan in Time for Christmas

Mazda Motor Corporation has fully updated the Mazda Carol micro-mini for the Japanese market. Sales of the new Carol commence today at all Mazda Autozam, Mazda and Mazda Anfini dealerships nationwide.

Thanks to its charming design, excellent fuel economy and affordability, the Mazda Carol is popular among women, and supported by a broad range of customers. In its first full remodeling since September 2004, the Carol offers new interior and exterior design. Also featuring reduced curb weight and a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with an auxiliary gearbox, the Carol provides improved eco-friendliness and even better value for money.

The attractive new exterior design shows off soft, rounded curves that inspire affection. Inside, the instrument panel now has a distinctive circular design. Seats upholstered in a bright combination of beige and brown create a lively, stylish impression. The updated Carol is also more user friendly than ever, with highly visible large dials, an easy-to-use floor-mounted shift lever and several useful storage features.

All model grades offer improved eco-friendliness and qualify as super ultra-low emission vehicles (SU-LEV), with exhaust emissions at least 75 percent lower than Japan’s 2005 standards. The CVT and five-speed manual transmission grades exceed Japan’s “2010 fuel economy standard plus 25%.” The Carol’s automatic transmission grades exceed the “2010 fuel economy standard plus 15%.” The most fuel-efficient versions in the range, the front-wheel drive (FWD) grades with CVT, achieve outstanding figures of 24.5 km/L*. With this outstanding eco-friendly performance, all Carol model grades qualify for Japan’s eco-car tax reduction and incentive programs. Additionally, the new Mazda Carol provides ample safety protection with structures and equipment, such as supplemental restraint system (SRS) airbags, to mitigate potential injuries in the event of a collision. Theft prevention devices, such as a vehicle immobilizer, have also been newly adopted.

Manufacturer’s suggested retail prices for the new Mazda Carol range from 899,850 to 1,167,600 yen, including sales taxes. The target sales volume is 800 units per month.

2010 Mazda 6

2010 Mazda 6

Mazda sales are up this year. Industry analysts would probably say that Mazda sales have stabilized, unlike some competitors. Sales have stabilized because of an emphasis on engineering, quality control, and attention to detail. These marks make up the ingredients for a successful recipe in manufacturing success.

The Mazda 6 has a potent 170 HP 2.5 liter DOHC 4-cylinder engine that propels the vehicle, utilizing variable valves timing to both optimize performance and deliver impressive fuel efficiency. The in-town mpg averages 21, and 30 on the highway. I only put about 600 miles on my Mazda 6 test vehicle, but I averaged around 25 mpg in the city.

The vehicle came with a power moon roof, stereo system, alloy wheels, tire pressure monitor, power doors and windows, and Blue Tooth audio and phone. These are just a few of the standard features.

The absolute best feature was the blind spot monitoring system. It is an innovative radar-based driver warning system that is standard equipment. Rear facing sensors detect a vehicle (or other object) within the driver’s left or right blind spot. The system calculates its relative speed and distance, then warns the driver. A mirror light appears in the appropriate side mirror to visually warn the driver of an approaching vehicle or object. If the driver signals a lane change, the warning light also blinks, and a cabin warning chime sounds for an approaching vehicle.

I was stopped in the center lane behind two cars waiting at the red light. Deciding to move into the right hand turn lane, I gave a signal, checked to my right to see if someone was coming, when suddenly the warning light and sound came on. I hesitated, when suddenly a guy on a bicycle whizzed by. I never saw him until he had passed me. Without the monitoring system I could have hit the cyclist.

Mazda Looks Into EVs

You might call it jumping on the bandwagon, but a car company that has been conspicuous by its absence in the electric vehicle game, Mazda, has finally thrown its hat into the ring. After Tesla, Fisker and Aptera threw down the gauntlet, and it was picked up by major players like Nissan, Ford and Chevrolet, it was only a matter of time before Mazda had to get into the game.

The basis for Mazda’s look into EVs is the Demios, otherwise known as the Mazda 2, a car that has been a big success in the home market, and will be soon be headed stateside. Could a North American Demios/2 EV be headed our way in the near future?

Mazda’s electrification of the Demios (that’s the gas fueled version you see pictured) is part of a venture called The Tsukuba Environmental Style Test Project that will start in March of the coming year. Mazda Motor Corporation is collaborating with Itochu Corporation and host of other companies on the enterprise that will be hosted in Tsukuba City. The Tsukuba Environmental Style Test Project sets out to test a low-carbon transport system that uses clean energy.

The undertaking aims to be a comprehensive assessment of a low-carbon energy network composed of EVs, rapid chargers, solar panels, fixed battery stations, and a car sharing service. Mazda’s end of things entails providing three Mazda Demios that will be converted into electric vehicles and the Hiroshima-based car company will assist in determining the best possible vehicle specs and assessing the Demio EV’s performance.

The Tsukuba Environmental Style Test Project looks to be part of Mazda’s ongoing measured effort into slowly greening their entire product line. The company has adopted a policy to comprehensively improve its internal combustion engines and aims to phase in those improved drivetrains with electric devices such as the i-stop idling stop system, regenerative braking and hybrid systems.

The Tsukuba Environmental Style Test Project seems to be the next logical step in that development process and it will allow Mazda to generate a broader knowledge base, and garner expertise in EV infrastructure and the reuse of EV batteries.

Hakaze and Nagare light up Mazda’s name

Not much was displayed by Mazda at the 2007 New York Auto Show but it’s two concepts the Hakaze and Nagare lit up Mazda’s name bringing attention to Ford’s pride and joy. The Mazda Hakaze is a four-seat coupe-style compact crossover SUV that is supposedly the basis of a new CX-5. The Nagare concept features butterfly-wing doors, a hydrogen-powered fuel cell drivetrain and a novel one plus three seating arrangement — the driver sits alone up front, with the rear given over to ‘lounge-seating’ for three. Check out the video and images of both concepts.

Mazda's Hakaze design concept offers "acceptable" fuel economy

Click on the image for a gallery of high-res images of the Mazda Hakaze design concept.

Mazda Motor Corporation is to premier the Hakaze, its third concept car based on its 'Nagare' design language, at the 77th annual Geneva International Motor Show to be held from the 6th through to the 18th of March. The word Nagare means "flow" and "the embodiment of movement" in Japanese and applying it to car design involved analyzing motion itself and how forces like wind and water move in nature.

"Nagare is about capturing motion, energy and beauty, and translating it into forms that people connect with and want to touch. Nagare finds its inspiration in nature, and as such is an incredibly rich source for our designers."
-Laurens van den Acker, General Manager Design Division

Mazda's Advanced Product Planning team set the concept's designers to the task of creating a vehicle that was just as agile and fun to drive as a compact hatchback, while offering attributes like open-top driving, a higher seating position, more sporty driving attributes and a modern, upscale design. The result was the Hakaze design concept, a four-seat coupe-style compact crossover coupe with the feel of a roadster designed at Mazda's European Design Centre which meets the demands of adventurous lifestyles like kite-surfing.

The concept has no B-pillar to interrupt the modernistic body work and the rear two-thirds of the glass roof can be taken off in two parts and stored in a slide-out compartment in the rear bumper. It apparently also has the strong look of a Samurai sword when seen from the side.

The Hakaze features large, pop-up doors which are one-touch and keyless, as well as an LCD screen in the centre of the steering column with navigation information, images from the car's rear view and side cameras and warning indicators – all of which give an enhanced feeling of control to the driver. The centre of the steering wheel is fixed, only the rim and the lower arm can rotate. Another innovative feature is the wireless charging pad located in the glove box (also using Bluetooth) to recharge the batteries of a mobile phone, PDA, camera or MP3 player.

Mazda Hakaze Concept

The latest from Mazda’s Design Department – The Hakaze Concept. It flows with the rest of the Mazda Concepts – but can this “compact-coupe” hold its own with Taiki and Furai? Unveilings at last year’s Geneva Auto Show and 2008’s Melbourne International Motor Show may give MazdaPedia and everyone reading at home a hint.

You can almost hear Huey Lewis proclaim “Gotta get back in time…” as the gull-wing-type doors lift up like a mighty bird of prey taking flight. This elegant creature is no flying machine but the new addition to Mazda’s Nagare Design family. Hakaze is a “compact crossover coupe” complete with removable roof, high seating and a space age cabin that glows as if it’s breathing.

Mazda already has a few curvy cars on the market (the RX-8 most notably); it will be interesting to see if any of the Flow concepts make it into production…and how the final products will look. With all its glass and detachable pieces the Hakaze offers, one can bet a functional version will morph drastically from this conceptual stage. It is awesomely high-tech with electronic-only automatic doors (yes, sans-handle) and side/rear-view cameras replacing mirrors – probably not very practical for the average consumer. If nothing else, make sure to keep spare batteries for your keychain door opener. No word yet on having to store extra plutonium cells in your garage.

Looks are one thing, performance and the bottom line (i.e.: cost) are another. The DeLorean was both praised and criticized for sleek design and eclectic materials, but we all know what happened to the DMC. Not that we feel Mazda President and CEO Hisakazu Imaki will be caught with a briefcase full of illegal powder.

But the Hakaze Concept stands no bigger than a current favorite, the Mazda3 – which runs an MSRP between $13,895 to $19,895. Affordable, futuristic, eye-catching…looks like Mazda’s Hakaze should fit in nicely with their currently obsessed over design flow.

If only it came with a Hoverboard

Mazda Hakaze Concept CUV

2010 Mazdaspeed3: turbocharged fury unleashed on America

The Mazdaspeed3 is well-liked by nearly every automotive journalist that has driven it. It’s easy to drive, fun, sporty, utilitarian, and looks good too. Oh yeah, and it’ll blow the doors off just about anything else at the race track. And now the 2010 Mazdaspeed3 will do it looking better than ever!

Mazda unveiled a European spec Mazdaspeed3 at the Geneva Auto Show a month ago and chose the New York Auto Show to reveal the latest US incarnation of this spectacular machine. The skin is completely updated but the powerful engine has remained the same.

Here are a few quick highlights from the press release:

• MZR 2.3‐liter DISI Turbo engine
• Engine: 263 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 280 lb.‐ft of torque at 3,000 rpm
• Revised gearbox: 2nd through 5th gear are slightly taller
• Torque‐sensing conical limited‐slip differential (LSD) standard
• Wheels: Aluminum 18″ x 7.5″

2010 Mazdaspeed3

2010 Mazdaspeed3 hood scoop and front spoiler

Mazda Hakaze - Kite surfing concept car..

Mazda catering to the kite surfing crowd….

Mazda Kazamai Concept

At the Moscow International Automobile Salon (MIAS) Mazda will unveil the newest concept a sporty, compact crossover concept vehicle called Mazda Kazamai. Kazamai is “swirling crosswinds” in Japanese and stands for a stylish and compact compact crossover. The Kazamai is based on the technology development Sustainable Zoom-Zoom, which aims to provide a unique balance between sporty driving fun, and superior environmental and safety performance.

Mazda Kazamai Concept

Mazda is up to something and we hope they are up to something good. We sniffed something was going to come our way a while ago when we got some sketches from the car makers but now Mazda spills the beans and shows us some real stuff. Their new concept car dubbed “Kazamai” which means “swirling crosswinds” in Japanese.

Mazda Kazamai Concept

It’s a crossover, a sporty SUV. At first glance we see a five-point grille, 22 inch wheels and aerodynamic profile. Very sexy I must add.

Mazda worked a little bit under the hood, too, with next-gen direct injection engine and a newly-developed transmission which passes power to all wheels via its four-wheel drive system. The driving dynamics have been developed to create a fun-to-drive vehicle and Mazda states that if the model makes it to production form, we can expect frugal fuel consumption and greatly reduced CO2 emissions. How else?

Mazda Kazamai Concept

The Kazamai shall be released by August 26 so maybe that’s when know more about pricing. I have a feeling that we won’t be able to buy it from our paychecks. What do you think?

Mazda Kazamai Concept

Mazda Kazamai, one of our favorite Nagare-themed concepts, was officially revaled at the 2008 Moscow International Auto Show (MIAS) and giving us a foretaste of what its forthcoming CX-5 compact cross may look like. Featuring an evolved Nagare ‘gush’ figure theme, the 3door concept crossover’s styling is more realistic compared to previous Mazda concepts like the Taiki and Ryuga. There are no pictures of the Kazamai’s interior but Mazda says it that it can seat four passengers in comfort.

With a chunk of 4,520mm and a width of 1,930mm, the Kazamai Concept is vaguely bigger than the stream Mazda3. The Japanese automaker claims thought that merit to the total use of lightweight equipment and new processing/union technologies, the Kazamai is 100kg or 220-lbs lighter than related models. This contributes to better handling and improved fuel reduced and CO2 emissions.

Read more (+photo)!!

Power comes from a next-generation 2.0-litre blunt-injection gasoline engine with combustion running technology and patchy valve restraint, which Mazda engineers are developing. The 2.0-liter DISI petrol engine is coupled to a lightweight, next-generation compact 6-hustle natural transmission and a four-veer instinct approach.

According to the Japanese automaker, in combination with the Kazamai’s aerodynamics and its lightweight body, the powertrain would supply an estimated 30 percent improvement in fuel consumption and emissions versus the stream MZR 2.0-litre petrol engine.

2009 MAZDA5

Mazda5 is a multi-activity vehicle with sportscar inspiration demonstrating Mazda’s infusion of stylish, insightful and spirited vehicles.

Mazda Furai Concept Car

Mazda is set to reveal its Furai Concept at the Detroit Auto Show starting today. Furai has a three-rotor rotary racing engine which can run on multiple fuels including ethanol, E10. Looks like Mazda is putting a lot of research in use of alternative renewable fuels, which is a good thing with the gas prices sky-rocketing around the world.

In any case, Furai's rotary engine pumps out terrific volume that you would love to listen over and over again. Check out the Furai in action after the jump with high res pictures and official Press Release.

Mazda 3 Sedan 2010

Every element of the all-new Mazda3 Sedan has been developed for heightened exhilaration, with a more refined sporty ride, top class fuel economy and quietness.

MAZDA RX-7

This is a 1993 mazda rx-7 I's had some stuff done to it but it's still cool.

Modified Cars Mazda RX8 2005 Silver Picture

Modified Cars Mazda RX8 2005

2010 Mazda CX7 in Toronto

2010 Mazda CX7 facelift that comes with a re-designed exterior and interior has been unveiled by Mazda in Toronto.

With a new DOHC 16-valve 2.5 liter MZR four-cylinder engine coupled with a Front-Wheel Drive system through a 5-speed automatic transmission, 2010 Mazda CX7 outputs 161 hp at 6000rpm and 161 lb-ft of torque at 3500rpm.

Mazda CX7 (2010) also offers the choice of 244 hp at 5,000 rpm and 258 lb-ft of torque at 2,500 rpm with the MZR 2.3L DISI Turbo (direct injection DOHC 16-valve four-cylinder) engine.

2010 Mazda CX7 comes with a larger five-point grille design at the front, while the rear end has also been refreshed.

2010 Mazda CX7 interior features a Blind Spot Monitoring System, a 3.5 inch super-twisted nematic (STN) monochrome, blackout meters, 4.1 inch thin-film transistor (TFT) color Multi Information Display (MID).

2010 Mazda RX-8

2010 Mazda RX-8 will debut in the 2009

Mazda MX-5 Superlight Concept

If you like your roadsters with a few more wind-in-the-hair thrills, then the Mazda MX-5 Superlight could be just the car for you!

Built to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of Mazda’s iconic roadster, the Superlight was unveiled at last month’s Frankfurt motor show. However we’ve taken it off the show stand and driven the back-to-basics prototype in its natural environment − the open road.

And if it looked outlandish on the turntable, in the real world it’s even more of a head turner. Aside from the carbon fibre panels around the cockpit and a 30mm reduction in ride height, the exterior is almost identical to the standard MX-5. However, the lack of windscreen and the large roll hoops visually lengthen, widen and lower the Superlight, making this the most masculine-looking MX-5 ever.

Inside all that remains from the production line is the basic dashboard architecture, which is retrimmed in tan leather. Bare metal doors and floor ensure that there’s nothing besides a neatly integrated iPod to distract you from driving. Even the heater has been removed.

By placing the MX-5 on a crash diet, Mazda’s crack team of designers and engineers have reduced the MX-5 Superlight’s weight to just 995kg. So despite using the lower power 125bhp 1.8-litre engine from the production MX-5 ¬− the featherweight concept can still accelerate from 0 to 62mph in just 8.9 seconds. But on the road it’s the visceral onslaught that reveals so much more than raw performance figures.

Slip into the racing carbon fibre seat, pull the four-point harnesses tight around your shoulders, thumb the starter button, pull up the clutch and, with no windscreen to protect you from the elements, it’s pure driving pleasure turned up to 11, even at modest speeds.

Acceleration is keen rather than crushing but is accompanied by a sporty rasp from the twin exhaust pipes. The snappy five-speed gearbox is a delight to use, too.

But the real difference can be felt during cornering where the reduced weight and uprated suspension bring the light, accurate steering to life. There’s virtually no body roll and grip levels are impressively high. In fact, almost too high as the engine doesn’t have enough torque to slide the rear while exiting tight corners.

A full-face helmet would be essential for longer journeys although the firm ride is surprisingly comfortable and fuel economy is a very impressive 45mpg thanks to the low weight and small engine.

Mazda MX-5 Miata

we came upon my ride for the night: a Mazda MX-5 Miata. Loaded with just about every feature available, our yellow test car costs $29,310, weighs 2511 pounds (per Mazda), and is rated by the EPA at a combined 24 mpg. That would be about a third the X6 M’s price, less than half its weight, and nearly twice its efficiency. As I flicked back the manual top, started up the feisty four-cylinder engine, and snicked the six-speed transmission into first gear, I couldn’t help but cast a glance at the X6 and wonder how dated it seemed.

I’m not trying to pick on BMW. The X6 M is just one of several vehicles hitting the market that probably seemed like good ideas in product planning meetings a few years ago but are now hopelessly out of touch. The sudden falling out of fashion so many new vehicles have experienced only heightens the irony in the fact that, twenty years after its introduction, the Miata is the perfect car for our new automotive era.

The art of the fine roadster, as we all know, lies eking out as much fun as possible from humble components, so it’s only natural that it appeals most in lean times. The concept coalesced in England during that country’s hungry postwar years. Mazda, for its part, launched the Miata during the recessionary late 1980s/early 1990s, and hewed perfectly to classic roadster strengths. It was light, fast, efficient, and cheap ($13,800). But then, a funny thing -- or rather several funny things -- happened. The Soviet Union fell, the Internet made millionaires out of college students, gas prices stayed incredibly low, and everyone, it seems, bought (or financed) a house and a large SUV. None of this dampened the Miata’s success –- it became the best-selling sports car of all time and won nearly every accolade in the industry, including our very first Automobile of the Year award. But for most of its two decades on the market, the Miata has been a quirky exception, the anti-SUV for folks who apparently didn’t notice that they could get more horsepower in a family sedan.

It’s only now, as we slowly dig out of a financial mess and look ahead at drastically tightening fuel economy standards, that the Miata once more seems like not only a great car, but a great idea as well, one that deserves to be copied. Ironic then, that it’s now nearly alone in the market. The Pontiac Solstice and the Saturn Sky are dead, as are the Toyota MR2 Spyder and the Honda S2000. The new performance vehicles we do see, fun though they may be, are becoming ever larger, heavier, and more expensive.

Mazda Drops Preview of New SKY Clean Engine Series

t is no secret that Mazda refuses to separate driving excitement with environmentally friendliness. The engineers and designers are adamant that a car can be fun to drive, and still be clean and efficient. It is from this thinking that Mazda has been able to create the SKY clean engine concepts.

The first of these new engines is the SKY-G, which features an advanced direct injection system to provide better fuel economy and reduce tailpipe emissions. The second engine, and one that has the attention of many people, is the SKY-D. The SKY-D is listed as a clean diesel burning engine, which means more miles per gallon and more torque where it counts.

Both of these new engines will surely be attached to the recently introduced SKY-Drive automatic transmission. All three powertrain components will be present at the upcoming Tokyo Motor show.

Mazda's Kiyora concept incorporates its new engine and automatic transmission technology

Mazda's Kiyora concept incorporates its new engine and automatic transmission technology

A large array of new environmental solutions - backed by an even larger array of bizarre and baffling slogans - will mark Mazda's presence at this week's Tokyo motor show.

Core to Mazda's stand at Tokyo will be its next-generation line-up of engines and automatic transmissions, headed by the SKY-G direct-injection petrol engine, the SKY-D clean diesel engine and the SKY Drive high-efficiency automatic transmission.

The over-arching theme for Mazda's stand will be "The Mazda SKY concept - Providing driving pleasure and environmental and safety features for all customers!".

Under the sub-headings of "Tomorrow" and "The Future", Mazda will display technologies aimed at improving the average fuel economy of the firm's vehicles on sale around the globe by 30 per cent before 2015, compared to 2008 levels.

Highlighting what it says it a "Sustainable Zoom Zoom" policy, Mazda's stand will demonstrate how the firm's engineers are improving engines, gearboxes and vehicle weight to meet the fuel-consumption goal, thus ensuring an "Everlasting blue sky".

Mazda claims to have used "unconventional thinking" to achieve optimal performance in its engines and new transmission in a process known internally as "sky's the limit".

The SKY-G petrol engine is designed to reduce mechanical friction and to improve the air-fuel mix, improving fuel economy and torque by 15 per cent compared to current engines.

Mazda kicks off tariff-led price cuts

Mazda RX-8

An end-of-year buying frenzy is on the cards as companies prepare to pass on the scheduled reduction in import duties.

Australian car buyers could be in for an end-of-year bonanza as nervous car makers prematurely pass on an impending cut in import duties to prop up the fragile recovery in the new-car market.

Australia's top-selling import-only brand, Mazda, has already signalled its intention, passing on the tariff cut more than two months ahead of time.

The drop in import tariff on passenger cars from 10 per cent to 5 per cent, due on January 1, equates to a discount of about 3 per cent on the car maker's list price.

Mazda has dropped the price of its most popular car, the Mazda3, by about $930 and the price of its RX-8 sports car by more than $2000.

Luxury car buyers will feel the biggest benefit, though, with the price of a Porsche Carrera S set to drop by as much as $8000 if the manufacturer passes on the tariff reduction in full.

BMW is offering substantial discounts at the moment to safeguard against buyers holding off their purchase decision in anticipation of a January price cut.

The company has a $4000 “Efficient Dynamics” credit on all its vehicles between now and November 30, while rival Audi is also running a price promotion.

While neither manufacturer admits the reductions are related to the tariff situation, one industry source said there was a connection. “People might start asking the question about a January price reduction and these discounts are designed to make sure there's no incentive to wait,” he said.

The tariff drop won't directly affect all brands and models, as a growing number of cars already attract no tariff because they are imported from Thailand, which has a free trade agreement with Australia. Most of Honda's passenger car range is sourced from Thailand, while a number of leading one-tonne utes and vans also hail from there.

Cars from the US, such as BMW's X5 and Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge products also attract no tariff, although all brands will be affected if their competitors pass on the reduction.

Four-wheel-drive buyers won't get any benefit from the change, because 4WDs already attract a lower 5 per cent tariff due to a government ruling that treats them as commercial vehicles, not passenger cars.

The regulation change could, however, bring a flood of new soft-roaders on to the market, with some manufacturers looking at bring in front-wheel-drive versions of popular soft-roaders as a result of the tariff cut.

The cut will remove an anomaly in the current tariff regime, where two-wheel-drive versions of the same vehicle have attracted twice the tariff of the 4WD versions. Toyota's popular RAV4 compact soft-roader is one vehicle tipped to get a front-wheel-drive version early next year as a result of the change. Already this year, Nissan has brought in a front-wheel-drive version of its Dualis soft-roader in anticipation of the reduction.

Mazda confirms Mazda2 will be sold in U.S. and Canada

Mazda had already announced plans to sell the Mazda2 in Canada, but now Mazda's subcompact will be coming to America as well. Mazda North American Operation's president and CEO Jim O'Sullivan told top Mazda dealers that the Mazda Mazda2 subcompact will be sold in the U.S. beginning in late 2010, with Canadian sales beginning about the same time.

The Mazda2 has been sold in world markets but not thought appropriate for the U.S. With the Ford Fiesta, which shares a platform with the Mazda2, scheduled to arrive here in the summer of 2010, it must have made sense to bring Mazda's subcompact Stateside.

"As consumers' tastes and attitudes toward small vehicles have changed, we now believe strongly there is a place in our lineup for a car below our current least-expensive car, the Mazda3," O'Sullivan told the dealers.

Mazda 2 coming to America

(Mazda)

Mazda today said it would begin selling its redesigned 2 hatchback in the US and Canada by the end of 2010, the latest of several European and Japanese subcompacts finally taking a stake in the American market.

“You’ve asked us for it for a while now, and we’ve been studying the market to make sure we can make a business case for it across North America,” said Mazda's North American president Jim O’Sullivan to a dealer conference today. “As consumers’ tastes and attitudes toward small vehicles have changed, we now believe strongly there is a place in our lineup for a car below our current least-expensive car, the Mazda 3."

The Mazda 2, based off the Ford Fiesta which is also coming to the US next year as a 2011 model, has been on sale in Europe since 2007 (and has a longer history in Japan, where it's known as the Demio). The latest version, which debuted next to the Fiesta 3- and 5-door models at the 2008 Geneva Auto Show, offers a choice of 1.3 and 1.5 liter four-cylinder engines, plus a 1.4 liter turbodiesel. We'll see the US version at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show in December, and expect the US to get the 1.5 liter, which is good for 102 horsepower.

Mazda Raising Cash for Hybrid Development

(Mazda USA)

Japanese automaker Mazda will raise $1 billion (96 billion yen) through the sale of new shares and treasury stock and pump money into the development of hybrid cars and other environmentally friendly vehicles, according to a Financial Times report Monday.

The car company will issue 363 million new shares, roughly a quarter of their current outstanding stock, and sell 96.8 million shares acquired last year from Ford. Ford sold off most of its 33 percent stake in Mazda last year as the global economy worsened.

Around two-thirds of the funds would go toward developing safer, more fuel-efficient cars, according to the company, which is trying to close the gap with Toyota and Honda. Mazda currently offers just one hybrid car – the Tribute – which uses technology developed by Ford.

The rest of the money would go toward general capital investment.

Mazda also reported a quicker-than-expected rebound in their second quarter, which saw a return to profitability at the operating level.

The car company is also trimming its projected losses for the fiscal year and bolstered its sales forecast, according to the Financial Times. In general, the Japanese auto market's production slump eased in August.

Mazda Gains Most in Two Months on Share-Sale Plan

Mazda Motor Corp., 13.8 percent owned by Ford Motor Co., rose the most in more than two months after saying it will sell new shares to raise capital and narrowing its full-year loss forecast.

Mazda rose 7.6 percent, the most since July 30, to close at 199 yen on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

The Hiroshima-based company will raise as much as 96 billion yen ($1.1 billion) by selling as many as 363 million new shares and 96.8 million existing shares held by the carmaker, it said yesterday. It also narrowed its loss forecast for the year ending in March.

“Mazda’s action spread relief that its balance sheet and cash flow will improve,” said Koichi Ogawa, chief portfolio manager at Daiwa SB Investments Ltd. in Tokyo, which manages 3.4 trillion yen. “Its revision of earnings also provided positive news.”

The automaker follows All Nippon Airways Co., Nomura Holdings Inc. and Mizuho Financial Group Inc. in raising cash by selling equity. Mazda’s stock fell for seven consecutive trading days before announcing the share sale, losing 20 percent. The shares are up 30 percent this year.

Rumors ‘Hammered’ Stock

“There were earlier rumors of a share sale, which hammered the stock before the announcement,” said Mitsuo Shimizu, an analyst at Tokyo-based Cosmo Securities Co. “Investors may now be viewing this positively, as companies gather capital for possibly expanding businesses.”

Mazda will use the funds to develop less polluting cars and improve its financial base, it said. The carmaker has said it will boost fuel efficiency by 30 percent on average by 2015 from 2008 levels by introducing new gasoline and diesel engines.

Mazda CX-7 SUV

Mazda CX-7 is one of the world's first production SUVs to combine a sporty design and driving experience with SUV practicality and roominess. Since its launch in 2006, this unique Mazda CX-7 sports crossover SUV has steadily gained in popularity around the world, selling about 190,000 units and winning 15 automotive awards. In Europe, it found more than 30,000 owners in the growing non-premium compact SUV segment in less than two years. Europeans are attracted to its sporty design, its fun-to-drive nature and its mix of everyday practicality, roominess and quality feel.


The new Mazda CX-7 facelift model refines this package of attributes even further and is engineered to be more sophisticated, sustainable and emotionally appealing. While retaining the sporty nature of the original model, the Mazda CX-7 facelift improves ride comfort and handling stability, and combines this with lower noise levels in the cabin for a more sophisticated interior environment. It is also more sustainable with the introduction of a new, clean-running diesel that delivers high power and torque, low fuel consumption and Euro Stage V compliance. The design of the facelift received updates to make it even more emotionally appealing with a new, more dynamic Mazda family face, premium exterior detailing and a higher quality feel. And updated suspension settings further refine its driving performance.



Mazda CX-7 Design

At launch in 2007, Mazda CX-7 Mazda's sports crossover SUV featured an advanced design that gave it an emotional appeal usually reserved for sports cars. Taking this as their basis, designers of the facelift enhanced Mazda CX-7's sporty nature and sophisticated character even further. They introduced a new, more dynamic front end, improved build quality and added premium details for a sense of refinement.