Tokyo - Mazda doesn’t state it outright, but the logical assumption here is that its new Kai Concept vehicle, revealed at the Tokyo Motor Show on Wednesday, strongly hints at the next-generation Mazda3 hatchback.
Although the design will be toned down to some degree, the concept gives us a basic idea of the design language that will apply to Mazda’s next Golf challenger. Like the latest CX-5 it has a large grille and slim headlights upfront, while a sloping tail and sharper taillights give it an aggressive stance from behind.
The concept also hints at other future Mazdas, not only in terms of styling but also in engineering and technology.
Power comes from Mazda’s ground-breaking Skyactiv-X petrol engine, which will be the world’s first series-produced petrol engine to use diesel-like compression ignition, when it arrives in 2019.
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The Kei Concept is built around a new iteration of the company’s ‘Skyactiv’ vehicle architecture, promising a “considerably quieter and more comfortable ride”.
Sleek sedan vision
Mazda also used the Tokyo event to show off a new four-door sedan concept, which it calls the Vision Coupé.
According to Mazda, the showcar’s exterior embodies a “minimalist Japanese aesthetic” while the cabin was inspired by traditional Japanese architecture, blending "three-dimensional depth with a strong longitudinal axis".
But just like the Kei Concept foretells the next Mazda3, is there a hint or two of the next Mazda6 in this one?
Bring it on.
