2008 Paris Auto Show Preview: Mazda Kiyora Concept

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PARIS — Mazda will unveil a "next-generation urban compact" concept called the Kiyora at the 2008 Paris Auto Show on October 2. The city-car concept is believed to be the first look at a future Mazda 1 minicar. True to poetic form, Mazda is crediting "water" and "harmony" as the inspirations for the design. Mazda's face-lifted MX-5 will also make its global debut here.

Other Mazdas making world debuts at Paris will be the Mazda 6 with a new 2.2-liter turbodiesel engine and the Mazda 2 with a 1.6-liter turbodiesel.

The Mazda Kiyora concept is notable for its light weight. The car is based on an all-new platform designed for maximum weight reduction, coupled with safety. It is fitted with the next-generation Mazda four-cylinder direct-injection engine and Smart Idle Stop System for fuel economy and lowered emissions, Mazda said.

The name "Kiyora" means "clean and pure" in Japanese and is another in Mazda's long-term design vision, the company said in a statement. It is positioned as a "city car cutting cleanly through an urban landscape."

What this means to you: Another auto show, another startlingly beautiful Mazda concept. — Laura Sky Brown, Correspondent