Currently reading: Geneva motor show 2010: Mazda 5

Seven-seat MPV will be launched at Geneva in March

Mazda’s new 5 MPV has been revealed.

The Japanese firm has gone for style as well as function, with features including sliding rear doors to boost rear passenger access and a flexible seven-seat interior. It is based on a modified Mazda 3 platform.

It is the first Mazda to use the company's 'Nagare' design language, which was first shown on a series of concepts in recent years, and which was the work of Laurens van den Acker, who has since moved to work at Renault.

Official Mazda 5 pics

The 5’s styling brings it line with the rest of Mazda’s range. It has been designed with efficiency in mind, including a low drag coefficient, with optimal lift and air-flow stability features.

Among the engine range will be a new direct-injection 2.0-litre petrol unit mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. Stop-start is also included. This new engine achieves a 15 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions compared with the model it replaces.

Hideki Matsuoka, the Mazda 5’s programme manager, said, “Our team aimed to create a new MPV that combines superb practicality with the superior environmental performance these modern times demand and a new expression in stylish design.”

The new Mazda 5 will go on sale later this year.

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