WORLD DEBUT IN MARCH - SA SHOWROOMS BY YEAR-END

+ Click to Enlarge COMING IN A HURRY: The new Mazda5 will make its world debut at the Geneva auto show in March - and it'll be here before the end of the year.

January 20, 2010

The highlight of the Mazda stand at the 2010 Geneva show will be the world debut of the new Mazda5 - and it'll be released in South Africa before the end of 2010.

It's designed, says the maker, to suit families with active life-styles. Programme manager Hideki Matsuoka said: "We've tried to make a C-segment MPV that combines practicality with the superior environmental performance these times demand and a new expression in styling."

The Five has sliding rear doors and between one and seven seats – depending how you fold them – with elements of Mazda's "Nagare Flow" design language contributing to its striking looks and promoting fuel efficiency through a low drag coefficient for an MPV and smooth airflow over the body.

THREE PREMIERES

Top models will have a new two-litre, direct-injection petrol engine with stop-start system and a six-speed manual gearbox with ratios chosen for smooth power delivery. Mazda says it will cough out about 15 percent less than the two-litre model it replaces.

There will also be a 1.8-litre petrol engine with a six-speed manual gearbox.

Mazda has promised that the Mazda5 will be one of three premieres at its media conference at the Mazda stand in Hall 5 on March 2. As soon as we hear about the others, so will you.