2009 Mazda Miata – MX-5 Facelift: 19 New High-Res Photos

Once again, the cat, or in our case, the 2009 MX-5 has been let out of the bag earlier than expected as the first full image gallery of Mazda's facelifted roadster has just hit the web. This time we have official photos of both the soft- and hard-top versions of the Miata / MX-5. We’re still a bit short on details as Mazda has not released any official info -or any more pics other than this one for that matter. However, apart from the redesigned front-end, the photos reveal that the 2009 MX-5 / Miata also sports new tail lamps and a slightly revised rear bumper. Judging from the pictures, it appears that there aren’t any notable changes in the interior. Hit the jump for the high-res image gallery and stay tuned for more details. -Continued

2009 Mazda AZ-Wagon Launched in Japan

Shortly after Suzuki introduced the new Wagon-R and Wagon-R Stingray into the Japanese market, Mazda announced the sales launch of the fully redesigned AZ-Wagon which as you can clearly see in the pictures, is a rebadged version of Suzuki’s kei car. As with the donor vehicle, the AZ-Wagon is offered in two flavours, the standard car and the ‘sportier’ looking Custom Style which is the equivalent of the Suzuki Wagon-R Stingray. -Continued

Japanese buyers can opt between naturally aspirated and turbocharged 660cc engines, matted to a 4-speed automatic, a 5-speed manual or a CVT transmission with seven-speed manual mode as well as between FWD and AWD versions. Retail prices in Japan (including consumption tax) range from 924,000 to 1,482,600 yen ($8,700 - $14,000) for the AZ-Wagon, and from 1,270,500 to 1,687,350 yen ($12,000 - $15,910) for the AZ-Wagon Custom Style. Mazda’s target sales volume for the entire range is 2,000 units a month compared to Suzuki’s goal for 18,000 units a month.

Mazda Becomes First Automaker to use Trans-Siberian Railroad

The Trans-Siberian Railway is a massive network of railroads connecting European Russia with the far east side of the country, China and the Sea of Japan. Starting in October 2008, Mazda will become the first car manufacturer to adopt this transport system for regular large-scale transportation of vehicles to Russia. Mazda will ship its vehicles from its factory in Hiroshima, Japan to Zarubino which is near Vladivostok. The automobiles will then be transported on the approximately 9,300 km (5,800 miles) route to Moscow on dedicated block trains of 30 rail cars. As with the passenger train, delivery time to Moscow will be 10 days. -Continued

Mazda claims that this transport initiative will supplement vehicle shipments from Japan, reducing the delivery time to Russia by up to 30 days for high demand models.

“Mazda is one of Russia’s most popular brands with double-digit growth every month,” said Jorgen Olesen, Vice President for Customer Service, Logistics and IS at Mazda Motor Europe. “Rail transport is intended to supplement existing delivery, which will continue to come by ship and road from the west. This dual transport strategy will help meet high demand for Mazda cars in Russia, and to lower overall delivery times to customers.”

2009 Mazda Miata / MX-5 Officially Revealed

Mazda has officially confirmed that the 2009 MX-5 / Miata facelift, the first photo of which hit the net on Wednesday, will make its global debut at the Paris Motor Show in October. The Japanese automaker hasn’t released any details whatsoever, so for now, all we know is that the 2009 Miata / MX-5 gets a new face that is distinguished by the trapezoidal grille, the new fog light inserts, the restyled front bumper with a splitter and the more angular shaped headlights. Additionaly, the facelifted version features new alloy wheel designs and more sculptured side-skirts. While we'll have to wait to see the car up close for our final take, we reckon that the styling tweaks manage to give Mazda’s highly successful rear-wheel-drive roadster a sharper look. -Continued

Mazda Kiyora City Car Concept Coming to Paris

At the Paris Motor Show that will be held from Thursday, October 2 through Sunday, October 19, 2008 Mazda will reveal its latest concept to feature the Nagare design language, the Kiyora. The small city car is based on an all-new platform designed to maximize weight reduction and at the same time, offer high levels of safety. Mazda says that the Kiyora, which by the way means ‘clean and pure’ in Japanese, is equipped with a next generation 4 cylinder direct injection engine and it features the company’s Smart Idle Stop System helping reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. -Image gallery after the jump

2009 Mazda MX-5 / Miata Facelift – First Official Photos

Following the embarrassing leakage of the official sketches about a month ago, a Spanish website broke the embargo today and released the first shots of the facelifted Mazda MX-5 / Miata roadster. From what we can tell by comparing photos of the ’09MY MX-5 / Miata to the current model, the only visible differences seem to concern the front-end.

The evolutionary styling changes include the larger, and more trapezoidal-shaped grille that nests in a restyled bumper featuring a front splitter and new fog light inserts. Mazda also redesigned the car's headlights which appear to have a more angular shape. We are not aware of any other changes but stay tuned on Carscoop, as according to our sources, Mazda will unveil the 2009 MX-5 / Miata shortly. –One more pic after the jump

Via: km77

Mazda Kazamai Crossover Concept: 28 High Res Photos and Details

Today Mazda took the covers off the Kazamai crossover concept at the 2008 Moscow International Auto Show (MIAS) giving us a glimpse of what its forthcoming CX-5 compact crossover may look like. Featuring an evolved Nagare ‘flow’ design 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 length of 4,520mm and a width of 1,930mm, the Kazamai Concept is slightly larger than the current Mazda3. The Japanese automaker claims thought that thanks to the extended use of lightweight materials and new processing/joining technologies, the Kazamai is about 100kg or 220-lbs lighter than similar models. This contributes to better handling and improved fuel economy and CO2 emissions. -Continued

Power comes from a next-generation 2.0-litre direct-injection petrol engine with combustion control technology and variable valve control, which Mazda engineers are currently developing. The 2.0-liter DISI petrol engine is coupled to a lightweight, next-generation compact 6-speed automatic transmission and a four-wheel drive system.

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

Technical Specifications – Mazda Kazamai Concept Car

Overall length	4,520 mm
Overall width	1,930 mm
Overall height	1,500 mm
Wheelbase	2,780 mm
Seating capacity	4 people
Engine	Next-generation 2.0L DISI petrol
Transmission	Next-generation 6-speed AT
Suspension	Front: MacPherson Strut, Rear: Multi-link
Tire	265/45` R22 Bridgestone