2008 Mazda Kiyora Concept Takes Wing in Paris

2008 Paris auto show

October 2, 2008

This is the Mazda Kiyora, a new concept due from the Japanese affiliate of Ford, and apparently ready to take flight from the compact Mazda stand in Paris' Expo hall.

The Kiyora is a city car with a mission: lightweight construction and environmental purity, Mazda says. The name means "clean and pure" in Japanese, in fact, highlighting the Kiyora's use of a direct-injection four-cylinder engine.

The Kiyora is themed around water, for some unexplained reason. That doesn't stop it from using the gas engine and a start-stop system to provide good fuel economy and low carbon emissions.

Mazda says the Kiyora's spun from a new platform that reduces weight while retaining vehicle safety--another mission the brand has stated for all its cars going forward.

The details on the Kiyora are as thin as justifications for its water theme--but it's pretty to contemplate so long as you don't imagine it on a showroom floor anytime soon.