When it comes to city cars, tiny seems to be the new norm, and Mazda recently unveiled a city-car concept, the Kiyora, which is about as tiny as they come. The vehicle, which some have speculated will be sent into production as the Mazda 1, debuted in the 2008 Paris auto show. If it goes into production, it will be in the same market as the Toyota iQ and the Volkswagen Up! Each of these vehicles is known for its excellent gas mileage and small size.
The market for these vehicles is becoming quite an intense competition. People in crowded metropolitan areas need a simple way to cruise around town that is fuel-efficient. In order to try to stand out from the crowd in this competitive market, Mazda has given the Kiyora modern, almost wild, siding compared to the competition. Some of these style features include tear-shaped windows that double as butterfly doors, giving access to the interior of the car with no visible door seam. This is just one of the many interesting design features of the Kiyora. Of course, the concept car is just that, a concept, and some of these trendier designs will likely fall by the wayside if the car goes into production sometime this year.
The compact Kiyora was designed in Europe and features a direct-injection, four-cylinder engine. What makes it so economical for fuel efficiency is its stop-start system. When you are idling, the engine will automatically turn itself off, and then it will start again when you begin to drive. This is a common feature in European vehicles, but it is still fairly rare in North America.
The name Kiyora means clean and pure in Japanese, and is a tribute to the desire Mazda has to make more and more fuel-efficient vehicles. While small, the Kiyora has a very modern, streamlined design that may appeal to younger buyers more than the boxy look of Smart Car alternatives. As a concept car, it also has a wide range of almost whimsical design features in the interior, including a steering wheel to rival any superhero’s getaway car. If the concept becomes a reality, it may not have quite as many of these unique features, but the interior will still be modernized to help it appeal to younger, gas-conscious drivers.
Will this concept car ever hit the market in North America? At this point, it does not look promising. It appears that the little car is designed more for the European and Japanese markets. But, if North American interest in gas-efficient vehicles continues to rise, and the manufacturer continues to focus on gas-powered vehicles rather than electric vehicles, some of the designs of the Kiyora may make their way to American soil. Only time, and future potential sales of whatever vehicle comes out of this design, will tell. If you do want to get your hands on this pint-sized vehicle, you probably will be able to by simply crossing the ocean to buy it in Asian or European markets.
