January 19, 2011, 12:35 pm

Mazda Minagi Concept Heading to Geneva

By PAUL STENQUIST

 

A rendering of the Minagi, a compact S.U.V. to be shown at the Geneva auto show in March.

Mazda announced on Tuesday that it would introduce its new Minagi compact crossover sport utility vehicle concept at the Geneva auto show in early March. While this curvaceous S.U.V. is not scheduled for production, it would give Mazda a contender in a growing category.
Like the Mazda Shinari sedan concept, which was first shown last August, Minagi is an example of the automaker’s new Kodo design theme. Kodo, which according to Mazda translates to “soul of motion,” replaces the Nagare design theme that Mazda introduced in 2006 but that did not weather the transition from concept-car podium to showroom. Nagare translates as “flow,” so at least linguistically, it would seem that there’s some residual Nagare in Kodo.
The Minagi is a showcase of Mazda’s Skyactiv technologies, the brand’s designation for its new engine, transmission and safety packages. Mazda will show some Skyactiv hardware in Geneva, including a direct-injection gasoline engine, a clean turbocharged diesel and two transmissions.
Mazda released some details of the Skyactiv components in October. The direct-injection gasoline engine has a compression ratio of 14:1 — higher than that of any current gasoline engine. According to the automaker, the high compression ratio improves fuel efficiency and torque by 15 percent versus conventional designs. The diesel is also listed with a 14:1 ratio, which optimizes combustion timing to earn a 20 percent fuel efficiency improvement.
The Geneva auto show’s press previews are held March 1 and 2.