30 Aug 05 16:38
Mazda is to present a compact three-door hatchback concept car at the Frankfurt Motor Show: the Sassou, featuring a turbocharged three-cylinder, 1.0-litre petrol engine with direct-injection technology and stop-start facility to stop the engine when idling. Said to be lightweight and with "a unique interior concept", it hints at Mazda's plans to replace the current, rather dull 2 supermini.
Designed at Mazda's studios in Frankfurt, it has been developed specifically with the European market in mind, though it incorporates a number of Japanese themes; Mazda refers to the Shoji principle of thin doors made of rice-paper which give a glimpse of silhouettes behind them, saying that the Sassou "has attributes that are hidden within the body and are suddenly revealed by an illumination system that makes the car seem to spring to life in a way that is appealing and surprising." Details include a USB stick instead of a key, and a hard disc-drive operating system, plus flat-fold seating with a compressed-air system to allow for changes to the configuration - effectively inflatable occasional seats. Sassou, apparently, is a Japanese term "that means having a positive state of mind, of looking ahead with optimism to the future."
