Motor Show: Moscow Motor Show: Mazda Kazamai

Mazda is previewing its 2011 CX-5 SUV with the Kazamai concept. Though this show car is a long way from the real thing, it gives a glimpse of where Mazda is heading.

The CX-5 - to share much of its underpinnings with the Ford Kuga - is a compact four-wheel-drive crossover, and it should prove fuel-efficient and eco-friendly.

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Thanks to its light weight, aerodynamic outline and efficient direct-injection petrol engines, Mazda is aiming for a 30% improvement in fuel consumption and emissions.

The Kazamai features plastic bumpers, panels and engine cover, as well as aluminium and aluminium alloys for its bonnet, chassis and engine block. It's 100kg lighter than a comparable current-production model like the Kuga.

The Kazamai is fitted with a next-generation version of the 2.0-litre petrol engine as used in the CX-7, with variable valve control, new combustion control system and new catalytic converter, and improved thermal efficiency, as well as the next-generation six-speed automatic gearbox.

Slightly larger than the current Mazda 3 hatch, the Kazamai ('swirling crosswinds', in Japanese) is just 1500mm high with a coupe-style tail end, yet it seats four comfortably in a versatile cabin-space.

It's fitted with all the latest safety technologies, including advanced dynamic stability control, blind-spot monitoring, pre-crash sensing systems and an alarm system with automatic emergency alerts, plus soft-impact bumpers and shock-absorbent bonnet to meet future pedestrian protection requirements. The 22" wheels are unlikely to make production, however.

Mazda has chosen to unveil the Kazamai in Russia as sales are booming there. It's now the second-largest new car market in Europe after Germany, and Mazda is one of the most popular export brands.

SUV sales in particular grew ten-fold in Russia between 2004-2007, and Mazda has sold almost 8000 CX-7 SUVs there in less than a year.

To meet the Russian demand for 4x4s, Mazda is also launching its CX-9 in Moscow. This large SUV seats up to six people, and comes with a 273bhp 3.7-litre V6 petrol engine and six-speed automatic transmission. On sale in North America since 2007, the CX-9 is unlikely to come to the UK.