Geneva Motor Show: New 2011 Mazda5

The 80th International Motor show is coming up March 4-14 in Geneva. Among the premiers of the show will be the 2011 Mazda 5 microvan. The new Mazda  5 isn’t a huge departure from the current model, but it may be the most literal implementation of Mazda’s “nagare” (flow) design language yet. The large headlamps and large grille apertures copy those on the Mazda 3, but the 5 sports unique wave-like character lines around its beltline. Designers also incorporated the taillights — previously mounted in the D-pillars –into the rear fenders, allowing the 5 to bear some resemblance to other Mazda products.
Thus far, Mazda’s only released specifications for the European-spec model, which also receives a new direct-injection 2.0-liter I-4. We’ve yet to see the final specifications for the North American 5, but we hope something a little more powerful than the current 2.3-liter I-4 — perhaps the 2.5-liter mill from the Mazda 3 — makes its way underhood. Inside, the Mazda 5 is treated an updated dashboard that borrows heavily from the current 3. The twin-gauge instrument cluster, along with the upper half of the instrument panel, is patterned (if not borrowed) from its little sibling. The 5 will continue to be offered in both 6- and 7-passenger forms, but as was the case with the last model, it’s unlikely the latter will be sold in North America.