Mazda Kusabi

The Mazda Kusabi is a small, lightweight, diesel-powered sports car design concept that Mazda announced on 7 August 2003 for its debut at the 60th International Motor Show in Frankfurt in early September 2003, alongside the all-new Mazda3. Mazda said it showed the company's effort to develop innovative access systems, packaging solutions and its own design language, and that it pointed to a new direction for Mazda compact cars. The concept combined a stylish, aggressive exterior with an environmentally friendly 1.6-litre common-rail diesel engine. Sharp press lines ran from the bonnet through the body sides, with large wheels, pronounced fenders and a reverse wedge from the A-pillars rearward, and a revolutionary tailgate mechanism gave easy access to the luggage compartment. The name Kusabi means wedge in Japanese and can also mean making way for something new.