Mazda Kiyora Concept Gets 75 MPG, Company Says

(MoneyWatch)  Mazda continues to stake out a brand position for itself emphasizing fuel efficiency, sharp styling and performance, with the most recent emphasis on fuel efficiency.

The latest version of Mazda's Kiyora concept car, to be shown at the Tokyo auto show next month, is designed to achieve about 75 mpg using a combination of fuel-saving features, the company said.

Judging by the photos, the Kiyora is in keeping with Mazda's "Nagare" design concept, based on the Japanese word for "flow."

Inside, the concept car is also fitted with what Mazda calls its "Sky" concept, an umbrella term for a long list of technologies aimed at greater fuel efficiency, and/or reducing dependence on oil.

In turn, these ideas come under yet another Mazda buzzword, "Sustainable Zoom-Zoom," aimed at reminding people that despite all the talk about fuel efficiency, Mazda also wants to be known for a high fun-to-drive factor.

The numbers behind the hype are that Mazda's goal is to improve the average fuel economy of Mazda vehicles sold globally 30 percent by 2015, versus 2008 levels. That's somewhat more stringent than Mazda needs to do, to meet stricter U.S. standards.

Mazda expects good old, gasoline-powered internal combustion engines to do most of the heavy lifting towards that goal, using features like improved automatic transmissions and a stop-idle feature that turns the motor off when the car stops. Mazda is also working on a new generation of diesel engines, plus hybrids and hydrogen-powered cars.