This is the Mazda Kiyora, a new concept due from the Japanese affiliate of Ford.

Due at the Paris auto show--which opens to the press on October 2--the Kiyora is a city car with a mission: lightweight construction and environmental purity, Mazda says. The name means "clean and pure" in Japanese, in fact, highlighting the Kiyora's use of a direct-injection four-cylinder engine.

The Kiyora is themed around water, for some unexplained reason. That doesn't stop it from using the gas engine and a start-stop system to provide good fuel economy and low carbon emissions.

Mazda says the Kiyora's spun from a new platform that reduces weight while retaining vehicle safety--another mission the brand has stated for all its cars going forward.

We'll have more on Kiyora from Paris--stay tuned.

The first shots of the mildly updated 2009 Mazda MX-5 have leaked on to the Web.

The changes are limited to a resculpted front end, where the themes of the Mazda 6 and the RX-8 have made their way onto the petite roadster. There's a deeper air intake up front, flanked by reshaped headlamps and foglamps.

If any more changes are confirmed by Mazda's U.S. team, we'll let  you know--and we'll be back with more pics when they're available.

UPDATE: We've swapped out the pre-embargo pic for this nice clean one. Salut!

KM77 via Carscoop

Will Chrysler really ditch passenger cars for trucks, and get in bed with Nissan? Our bet is yes, but no telling if the resulting love child will have Chrysler pizzazz, Nissan quality, or John Edwards' eyes.

The new Mazda6 is ready to take on the Camry, Accord, Malibu, and the other mid-size titans. Also, the Ford Fusion. Erm, maybe that last one was not the plan.

New for 2009, the Infiniti G37 comes in sedan, coupe, or convertible, your choice--stick around next week as we show you that tantalizing third option from the grounds of Pebble Beach.

Next week we'll also bring you the first in-person look at the ZR1 before we blow the lid on our first drive August 20. For those about to rock, we salute you, or something suitably Metallic.

We did drive the new VW Jetta diesel, and the completely geeked-out Colin Mathews reports it's as good as diesels get. He should know: His old Benz runs on the same stuff they use to make school kids fat.

Volkswagen showed off the sixth-generation Golf, which may or may not become a Rabbit here. Our modest proposal: Ditch them both for a really New Beetle for $15,000, and hang on to the GTI.

Honda's making sure its new hybrid undercuts the Toyota Prius. To do so, it's cutting the number of parts, boosting its hybrid efficiency, and also, buying up thousands of Priuses and turning them into fondue pots. (Word to the wise: Use more gruyere for a smoother texture.)

The Porsche Cayenne is going smaller quicker than expected, which is better than going ugly early, in our experience.

We showed you the next Kia Sorento, spied out in the California desert, and the new big Kia sedan out in the same desert. Coincidence? We think not. That desert's pretty big.

Mercedes may have to cancel its new M-Class hybrid over battery problems. Tuscaloosa will just have to make do with college football. (It's apparently "a big deal" there.)

Lexus is the king of VDS--make sure you read that non-plural, we don't want any trouble.

Could GM and Ford really combine forces to share engines? Wonder Twin powers, activate! Form of, a Fish carburetor! Shape of, cheap and easy hydrogen fuel! Yeah, it'll happen.

We named our eight best cars for college this week, despite the fact that none of them will fit under the gates at Georgia State's parking deck or carry 12 kicked kegs back for the deposit.

Lastly, we told you about the redneck Stonehenge made out of old cars in a Utah suburb, and found a great Spinal Tap clip for you, and got no love for it. Next week as punishment you're getting Hugh Grant.

When it comes to mid-size sedans, who are the top four players? Toyota Camry. Honda Accord. Nissan Altima. Chevrolet Malibu. These cars sell in big numbers. Even though Mazda has had an entry in this 2-million-unit-per-year class, the previous Mazda6 never posed much of a threat to the sales leaders.

This may change with the new 2009 Mazda6. The new 6 is designed expressly for the North American market. It is larger in every dimension than the outgoing car, has more power, is more refined than the model it replaces, and we think better looking. The car will be built in Mazda's plant in Flat Rock, Michigan, and the company's plan for quality is aggressive. Their target isn't the Toyota Camry, but the new class quality leader, the Chevy Malibu. If the fit and finish of our pre-production test models were any indication, Mazda is ramping up to crank out high-quality vehicles.

A major decision that significantly impacts quality is the paring down of the Mazda6 line from three body styles to one. The five-door and wagon body styles got the axe, so all resources could focus on designing, engineering, and building a really good four-door. The result is a sporty sedan with fine driving manners, plenty of room, and a surfeit of features.

Generally speaking, vehicles wearing a Mazda badge know how to hustle. This sensation is amplified with the new 6. To go with its new larger size there are two new engines, both larger; a 2.5-liter four-cylinder with 170 horsepower is a bored and stroked version of the 2.3-liter four cylinder used in a variety of Mazdas. Other internal improvements helped increase fuel economy (20 mpg city/29 mpg highway for the manual, 21/30 mpg for the five-speed automatic) while improving the power output.

The 3.7-liter V-6 producing 272 horsepower is an engine we've come to like in the CX-9 crossover. This is the same core engine as used in the new Lincoln MKS and Ford Flex but is built by Mazda in Japan. The V-6 benefits from variable valve timing and other expected technologies (overhead cams, four valves per cylinder, etc.), but unlike some other vehicles in the class, it hits its horsepower target running on regular gas, not premium. Mileage is 17/25 mpg with the only available transmission, a six-speed automatic.

In a trend we're seeing across the industry, the 2.5-liter four-cylinder is available across the Mazda6 trim levels: Sport, Touring, and Grand Touring.

We drove each powertrain and liked them all. The 2.5-liter/six-speed package is good enough to make you want to drive a manual transmission car again (or for the first time). Mazda expects that about 12 percent of those selecting the four-cylinder will go with the manual. The other 88 percent don't know what they're missing. This combination feels light and lively while maintaining a civilized ride.

With the big six (the 3.7-liter is the largest V-6 available among the Mazda6's competitors) performance was certainly zoom-zoomier than with the four-cylinder. The 272 horsepower comes on strong. With the 18-inch wheels and tires that are standard on the Grand Touring trim level, handling is sharp for a mainstream sedan. The improved braking system burned off speed smoothly and with great pedal feel.

Styling inside and out highlight Mazda's more aggressive driving personality. The boldly contoured front fenders tastefully draw attention to the 6’s wider stance. The whole shape is aerodynamically smooth, with a Cd of only 0.27—well ahead of the current Toyota Camry at 0.29.

Inside, the cockpit is also sporty with hooded gauges and top-flight materials. The exterior's expanded dimensions pay big benefits inside, as the 2009 Mazda6 is now on par size-wise with all of its competitors. The new sedan's trunk is the largest in the class at 16.6 cubic feet, and when the rear seats are both folded, the practical cargo room expands dramatically.

Our time spent behind the wheel of the new Mazda6 indicates that the company's efforts have created a wholly competitive entrant that could easily steal sales from the leaders. However, this will only happen if non-gearheads discover it. The broader market has often overlooked Mazda's products, but this could be the company's chance to go mainstream and duke it out with the big boys.

Mazda's given a name to the crossover concept vehicle it will put on display at the Moscow auto show next month. It's "Kazamai," which means "swirling crosswinds" in Japanese.

The new concept bears the newest evolution of the bodywork seen on Mazda's latest run of concepts. In mechanical terms, the Kazamai sports a direct-injection engine and four-wheel drive.

It's expected that the Kazamai is the forerunner for a new compact crossover spun from the new Fiesta/Mazda2 platform, to be slotted beneath the Mazda CX-7, and named CX-5 in production.

Mazda says the new car's designed specifically with the Russian market in mind, and with younger SUV owners "who have a strong sense of style."

The Moscow show opens to the media on August 26.