New Mazda Concept: Designers Still on Acid

Not content with offering viable, believable concepts like every other manufacturer, Mazda are set to bring yet another figment of my Hot Wheels loving childhood to the international motorshow stage. This time, it'll be the Russian customs officers pulling aside the Mazda designers with a request to please hand over whatever they've been smoking.

The Moscow International Automobile Salon (salon, in motoring circles, is a fancy word for "motorshow") will this year play host to Mazda's latest as yet unnamed offering.  Once again adhering to Mazda's 'Nagare' design language (meaning "flow" in Japanese), the sketches released by Mazda show the new concept to be an SUV of some description.  The design theme of Mazda's latest concept has been titled "Crosswinds".

With Russia being one of Europe's fastest growing auto markets, and acknowledging the Russian love for SUVs—which own a full 20% of their market—it's little surprise that Mazda have chosen to reveal this concept at Moscow.  This new concept is expected to have an especially strong appeal with younger, more Western-oriented style-conscious Russian owners.

Mazda have definitely proven themselves to those responsible for officially judging such things: In February 2008, Mazda's design team scooped the highly regarded Grand Prix du Design att he Festival Automobile International in Paris.

While the name of Mazda's new SUV concept has yet to be revealed, it'll no doubt be another tongue-twister for the average Aussie.  Previous concepts from Mazda have included the Nagare, Ryuga, Hakaze, Taiki, and Furai.

Take a look at the pictures, and tell us: What do you reckon they ought to call it?

PS. I don't think I've ever said "Mazda" and "concept" so many times in one sitting.