| Mazda has just taken the wraps off of its new concept sedan, the Takeri, at its display stand here at the Tokyo Big Sight expo hall (honest, that's what it's called). The C/D-sized concept sedan furthers Mazda's Kodo 'Soul of Motion' design language while hinting at the next Mazda6. Predictably, the Takeri (derived from the Japanese word for "Male") is equipped with a full slate of Skyactiv features, including Mazda's new Skyactiv-D clean diesel -- a version of which we recently fell in love with in the CX-5 crossover -- and a new i-ELOOP regenerative braking system. In person, The Takeri offers a very attractive shape, with traditional Mazda cues including a prominent hexagonal grille (we particularly like the subtle matte metal element that links the grille to the headlamps) and short overhangs. More importantly, the showcar appears to be a production-friendly shape if you discount items like the showcar mirrors, slightly oversized 20-inch wheels and raise the roofline by an inch or two. Given the Mazda6's slow sales pace, a successor can't get here soon enough. |
