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Mazda concept probably previews the next Mazda3 at the Tokyo show

This year's Tokyo Motor Show is shaping up to be an interesting one, with a Nismo Leaf, Mitsubishi e-Evolution concept, and a pair of interesting Toyota concepts already lined up. Now Mazda is joining with its own big reveal of two concepts. One is a design concept that will give us an idea of where the company is heading, and another is all but guaranteed to be our first look at the new Mazda3. There are a few reasons we say that one of these concepts has to be the next Mazda3. One is the fact that Mazda says it's a concept planned for production. The company also describes it as "a compact hatchback that fuses next-generation technology and design," and it uses the new Skyactiv-X spark-controlled compression ignition engine and "Skyactiv-Vehicle Architecture." Plus, just looking at the teasers, the design is a clear evolution of the current Mazda3 hatchback. It looks as though the hood and roofline curve a bit more, and some of the sharp creases of the current car have been smoothed out. The other concept Mazda is bringing to the Tokyo Motor Show seems to be just that, a concept. Mazda says it's just a design concept meant to exhibit how other Mazdas will look. Apparently it's a continuation of the company's current "Kodo" design language. Based on the teaser image, the car appears to be a sedan and consists mainly of clean, elegant curves, with hardly a crease anywhere except the edge of the trunk. The elegant lines are reminiscent of the RX-Vision concept, just with a couple extra doors and a different color. Mazda will have a couple of other new vehicles on display in Tokyo as well. The company will show the Japan-only CX-8 three-row crossover and a special-edition Roadster (Miata) Red Top edition. We presume it's a Miata with a red soft top. Stay tuned for more details from the full reveal. Related Video:

Japan may aid carmakers facing U.S. tariff threat

TOKYO — Japan is considering giving carmakers fiscal support including tax breaks to offset the impact from trade frictions with the United States and a sales-tax hike planned for next year, government sources told Reuters on Wednesday. Going into a second round of trade talks with the United States on Sept. 21, Japan is hoping to avert steep tariffs on its car exports and fend off U.S. demands for a bilateral free trade agreement that could put it under pressure to open politically sensitive markets, like agriculture. "If the trade talks pile pressure on Japan's car exports, we would need to consider measures to support the auto industry," a ruling party official said on condition of anonymity because of sensitivity of the matter. The auto industry accounts for about 20 percent of Japan's overall output and around 60-70 percent of the country's trade surplus with the United States, making it vulnerable to U.S. action against Japanese exports. Japan's biggest automakers and components suppliers fear they could take a significant hit if Washington follows through on proposals to hike tariffs on autos and auto parts to 25 percent. Policymakers also worry that an increase in the sales tax from 8 percent to 10 percent planned for October 2019, could cause a slump in sales of big-ticket items such as cars and home. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has twice postponed the tax hike after the last increase from 5 percent in 2014 dealt a blow to private consumption, which accounts for about 60 percent of the economy. To prevent a pullback in demand after the tax hike, the government may consider large fiscal spending later when it draws up its budget for next year, government sources said. "One option may be to greatly reduce or abolish the automobile purchase tax," one of the government sources said. The government is also considering cuts in the automobile tax and automobile weight tax to help car buyers, the source added. Reporting by Izumi Nakagawa and Tetsushi KajimotoRelated Video: Image Credit: Getty Government/Legal Isuzu Mazda Mitsubishi Nissan Subaru Suzuki Toyota Trump Trump tariffs trade

Mazda explains the thinking behind the MX-30's small battery pack

Mazda's first production-bound electric car, the MX-30, relies on a 35.5-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack for power. That's relatively small, but the Japanese firm argued it's exactly what the model needs to let motorists drive electric while keeping their environmental footprint in check. Christian Schultze, head of Mazda's European research and development center, told Automotive News Europe the MX-30's battery is responsibly-sized. He explained engineers took a variety of factors into account when debating kilowatt-hours, including how much energy is required to build the pack, how much electricity is needed for a full charge, and the environmental impact of replacing the battery, which Mazda expects could be necessary after the MX-30 has covered about 100,000 miles. Sticking with a smaller pack yields total CO2 emissions on par with a turbodiesel-powered Mazda3. In contrast, using a 95-kilowatt-hour battery (which is close to what Tesla's bigger models use) would have increased the MX-30's life-long CO2 output considerably by requiring more energy to build, and needing far more electricity to achieve a 100% charge. We're not quite sure that math or battery longevity assumption hold up under scrutiny. In any case, small is the direction Mazda decided to go. The trade-off is that the MX-30 (pictured) is expected to drive for about 124 miles between charges, and that figure was achieved on the hugely optimistic WLTP testing cycle; real-world mileage will be lower. That's hardly a jaw-dropping number, and the crossover doesn't qualify for the coveted long-range label, but Schultze told British magazine Autocar it's more than enough to cover the daily transportation requirements of the average European motorist, which stands at a total of 31 miles. That's significant, because Europe will be one of the MX-30's key markets. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in early 2021. Mazda hasn't announced whether it will sell the MX-30 in the United States, or if it will wait until it has a longer-range electric car to enter the segment.