Mazda Plans Small RWD SUV

Paris 2008 debut

What you would think is inconceivable may just become reality. Mazda, according to Pistonheads, is planning to build a small SUV on the rear-wheel-drive Mazda MX-5 platform. The new RWD SUV is set for a 2008 Paris Motor Show world premiere.

Pistonheads seem to have had a brief talk with European Mazda boss James Muir and quote him saying: “I do see SUVs getting smaller and being more car-like in their behaviour. Maybe we can look at rear-wheel-drive platform sharing and we have a rear-wheel-drive platform with the MX-5.”

Mazda has been developing light-weight high-tensile steel and lighter weight powertrains in order to build a small, and ultmately lightweight SUV.

In our archives we found an artist rendering of the CX-5 which seems to fit reasonably well with the description James Muir gives, although styling may be entirely different of course.