New car news

15 February 2006 - 12:00

Mazda turns up the heat in Geneva

Hot-hatch fans are in for a treat at the Geneva show and Mazda's stand will be a prime spot for them.

The Mazda 3 MPS makes its debut at Geneva before going on sale in the UK in the summer.

A detuned version of the Mazda 6 MPS's 2.3-litre engine provides a still healthy 250bhp, and the 3 does without the 6's four-wheel drive and sticks with front drive.

No performance figures as yet from Mazda, although an insider tells us to expect 0-62mph in around six seconds and a top end of 145mph.

Also on the Mazda stand to tempt is the Kabura concept, which was first seen at the Detroit show in January.

Smaller than an RX-8, the Kabura is a big hint that Mazda is set to launch a compact coupe that may be based on the MX-5 platform.

There's no official word on whether the car will be built, but there's a good chance the Kabura could be on sale in 2008.

Read Mazda3 Car Review

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