Mazda 5 MPV (2010) first official pictures

This is the new Mazda 5, the Japanese car company’s compact MPV. The 5 will be revealed at the 2010 Geneva motor show in March, and the C-Max competitor is claimed to be all-new from the ground up and feature Mazda's latest design language.

That's the claim. See that 'wave' on the side bodywork? That's Mazda's Nagare flow design language, which 'contributes to fuel efficiency by having a particularly low drag coefficient, and optimal lift and air-swirl characteristics'.

But after a multitude of striking show cars previewing the Nagare theme, all we can spot is the big mouth and three side creases rather than the usual one. It’s hardly inspirational stuff, but mums and dads should at least be kept happy by the seven-seat layout and sliding rear doors.

Beneath the 3-inspired nose is a newly developed direct-injection 2.0-litre petrol engine, and combined with start/stop tech it spews out 15% fewer grammes of CO2 compared with the engine it replaces. 'Our main goal with the all-new Mazda 5,' says programme manager Hideki Matsuoka, 'was to develop a new C-MAV that combines the superior environmental performance these times demand with a new expression in stylish design.' A 1.8-litre petrol is available too, and diesel power is also expected to be confirmed very soon.

The new 5 will be unveiled at the Geneva motor show on 2 March 2010, before UK sales start in the autumn.

By Ben Pulman