The world premiere of the all-new Mazda5 was one of the highlights of this year’s Geneva Motor Show in March. The car has been designed and developed for families with active lifestyles.

Hideki Matsuoka, Mazda5 programme manager, said: “In approaching development of the Mazda5, our team aimed to create a new C-MAV that combines superb practicality with the superior environmental performance these modern times demand.”

The model evolves Mazda5’s acclaimed functionality – with rear sliding doors and up to seven-seat Karakuri flexibility in the spacious cabin – and creates an eye-catching exterior that is unique to the segment.

This design is also highly functional and contributes to fuel efficiency by achieving a low drag coefficient, together with optimal lift and air-flow stability characteristics.

The car is fitted with a newly-developed 2.0-litre DISI petrol engine equipped with ‘i-stop’, and a six-speed manual transmission with gear ratios specific to this version. This new direct-injection petrol engine offers linear and smooth performance characteristics which ensure that it is fun to drive in the best Mazda tradition. The car is also one of the most frugal and clean C-MAVs on the market, achieving approximately 15 percent reduction in CO2 emissions compared to the 2.0-litre petrol model it replaces. The petrol line-up also features a 1.8-litre engine with a six-speed manual transmission.

It will go on sale across Europe later this year.

Meanwhile, Mazda’s reputation as the UK’s leading franchise of choice among ambitious dealers has been further strengthened with the news that the company now has the strongest network coverage since Mazda came to the UK in 1969. The company has just three unfilled territories among its 160-strong network, believed to be a record low for any brand and coming at one of the most challenging times the car industry has faced in decades.

“It’s a reflection not just on the strength of our current product line-up, but also on the way Mazda UK likes to do business,” said Jeremy Thomson, managing director of Mazda UK.

“Dealers are our partners and it’s important to us that we are easy to work with and flexible.”

Dealers describe Mazda UK’s approach to business as ‘an absolute breath of fresh air,’ and have praised the company’s understanding and common sense approach to retailing.

Against this background, Mazda – which has a 2.4 per cent share of the UK new car market and has sold more than 50,000 cars for the second time in its history in the financial year ending in March – has opened 20 new dealers in the past 12 months and is reporting record interest in the brand.