If you want to know, more or less, what the next generation Mazda3 hatchback will look like, then check out the new Kai concept. Making its official debut at this year's Tokyo Motor Show, the Kai concept also previews the next-generation SkyActivX gasoline engine and vehicle architecture. That's unique because concepts, at least most of the time, don't even have engines or ride on platforms intended for production. In other words, the Kai concept is way more than just a typical design study; it's a full-on engineering experiment as well.

Mazda further adds that its future lineup will consist of vehicles with greater overall refinement in terms of performance and ride comfort. The Kai concept, like the Vision Coupe concept that premiered alongside it, looks great. Mazda describes it as "muscular, (with) solid proportions in a form brought to life by a delicate flow of reflections over the sides of the body." It's very much an evolutionary look compared to today's 3 hatchback. The interior retains a driver-focused layout with a minimalist theme. Notice that the gauge cluster is located directly in front of the driver. Without question Mazda is heading in the right direction for both design and technology.

That SkyActivX engine, for example, is quite revolutionary because it has compression-ignition, meaning it uses a spark plug as a combustion control which allows the engine to use an extremely lean fuel mixture. The next Mazda3 isn't too far off, and we expect to see the production version by this time next year.