Mazda Vision X-Compact concept debuts in Tokyo – Mazda 2 revived with petrol power, funky styling

In addition to the Vision X-Coupe, Mazda has also debuted the Vision X-Compact at the Japan Mobility Show (JMS) today. If the former is a hopeful revival of the carmaker’s iconic rotary sports cars, this is a possible look at the next Mazda 2 – a surprise given the nameplate has been neglected for years, with the company even resorting to rebadging the Toyota Yaris.

Looking very much like a Fiat 500 à la Hiroshima, the Vision X-Compact is exceedingly cute in its red paint – and with a length of just 3,825 mm, a width of 1,795 mm and a height of 1,470 mm (not to mention a wheelbase of 2,515 mm), it is even smaller than the current Mazda 2.

The design is very round; a sort of “my first Mazda 3“, still with a long bonnet and thick C-pillars. The front end continues with the X-Coupe’s evolved Kodo design language, sporting the same body-coloured fascia and vertical daytime running lights in lieu of the usual five-point grille. The round headlights are set inside deep slashes that make the car almost seem like it’s wearing eyeliner.

At the back, the X-Compact’s styling is more cohesive than its sibling’s, with vertical taillights shaped like a lower-case “d” (or is it a “b”?) flanking a conventional tailgate. Of course, a car isn’t a show car without some fanciful touches, such as massive wheels, spindly side-view cameras and a total lack of door handles.

Inside, the X-Compact continues with the X-Coupe’s minimalist, driver-focused direction, with a simplified dashboard and centre console slathered in glossy lipstick red. This extends to the three-spoke steering wheel (flat-bottomed here) and a tasty rouge stripe running across the cabin.

Ahead of the driver sits an intricate combined speedo and rev counter (indicating the presence of a petrol engine) and what looks like a phone mounted right next to it for navigation directions. Mazda says the X-Compact fuses a “human sensory digital model” and a generative AI assistant capable of engaging in natural conversation and suggesting directions, turning the car into “a friend”.

Unlike the X-Coupe, there is not even a hint of any technical information on the X-Compact. Given Mazda’s theme for its JMS exhibit, however, the company will almost certainly claim that the car runs on carbon-neutral fuel produced by microalgae through the company’s proprietary Mazda Mobile Carbon Capture technology, as per its other concept. Interestingly, some text on the dashboard says that its carbon fibre shell was also made through carbon capture material, which would make for some wild future applications.

Expect a production version to utilise Mazda’s new Skyactiv-Z engines. This is set to make use of ultra-precise engine management to achieve a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio – dubbed Lambda:1 – for clean and complete combustion, allowing it to meet Euro 7 regulations and California’s LEV IV standards. The carmaker is expected to introduce the mill in the new CX-5 at the end of 2027, followed by the next-generation MX-5.

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