THE flowing style of Mazda's "Nagare" design statement, seen on its concept cars over the past two-and-a-half years, debuts on a production model this autumn - not on a sporty model like the MX-5 or RX-8, but on the new generation Mazda5 people carrier.

Speaking at a preview of the new model in Vienna, chief designer Koji Tabata said: "Once we had decided to employ Nagare design, we had to work out how to implement it on a minivan. We had design input from all our global design studios.

"The Design philosophy for this car was ‘seductive smartness' - making the Mazda5 alluring and tempting. We wanted to create a head turner. The final design has also achieved better aerodynamics and generates more downforce for reduced noise and better handling."

Inside, the new Mazda5, which goes on sale in the UK in late autumn, carries over the flexible seating configuration that can accommodate up the seven passengers and luggage as well as the sliding rear doors.

Price in the UK is likely to be between £17,500 and £21,500.