MAZDA is heading for the comfort zone with a new people mover that's a real smooth operator.

Sharply styled and engineered with economy in mind the new Mazda5 will be on sale in the autumn.

A rival to Ford's C-Max and the Citroen C4 Picasso, the latest Mazda5 is a seven-seater designed not only to be family friendly but also to stand out from the crowd.

It marks the debut of an entirely new style called Nagare which involves a double wave shaped crease flowing along the sides of the body.

The effect is controversial, sensitive to body colour and lighting conditions.

With darker finishes it is pronounced and looks swish but in lighter colours it is perhaps a little too subtle.

In reality the cut in the body work is very shallow but from certain angles the design can appear messy and may not be to everyone's taste.

It's a bold move from Mazda and even the car's design chief Koji Tabata admits no decision has been made whether the Nagare theme will be continued.

Nagare, which is a Japanese word for flow, was first seen on a concept car three years ago as Mazda revealed its new generation of Zoom Zoom models.

The front of the Mazda5 has the same bold style as the latest Mazda3 hatch with a sculpted bonnet and wide mouthed grilles.

At the rear, the vertical lamp clusters of the original Mazda5 have been replaced by a horizontal arrangement which makes the tail of the people mover look much more car like.

Electrically operated sliding side doors remain a feature. Not only do they make access to the middle and rear rows of seats easier they also help when parking as they need only a few inches of side space to open.

But it is on the road where the new Mazda5 impresses. Engineers have paid plenty of attention to the suspension and steering set up producing a very smooth and quiet ride for such a large vehicle.

Two-litre and 1.8-litre versions will be available and it's the bigger of the two which is the most economical.

The engine is Mazda's new direct injection petrol DISI block and is fitted with a stop/start system to reduce fuel consumption even further.

It will average 41mpg with CO2 emissions of 159g/km compared to 39mpg for the 1.8 which also has higher tailpipe emissions of 168g/km.

Both are fitted with six speed manual gearboxes with gearshift indicators included in the instrument display as another eco measure. Overall the new Mazda5 is said to be 15 per cent cleaner than the first generation model but diesels are not included in the line up.

Inside the seating arrangement remains more of a 6+1 than a true seven seater with the centre middle seat more for occasional use than anything else.

As part of the car's karakuri quick fold seating system that middle one can be converted into a picnic table, used as an armrest or even stowed away to create a walk through to the back.

Luggage space ranges from 426 litres to 1,485 and there is underfloor storage as well as plenty of compartments in the cabin.

A factory fitted TomTom Sanyo dash-mounted sat nav unit will be available as an extra and will incorporate an entertainment system which includes Bluetooth and iPod connections.

As medium sized MPVs go the Mazda5 is at the larger end of the scale and a top class family all-rounder.

Prices are still to be confirmed but are expected to range from around £17,500 to £21,500.