Mazda adds new Flair Crossover to kei lineup

The Mazda Flair Crossover is the Hiroshima automaker’s latest foray into Japan’s hotly contested kei car segment. It joins the standard Flair and high-roof Flair Wagon in Mazda’s lineup of urban runabouts, all of which are actually rebadged Suzukis.

The basis for the Flair Crossover, the Suzuki Hustler, was unveiled at November’s Tokyo Motor Show. Billed as a kei car for campers and outdoors sports enthusiasts, its clever packaging touches includes a cargo area with washable floor and rear seat backs, flat surfaces that can double as tables, and storage compartments underneath the seat cushions.

The exterior features a white roof, a design pioneered by the 1960 Toyota Land Cruiser to reflect sunlight and keep the cabin cool (though the Flair Crossover does come with standard air-con). In fact, the overall appearance is that of a shrunken down Toyota FJ Cruiser, particularly with its large, round headlights, body color matched interior panels, and rugged dash and console design. In an increasingly crowded kei car market where dimension restrictions force designers to make everything into a tall box, the unique styling is a refreshing change of pace.

The Flair Crossover is powered by Suzuki’s 660cc DOHC motor with variable valve timing and optional turbocharging. Kei car regulations cap power at 63 hp. Though the only transmission choice is a CVT, drivetrain options include both front- and all-wheel-drive. Fuel economy can reach as high as 69 mpg in Japan’s JC08 testing cycle. Dynamic stability and traction control come standard, as does a front stabilizer bar and skid plate. Mazda boasts that the approach and departure angles are 28 and 46 degrees, respectively, and AWD models even offer hill descent control.

Kei cars comprise over one-third of all new car sales in Japan, but larger automakers typically don’t engineer their own. Mazda sells rebadged Suzukis, Nissan recently entered a kei joint venture with Mitsubishi, and Toyota builds them through their subsidiary Daihatsu, some of which are rebadged as and Subarus. Only Honda, Suzuki (both motorcycle manufacturers) and Mitsubishi build their own kei cars.