Its very creative 5-spoke (or 10-spoke), 18-inch alloy wheels covered with 235/50R-18 performance tires look sporty while adding to the MX-Flexa's sporting driving dynamics, barely hiding the van's 4-wheel disc brakes.
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| The MX-Flexa gets the Mazda3's transverse-mounted, 16-valve, 2.3-liter MZR engine. (Photo: Mazda Canada) |
Connected to the wheel hubs is a MacPherson-type front strut suspension with a multi-link setup in the rear, plus anti-roll bars at both ends for added stability. I've driven the Mazda3 that donates the MX-Flexa's undercarriage, and it's one of the best in the compact class. With that in mind I think it's a pretty fair bet that the new concept would do to the van segment what the 3 has done for compact sedans if produced - provided head-of-class handling.
The concept also gets the 3's (and the Mazda6's) transverse-mounted, 16-valve, 2.3-liter MZR engine, as well as its 4-speed Sport Shift automatic transmission with manual mode.
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| As futuristic as the Flexa's interior appears, most of the components are out of the current Mazda3, just updated. (Photo: Mazda Canada) |
Connecting man with machine is an extremely attractive, yet very production ready cockpit. In fact, its various instruments, knobs and dials, including their placement on the dash and center stack, are standard Mazda3 fare. Sure they're updated to a cool blue hue, and augmented to fit the taller layout of a minivan, but they're all Mazda3. This again is a good thing, being that the vehicle looks ready for prime time, hardly needing any modifications to bring it to life.
The van's layout features six individual "captain's" seats surfaced in leather. Mazda has incorporated a removable "cool/warm" box attached to the center console, similar to that in the Pontiac Aztek. Toyota had an optional non-detachable cooler in its first-generation compact van too, an item I especially enjoyed when I had one as a company vehicle during my tenure with the Japanese brand in the late '80s.