The Ryuga is one of a series of design studies that are intended to take the appearance of Mazda vehicles in a more exciting direction. Recent models for the Japanese carmaker have gained praise for their performance and on-road dynamics, but their ho-hum looks have left consumers and critics unmoved.

The journey toward a visual identity that can live up to the brand’s "zoom-zoom" tagline began a couple of months back at the Los Angeles auto show, with a concept called Nagare, a Japanese work which means flow.

Ryuga is a development of Nagare, with an updated shape and the addition of a fully worked up interior and functioning running gear. Keeping to the theme, Ryuga means “gracious flow."  Lawrence van den Acker, general manager of Mazda’s design division, said “it’s more realistic than Nagare” and therefore more useful as a means of gathering feedback.

Styled in Japan by Yasushi Nakamuta (who was responsible for the look of the latest MX-5 Miata), Ryuga was inspired by Japanese rock gardens, and “captures the energy, motion and beauty of nature," according to Mr. van den Acker.

There is certainly an organic quality of the gracious flowing lines and smooth silhouette of the low-set Ryuga. It’s sporty yet sympathetic―dynamic without being aggressive. Ribbon-like front and rear taillights are modeled on drops of morning dew, and the chiseled parallel lines that flow down its sides really do resemble a wave-washed sandy seashore.

Ryuga is finished in a deep fiery red paint named “lava red” (another flow link), with a contrasting gray color on the rear panels. It features full-length top-hinged doors on each side, and inside are the near-obligatory ultra-thin concept-car seats. The driver sits at a horseshoe shaped steering wheel while the instruments sit in elongated pods.

It has a 2.5-liter engine driving the front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission.

Mazda promise to show us the next stage of this evolution at the Geneva show in the spring.

Also starring on the Mazda stand are the new Tribute hybrid SUV, which offers 155 horsepower in an ultra-low emissions vehicle, and the new CX-9 crossover that was unveiled last year. Both go on sale later in 2007.