Mazda has announced that their are working on a small SUV, based on the much-loved sports car MX-5. The new smaller, lighter SUVs, using the iconic sports car’s rear-wheel drive platform will be unveiled next year at the Paris Motor Show.

European boss James Muir said: "I do see SUVs getting smaller and being more car-like in their behaviour. ‘Maybe we can look at rear-wheel-drive platform sharing and we have a rear-wheel-drive platform with the MX-5. That’s an opportunity for us to look at how we might develop a lighter-weight product."

"We are also looking at lighter weight power trains and there is a lot of scope there particularly with diesel power trains to see how we can create lighter engine blocks using different alloys and metals."