Mazda's MX-Crossport

Mazda's MX-Crossport, which premiered at the Detroit show in January, offers the flair of Nissan's upmarket Infiniti FX but with better proportions. The concept is a four-seater with a console running between two rows of bucket seats, its exterior styling a sharp blend of RX-8 and BMW X5 cues. No official word on production, but lots of hints to the affirmative from Mazda design chief Moray Callum. If the MX is built, expect the Mazda6 platform and probably a conventional center console with a conventional 60/40-split rear seat. And there's no official word on what engine it would use.

We'd hope that in the four years or so it would take to produce it, Ford will have an ample supply of its upcoming 3.5-liter V-6. After all, the Crossport is designed to be sportier than its competitors. "Mazdas are driver-focused cars," Callum says. "You won't ever see a center instrument binnacle in one of our cars."