Mazda’s heading into lighter cars by 2010. According to a top executive, Mazda Motor Corp. is planning to reduce the weights of their cars by 220 pounds by using light weight materials as well as instilling new engineering process.

In a speech to the Motor Press Guild, senior vice president of product development and quality for Mazda North American Operations, Robert Davis, explained the how Mazda cars ballooned in recent years. Moreover, cited how the reduction of the vehicle’s curb weight by 220 pounds will improve its fuel economy 3 to 5 percent.

But even with the given optimism on this development, there are still factors that will be sacrificed like conflicts increased fuel economy with safety regulations, not to mention the financial factor. It would be a struggle on how cost-efficient these light weight materials are since these are more expensive than regular traditional steel. This will be a challenge for automotive technological breakthrough on how they will make this feasible.

Davis sees that Mazda cars of the future may be smaller but will have more efficient engines as well as calculated interior design in which any size reduction of the car will go unnoticed.