Autoblog

Are you the next Mazda3?

Jeffrey N. Ross — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Hatchback, Mazda, Design/Style

The next-generation Mazda3 is expected next year, but aside from renderings and our own imagination about a compact economy car sporting Mazda's new Kodo design language, we really have no clue what this design will actually look like. Auto Express has gotten a hold of some shots it believes are official digital images from Mazda that could be a very good indication of what the Japanese automaker has in store for its top-selling car, but it's important to note the images could also be of an upcoming concept vehicle or just a design proposal.

Production or not, these renderings show the possibility for the 2014 Mazda3 that finds itself competing in a much more interesting class of cars than what was available back in 2009. The image of the Mazda3 5-door hatchback design shows a sloped rear D-pillar that gives it a strong family kinship with the new CX-5 and Mazda2, while the sedan has a sleek and sporty roofline along the lines of what we've recently seen on the new Mazda6.

We reached out to Mazda for comment on these images, and Jeremy Barnes, Mazda's director of public relations, had this to say: "Any speculation about a next-generation Mazda3 is just that - speculation. And, as a policy, we do not comment on future product speculation."

Are you the next Mazda3? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Oct 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2013 Mazda CX-9 unveiled ahead of Aussie debut

Steven J. Ewing — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 09:27:00 EST

Filed under: Crossover, Mazda, Misc. Auto Shows

Mazda is slowly but surely wiping its smiley Nagare design language from the faces of its automobiles, and it appears that the seven-passenger CX-9 is the next to get the bolder Kodo-influenced treatment. The 2013 CX-9 you see here will officially bow at the Australian International Motor Show in mid-October, but Mazda has released a few preliminary images and details regarding the big CUV's refresh.

Now, as much as we like the design of the new CX-5 crossover and Mazda6 sedan, we aren't quite sure if we love the way the new Kodo lines flow onto the CX-9's larger body. The more we stare at the images in the gallery above, the more we start to like it, but this is indeed a case where we'll need to see the finished product in person before making any final judgments. We can't yet see what sort of changes have been applied to the rear end or the interior, but new details up front include LED running lights in the headlamp clusters and bolder, more pronounced lines around the foglamp housings.

Mum's the word about any other new-for-2013 changes, and Mazda states that the current CX-9's 3.7-liter V6 and six-speed automatic will carry over, likely mated to both front- and all-wheel drive.

We'll no doubt receive more details closer to the car's official unveiling in Australia next month, but for now, scroll down to read the official press blast and scroll through the high-res image gallery to take in the Niner's new schnoz for yourself.

Continue reading 2013 Mazda CX-9 unveiled ahead of Aussie debut

2013 Mazda CX-9 unveiled ahead of Aussie debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Sep 2012 09:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mazda Takeri concept to debut at Tokyo Motor Show

Noah Joseph — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 09:28:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Hybrid, Sedan, Tokyo Motor Show, Mazda, Diesel

With the Mazda6 sedan on its last legs, the Zoom-Zoom automaker is rolling into its home exhibition at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show with the Takeri concept you see here.

The midsize sedan concept adopts Mazda's latest Kodo design language in a conventional three-box shape that could provide a preview of what to expect from the next 6. The show car packs the company's SkyActiv-D diesel engine (a 2.2-liter twin-turbo four-cylinder with a lowered compression ratio for a 20% improvement in efficiency over a conventional oil-burner) with stop-start engine management and regenerative braking - a new feature for Mazda.

The Takeri show car will be officially unveiled (along with the CX-5 and Shinari concept that make their Japanese debuts) when the doors open at the Tokyo International Exhibition Center on November 30. In the meantime you can check out the images in our high-res gallery and read the full press release after the jump.

Continue reading Mazda Takeri concept to debut at Tokyo Motor Show

Mazda Takeri concept to debut at Tokyo Motor Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geneva 2011: Handsome Mazda Minagi Concept previews production crossover

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 12:59:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Geneva Motor Show, Crossover, Mazda, Design/Style

Mazda Minagi Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

There's more than one way to increase efficiency, and Mazda seems intent on proving that it can compete in the ever-rising stakes of fuel mileage without actually going to the trouble of investing heavily in hybrid technology.

Instead, Mazda is taking a multi-pronged approach that includes new gasoline and diesel engines, efficient automatic and manual transmissions and lightweight structures that incorporate both the body shell and supporting chassis architecture. That whole philosophy is bundled up nicely in a package Mazda is calling SkyActiv.

In addition to SkyActiv, Mazda is also using the 2011 Geneva Motor Show to introduce the world to the second showcar (the first being the Shinari) styled using its Kodo design language: the Minagi Concept. A production version of the Minagi is slated for a debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show later this year.

We wouldn't expect many wholesale changes to the exterior design of the Minagi, as it looks pretty production-ready in its current state... minus a few of the extra-concepty bits like the minimilist exterior mirrors and giant rolling stock. Naturally, the marque's SkyActiv technology will be in full effect in the production Minagi.

We suggest you check out the live photos in our high-res image gallery below, but you can also read a whole bunch of information from Mazda on Kodo design language and how it's featured in the Minagi concept after the break.

Gallery: Mazda Minagi Concept: Geneva 2011

Gallery: Mazda Minagi Concept

Continue reading Geneva 2011: Handsome Mazda Minagi Concept previews production crossover

Geneva 2011: Handsome Mazda Minagi Concept previews production crossover originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Officially Official: Mazda Minagi Concept headed to Geneva

Zach Bowman — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 19:25:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Geneva Motor Show, Crossover, Mazda

Mazda Minagi Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

Mazda has dropped the official details on the company's Minagi Concept. The sleek CUV is intended to give us all a little taste of exactly where Mazda's design is headed in the near future as well as show off the company's new Skyactiv drivetrain technologies. Mazda isn't telling us exactly what's under that sculpted hood other than to say that the Minagi gets its power from a Skyactiv engine and puts it to the ground via a Skyactiv transmission. In addition to those fuel-saving components, Mazda claims that the Minagi also uses a host of weight-saving tricks to boost fuel economy.

The concept wears the new Mazda design theme called Kodo, or soul of motion. From what we can see from the renderings, the look is a full galaxy ahead of the all smiles design the Japanese automaker is currently employing. We'll be interested to see how the lines translate to the real world when the concept shows up at this year's Geneva Motor Show in March. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Gallery: Mazda Minagi Concept

[Source: Mazda]

Continue reading Officially Official: Mazda Minagi Concept headed to Geneva

Officially Official: Mazda Minagi Concept headed to Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Jan 2011 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Mazda Shinari concept and Kodo-fied Mazda3 make the scene

Zach Bowman — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Sedan, Videos, Paris Motor Show, Mazda

Mazda Shinari Concept - Click above to watch video after the jump

We're going to go ahead and say it: of all of the companies out there, few demonstrate a command of the concept car quite like Mazda. While most manufacturers seem to be eschewing the concept in favor of thinly-veiled production vehicles, Mazda continues to tantalize the imaginations of onlookers with cars like the Furai. Now, it looks like the company is planning to turn away from its somewhat controversial (read: smiley) Nagare design language in favor of a new theme. Mazda is calling it Kodo, meaning "soul of motion," and if the Shanari Concept is any indication of what we can expect from future models, we're sold.

Mazda has just rolled out a couple of videos that show off the company's new look. The first features a CG Shanari rolling through crowded city streets, tunnels and the rolling tarmac of what we assume to be the Japanese countryside. The second gives us an idea of what a Kodo-fied Mazda3 might look like. Hit the jump for a quick look see.

[Source: Mazda via YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Mazda Shinari concept and Kodo-fied Mazda3 make the scene

Video: Mazda Shinari concept and Kodo-fied Mazda3 make the scene originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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