Let’s face it: there is, even for the rabid car enthusiast, something inherently unsatisfactory about motor shows, isn’t there? And that, surely, has a great deal to do with the fact that the visitor is confronted by stand after stand of relentlessly static machinery, the sole function of which is to actually move.
This same issue confronts car designers themselves. How, exactly, do you convey a sense of movement in a stationary object? How do you present, in static pressed metal, the kinetic promise of the driving pleasure that awaits?
Throughout its 50-year design history, Mazda has toiled tirelessly to solve this very conundrum, exhaustively exploring forms that depict motion through the grace and beauty of movement found in nature.
Today, the company’s new ‘KODO – Soul of Motion’ design language theme represents a further evolution of that exploration, adding the power and grace evident in the movement of both animals and humans at the very instant motion begins.
KODO, then, expresses a faster, more forceful movement than previous Mazda design themes; the cheetah’s pounce, the plummet of the peregrine, the strike of a Kendo sword the second that accumulated force is released. A It’s a highly seductive moment laced with a finely honed balance of power, tension and streamlined beauty.
Making a first appearance in this class, that premium, sporting vitality completely redefines dynamic elegance in the hatchback genre; the all-new Mazda3’s broad, purposeful stance is enhanced by a compact-looking, rear-leaning cabin, which brings a breath of fresh air to Europe’s C-segment.
The eyes have it
The new Mazda3 shares the distinctive KODO face of its siblings; the contoured grille and signature sculpted wings instantly identify it as the latest member of the family. The latter flows out from under the vertically enlarged wings to the predatory glint of the highly original headlamp design.
It’s said that the eyes are the windows to the human soul, and the Mazda3’s headlamps fulfil a remarkably similar function. The depth and complexity of detailing inherent in combining LED light sources*, inner lenses and a light-guiding are an expression of the sophisticated technology lurking beneath the skin.
Lower and longer than its predecessor, the Mazda3’s raked profile – rising dramatically towards the rear and enhanced by boldly flared wings and large, sporting allow wheels – conveys power and agility. The rhythmic flow of simple, solid character-lines unite the whole, while perfectly encapsulating the feelings of motion, power and tension that have become synonymous with KODO design.
Reflections change according to lighting and the viewers position, sometimes subtly, sometime dramatically… Even when stationary, these shapes allude to an impression of pent-up energy, building expectations about the car’s performance potential.
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