Mazda gets a grilling

TOKYO: Mazda is to adopt a unified design of five different colors for the front grill of its passenger vehicles.

A representative example of a car company that uses a unified design on the front grill of its vehicles, to lend a characteristic symbol, is the carmaker BMW. But Mazda is the first Japanese vehicle manufacturer to attempt the same feat.

The grill design is to first be adopted on the next model of the company's Familia.

Mazda is working on the development of a common automobile platform to be used with Ford Motor, which is a major shareholder in and production partner of the Japanese carmaker, in 2000 and beyond. And with the adoption of the unified design, the company is aiming at recreating its own brand image and distinguishing itself from the Ford brand.