Mazda hopes to cash in on RV demand

By Russell Williamson

MAZDA's future is plotted, and those whose emotions have been stirred by the Japanese carmaker's past icons may be a little disappointed in its future.

Just like the recession we had to have, Mazda is going through the revolution it needed to survive and it is the bean counters that are winning the war.

Under the leadership of the recently replaced Ford imposed president, Henry Wallace, Mazda has had to compromise its dynamic design roots expressed in cars such as the RX-7 in favor of a "greater emphasis on bread-and-butter core products".

According to Wallace, it is recreational vehicles -- or RVs as they are known -- that will provide the bread and butter and form the basis for Mazda's future volume models.

While the MX-5 may have survived the purge with a new model making its Tokyo motor show debut, Wallace made it clear that RVs are the development priority.

He said although sedans will remain a part of the company's range, they were more likely to be hybrid models that integrated lifestyle features and offered better space efficiency than traditional sedans.

He said he could envisage an RV model based on each of the company's basic platforms, like the Metro 121.

However, Wallace admitted that changing the public's image of what Mazda is as a carmaker was not going to be easy.

He said the problem would lay in convincing buyers that Mazda's traditional strengths of distinctive and innovative corporate styling and technical capabilities stemming from an engineering bias were still apparent within the new models and design direction.

To help achieve this transition while maintaining Mazda loyalty, Wallace said the new cars would be designed under the banner Contrast in Harmony.

According to Mazda, "Contrast means to combine opposite elements such as light and shadow, hardness and softness, stillness and motion and firmness and gentleness.

"On the other hand, Harmony means to balance the combination with aspects such as detail and whole, material and color coordination, form and structure, and function and appearance, creating a dynamic and exciting styling by applying a rationality, functionality and beauty in nature as a motif."

What this actually means in the context of new models is open to interpretation but evidence of the endeavor was on display at Tokyo in the form of three concept cars.

The MV-X was the closest to being production-ready and provides some clues to the next-generation MPV, due to be unveiled next year.

Sliding side doors and two rows of rear seats that can be slid forward or backwards on rails or completely removed provide the versatility to carry varying combinations of passengers and luggage.

The smaller compact SW-X follows a similar theme allowing seating for up to seven and a flat floor for maximum versatility.

By using a torsion beam rear suspension setup with minimal upward intrusion, the SW-X features a very low flat floor from the driver's footwell to the rear of the vehicle.

Once again, the seats are mounted on slider rails and all but the driver's can be removed.

The third concept on show diverged from the "box on wheels" theme but nevertheless maintained its RV-style functionality and practicality.

Despite the MS-X's five-seat sedan layout, it too offers maximum versatility within the cabin with a high roof, flat floor and multiadjustable seating.

The rear seats, for example, can not only be folded forward as in a normal sedan but the seat squab can also be folded up into the backrest to create an 800mm cargo area behind the front seats which is easily accessed through the rear doors which swing open to almost 90 degrees.

Wallace said Mazda's change in direction was prompted by the rapid growth in consumer demand for more practical and functional vehicles.

He said although this trend would slow, the future of these types of vehicles was long term as more and more people had more time to enjoy leisure activities that required versatile vehicles.

I'd like to live on that planet.