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Design That Breathes Life into the Car
We want to create an emotional bond between driver and car comparable with the relationship between a horse and a rider. That is the ultimate
goal of Mazda’s KODO— “Soul of Motion” design philosophy. Used on all SKYACTIV-equipped models from the Mazda CX-5 onward, KODO Design
has played an important role in Mazda becoming a brand that has a special bond with its customers. In this section, we present KODO Design.
Embodying the Dynamic Beauty of Life, KODO
The power and elegance of a wild animal in the instant when it pounces on
its prey—that’s the essence of the ultimate Motion Form envisioned by
Mazda. We want a car to be more than metal; something that exudes the
vitality of a living being. Cars which evoke the tension that presages move-
ment, imbued with the warmth of a creature with a beating heart and blood
in its veins. That’s the inspiration behind the “Soul of Motion” design.
Craftsmanship That Brings a Car to Life
The Golden Clay Trophy Award* is given in recognition of the best car mod-
eling in the world, and Mazda has won the award most often. Underpinning
this success has been the craftsmanship of Mazda’s clay modelers. The
modeler understands the feelings and vision of the designer and with his
own skill hones these into a tangible form. The “soul” that is felt in Mazda
designs arises from this process of co-creation.
KODO Design Modeling Points
An axis unfalteringly passing through from
front to rear
Strongly thrusting along the axis that could be termed
a spine has realized a flawless design when viewed
from any angle.
Cabin positioned to the rear of the body
supported by large-diameter tires that are
positioned on the four corners
Shifting the visual center of gravity to the rear realizes a
tension and dynamic of the kind when a beast is pouncing on
its prey. Creating a stance that appears to be firmly treading
on the ground evokes handling that is firm yet nimble.
An expression that is full of vitality
Not simply a mass of metal, thought has been put into
devices that evoke a feeling of the car as a living being.
The model expresses a design that is full of vitality in
its entire face, including the headlamps and the signa-
ture wings.
CHECK
Symbol of Passion Soul Red
Concept cars exhibited at motor shows and else-
where are finished by craftsmen who add many
layers of paint that are applied like lacquer. Tints
poured with generous amounts of craftsmanship
and time have been in the pursuit of beauty. The
TAKUMINURI painting technology realized the
beauty of concept cars in mass-produced vehi-
cles. This technology confronted breakthroughs
in both vividness and depth of color that had
previously presented difficulties and produced
an innovative coating technology that achieved
a red color of unprecedentedly high quality.
Arising from this craftsman’s soul and tech-
nology, this vivid and deep Soul Red serves as
Mazda’s symbol of passion that leads to
driving
pleasure
of the future.
SPECIAL FEATURE
When applying standard three-coat mica, the reflective coat is built
up on top of the solid color coat. Soul Red, however, combines the
vividness and depth of color by reversing these coats.
The only Japanese cars to be selected as World Car
Design of the Year top three finalists for two
consecutive years (2013 Mazda6, 2014 New Mazda3)
* One of the Japanese car design award categories sponsored by the world’s leading specialist car
design magazine, Car Styling. The award is presented to the team that has developed the work with
outstanding modeling among the cars that have appeared in the season, regardless of whether they
are concept cars or mass-produced cars.
Enhancing lineup of
SKYACTIV products
Realizing both right-price
sales and volume growth
Reinforcing product /
brand advertisement
Clear coat (transparent) Clear coat (transparent)
Mica
Reflective coat (mica)
High-
saturation
red pigment
Color coat
Aluminum
flakes
Permeable coat
(semi-transparent solid color)
Solid color Reflective layer
(metallic color)
Body Body
Previous Coating
(Example: three-coat mica) Soul Red Premium Metallic
Mazda Annual Report 2014 12
Introduction
Message from Management
Review of Operations
Foundations Underpinning
Sustainable Growth
Financial Section
Brand Value Management
CONTENTS