In a globalized world, where reducing manufacturing costs is the business key, it is nice to see automotive firms that follow their own rules. Mazda celebrated its first centenary in 2020 , a story to which they pay tribute with their special 100th Anniversary edition. This manufacturer, based in Hiroshima but with an international character, was dedicated to cork in its beginnings. Entering the automotive world, he had to overcome the atomic bomb disaster and imposed on himself the duty to innovate and go against the tide. Just ten years ago he did it again, presenting a minimalist, beautiful and almost humanized aesthetic concept. This is the Kodo design language, first shown on the Mazda Shinari concept at the Los Angeles Auto Show in 2010 .
This way of drawing cars, which seeks to express the soul of the movement, has conquered the world, from buyers to specialized journalists in the sector. The firm has increased its presence in our country thanks to this aesthetic change, which fits in with those who are looking for beautiful vehicles in their simplicity. After a decade of evolution, his proposal has caught on and has earned the respect of the four-wheel world. It has even been recognized with the award to the World Design Car of the Year achieved by the Mazda3 this same 2020. A success that goes hand in hand with another important concept within Mazda: Jinba Ittai . This philosophy tries to generate a unique connection between the machine and the human being, both visually and sensually. The commercial idea of a firm that lives on its heritage, its past, but also on the latest technologies is based on this structure of Japanese mantras.
What is the Kodo design?
The Kodo design has carried over to all models released since a decade ago. Its aerodynamic and refined lines are shown in the iconic Mazda MX-5 but also in the Mazda MX-30, the first 100% electric model of the firm. The recently updated CX-3 also does not lose a bit of its personality and gives a unique character to the rest of Mazda’s SUV range, along with the CX-5 and CX-30. The goal of this design language, promoted by Ikuo Maeda, the brand’s design director, is to bring soul and movement to inanimate objects.
In Japan they believe in the soul of things, so their very name indicates it. Kodo means “heartbeat” in Japanese but with a sense of breathing life, of giving something or someone a soul. As Ikuo Maeda says: “In Japan, we like to think that artisans breathe life into what they create. We think that a form born of a sincere and meticulous human effort receives a soul ”. Therefore, when Mazda develops a vehicle based on the Kodo design, they grant it two virtues: the essence of movement and the soul of the craftsmen of their brand .
Awarded and blessed
The first models devised under the design “Kodo – Soul of Movement” reminded us of a cheetah, or that was the intention. I remember seeing those models in the classrooms and thinking, What animal does it look like? Ikuo Maeda’s intention was clear and it ended up penetrating all of us. They had managed to assimilate the figure of a living being in a car, giving it life almost instantly. The latest concept cars (RX-Vision and Vision Coupe) represent a slight change in that regard. A wild cat no longer comes to mind but it still evokes something emotional. They were presented in 2015 and 2017 respectively, at the Tokyo Motor Show, and improve the appearance of the Mazda in the section of elegance and light. Thanks to a new vision from the design team, current models play with the sun’s rays to show us their more dynamic side.
Minimalism is still present and it is a method that has worked very well for them. The Mazda RX-Vision and Vision Coupe were awarded the “Most Beautiful Concept Car of the Year” award . To this is added the Mazda MX-5 award as “World Car Design Award” in 2015. If we go to the latest recognitions we find the 2020 Red Dot award in the “Product Design” category for the Mazda CX-30 and MX-30 . Not forgetting, of course, the “World Car Award 2020” in the design category for the Mazda3.
