Everything Mazda does design is inspired by Japanese culture. Inspiration comes from local art, product design, sculpture, and even gardening. But what went wrong with the last big Mazda?

Mazda has christened its design language Kodo. The word roughly translates to “spirit of movement.” This philosophy was brought to Mazda by Chief Design Officer Ikuo Maeda and introduced in 2010. Kodo was first seen on the Mazda CX-5. The current generation of Mazdas is designed, demonstrated, and judged by these Japanese Kodo sunglasses. Shapes, colors and materials are chosen and applied accordingly. Kudo is a perfect key for Mazda. Consciously or unconsciously, customers buy a piece of the manufacturer’s culture: whoever buys a Mazda buys a piece from Japan. Kodo makes this very visible.

Mazda has great clay models

Clay makers are an important starting point for Mazda’s creative design process. A starting point, because in Mazda the mud is used completely differently than in other car brands. Clay model makers are a unique part of the creative process as designers inspire car designers with figurines during the early drawing stage. These free shapes feed into the design process, rather than “just” clay modelers do the schematic work of the designers in clay.

The CX-5 benefited greatly: good flatness

design CX-5 He greatly benefited from this method: resulting in a unique and distinctive design language for the skin in particular, flattening the so-called. The CX-5 was the first car in which Mazda designers took the unusual path from inspiring clay sculptures to drawing made on paper. This schematic vision was later translated by clay model makers into a car sculpture. A unique clay-based design methodology is evident in the design of the current Mazda range. In particular, the CX-30 and the Mazda 3 are exceptionally strong sculptures and thus unmistakably Mazda designs.

A camera close to the nose can lead to optical distortion, which can already be entrenched in the muddy stage of the design.

Why clay is so important in the design process

At every car manufacturer, clay model builders help car designers create their own graphic design – proportions, appearance, and bright From him – to better understand. The car is different in every perspective. Think of the TopGear movie being recorded where the front of the car is sometimes shot with a fisheye lens and sometimes from a distance. The nose of the car is optically distorted. The human eye has a similar effect on vehicle design and the nature of the deformation can only be determined at the clay stage of the vehicle design process. Variations, variations, and subtle interpretations of the schematic diagram can be effectively expressed in clay to absorb this deformation, among other things.

Kudo has a lot of sculptures

Kodo’s design language features plenty of sculpting and depth in the nose around the grille and headlights, in what’s called down the road drawing. Kodo is also beautifully reflected in the strong highlights and shadows of the wings. The wings in particular are notable for their special, twisted diameter: slender, well-trained muscular strength without a single gram of fat.

The Mazda CX-60 does not have a Kodo effect on the wings like the 3 and the CX-30.

The Mazda 3 and CX-30 are confident without being Kodo daring. They are unprecedented examples of automotive design in the everyday sector. These can only be Japanese cars. The relative statement, the way the surfaces circulate and the materials used in the interior are collectively powerful: a colossal feat.

The rather weak appearance of the Mazda CX-60.

CX-60 looks a bit weak

But then, the CX-60. This new car is Mazda’s flagship car. The big-top SUV of the Japanese should – usually – be the masterpiece of design. Unfortunately, the CX-60 is quite harsh, especially when compared to the CX-5, CX-30, and Mazda 3. That nose with a Down The Road graphic more formal than the smaller, more aerodynamic models is a logical consequence of this type of car, but the nose Also lacks sculpting and energy. The CX-60 feels a bit heavy, and lifeless. The design is also flat body sections Compared to both competitors and the above models of its own portfolio. While there is literally and figuratively more room for creativity in developing a larger car: more physical freedom of movement for an unmistakable design language and a bigger budget for producing more complex lines. So there is absolutely no excuse for the weakness that appears around us.

The skin is not recognizable as Kodo and the skin that distinguishes other Mazdas cars bonline Not there either. In the CX-60, it feels soft, creamy and heavy – almost like a Mercedes-Benz. And that’s no compliment given our strong DNA. The rounded shoulder and details, like the element on the mudguard, are completely saltless.

The CX-60 as a whole comes as an exceptionally worn variant of DNA fire It’s been flawlessly executed so far, and thus it’s not the pinnacle of Kodo-inspiring that a huge SUV in the segment should be. The aspiration of all Mazda drivers remains the Mazda 3.