MattMPS

...abandon of Nagare- style

from carmagazine.co.uk

Mazda's new design strategy revealed in autumn 2010
By Tim Pollard
Motor Industry
22 June 2010 21:56

Mazda will show off its first 'post-Nagare' concept car in autumn 2010 – providing a glimpse into the future design strategy under the new styling boss.

Nagare has been the design mantra at Mazda since the series of concepts kicked off in 2006 with the eponymous show car, each influenced by flowing waves and patterns from nature. But since the departure of design chief Laurens van den Acker, who defected to Renault, the Japanese company is looking for a fresh direction, CAR understands.

So when will we see the new Mazda design concept?

At a design forum held in Europe in September 2010. We're not clear yet what sort of vehicle the concept car will be, but it will be shown at the Paris motor show the following month too.

CAR understands that the new concept car, designed under the tutelage of new design chief Ikuo Maeda (pictured with an earlier show car), will set the template for future production Mazdas. The emphasis will be on lighter, elegant cars – with high quality espoused through the design inside and out.

The old-school Nagare vision will influence the new Mazda 5 people carrier arriving in showrooms in autumn 2010, but we expect future production Mazdas to water down the strange flowing lines that distinguish the flanks of this mid-sized MPV. Senior executives admit that Nagare worked well on dramatic show cars but less well on fussy bread-and-butter road cars.

Ikuo Maeda: a brief history

Maeda, a Mazda lifer, succeeded van den Acker in April 2009. He has Mazda in his blood; his father styled the original RX-7 back in the 1970s.

Maeda's CV includes a brief stint at then-major shareholder Ford, but the majority of his career has been played out at Mazda, where he was responsible for the 2 and the RX-8 sports car.

Should be interesting to see how he stamps his mark on the next generation of Mazda family cars and sports cars.

Mazmart

iTrader: (12)

I'm VERY excited as I haven't been 'feeling' a lot of the new concepts from Mazda. Mr Maeda did the RX8 and the new 2 but I was not a fan of his Senku concept (Just seemed a little incomplete).

Paul.

zoom44

hmmmm. what segment will they show a concept for?(dangling participle) I wonder, the concept will be in which segment? if they are going to build a new rotary car it would make sense to show a concept rotary sports car because it would be "next in line" but of course the MX-5 is getting a redesign soon as well. But its in Paris so probably not a rotary as they havent debuted a rotary (concept or other) in Europe . Mazda Europe is still very enamored of the 2 door small "wind surfere's" ute or maybe just a Nagare-esque generic concept as a showcase.

MattMPS

we'll see, expect some pic in a couple of month or slighty more....

@zoom: expect a "closer to production" cx-5 , eventually (a kind of mx crossport concept)

Jedi54

iTrader: (7)

cx-5?!

MattMPS

there was very several clues about its launch, in an interview months ago Mazda's CEO have talked about a" SUV/CUV below cx-7" , and Nissan Qashqai is a huge success here in Europe , a real best-seller.....

maybe...honestly (like zoom44) i don't see the possibilty of a presentation of a rotary concept or an mx-5 concept (almost here in EU).

three (or four) possibilities IMHO:

-a 100% study concept (like the pasts nagare-related)
-a cx-5
-a mx-5
-a rotary concept

ASH8

Good one Matt,

I thought with the departure of Laurens van den Acker, and the hiring of Ikuo Maeda as chief that Mazda would go into "reverse"...typical Japanese, IMO you will see more "Conservative" looking Mazda's....not sure if that is a good thing, although as seen in the Mazda 3, they went a little too far IMO.

Still good to see the new 3 is selling in record numbers..

Mmm

What about a 'New' Mazda 2, will the SKY engine fit??, without a redesign, as you have told us Matt the current 2 engine will not pass Euro 5 in 6 months time.

Mazda are certainly keeping their *** Tight...not leaking ANY Real NEWS, Normal Mazda, this MX-5 Rotary thing is pure press speculation....nothing more.

How can a Hybrid rotary MX-5 weight less than the NC, this is their stated Goal to make the ND Smaller and Lighter...IMO it would add more weight.

Although a new MX-5 is due very soon, well I hear 2 more years, after the 8 the NC is the next OLDEST model..

ASH8

As far as Concepts and dare I say even a Prototype...WHO knows...

We could ALL be Shocked to see the all NEW RX-?...you never know..

Aipex8

iTrader: (1)

It's too bad that we didn't get to see a sportscar built with the Nagare design language (only inspired facelifts for the RX-8 and MX-5). The only car that got the flowing body lines was a minivan? That's kind of lame.

zoom44

yeah a two or 4 door small sport ute for the windsurfers. smaller than a cx-7 over all. built on the 3 platform like the Mazda 5. The Mazda Europe head has been pushing for it for 3-4 years.

Like the Hakaze concept from like 2007




and Kazamai more recent













older others from as early as 2005 I think

zoom44

personally i really like the kazamai- if you made that with a sky diesel and DSG i'd buy it.

MattMPS

from autoexpress.co.uk, some words from Peter Birtwhistle ,Mazda Europe Chief designer

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/au...#ixzz0rhsDM2Az


Nagare is no more. Speaking to Mazda Europe’s British design boss Peter Birtwhistle, he confirmed that the flowing design language that has dictated the Mazda look in recent years is set to be replaced.

“Nagare is done. After the 5, it’s highly unlikely that there will be another nagare car. Mazda has moved on.”

Laurens van den Acker, who has since left the company for Renault, created the look which has only bee applied in full to one production car, the Mazda5 due to go on sale in the UK in November.

Read our exclusive early drive of the Mazda5 here

But top brass in Japan aren’t convinced by the flowing look, which Birtwhistle confirms was “particularly difficult to apply to a boxy people carrier shape.”

As for what’s next, that’s up to Mazda’s new design chief, Ikuo Maeda. Birtwhistle confirmed that Mazda is aiming to become “more like a Japanese Alfa Romeo, producing cars which are great to drive, but crucially that also have the right premium feel, particularly inside.”

A number of concepts are being designed under the working title of “thrusting motion”. Maeda will select a winner at an internal Mazda event due to be held in Milan in September. The winning car will debut at the Paris Motor Show, where the name for Mazda’s new design philosophy - which Birtwhistle assures us will be much more appropriate for a UK audience – will also be announced.

The show is also the venue where former boss van den Acker will show off his vision for new employer Renault.


In my opionion Mazda is ALREADY a "Japanese Alfa Romeo", my Mazda6 mps seem in a lot of aspects a "Quadrifoglio Verde" Alfa of the past, a mix of performances and usability............

the quality is completely different, instead........

ASH8

/\ I wonder if Mazda's abandonment of the "Flow" design has anything to do with that Korean car maker copying the same term and similar look...

I know there has been a lot of negativity by the press and more so by bloggers on the smiley face.
Hyundai do a very similar look and get no adverse publicity.?

As I said, I expected this to happen once Mazda lost the heavy Ford Influence in Management/Design and Cost.

Mazda will go Conservative, I just hope they don't kill a good look/theme with a BOX shape, remember the GF Mazda 626 BOX look after the smooth good looking GE 626.

MattMPS

I'M very confident about Maeda's work...mazda2 and rx-8 are both very nice cars and practical to use.....

Maeda had talked a lot of time about the necessity to improve interiors...good point IMHO.

arghx7

If the new MX-5 or RX-whatever had a smiley face it would kill them.



Does this look like a happy little car?