2017 Mazda CX-4

The Mazda CX-4 further evolves Mazda's KODO design language, which focuses on expressing the power and vitality of a wild animal, while shaving away all but the essential design elements to produce a look of dignity and elegance. The exterior design is one that will turn heads, even on crowded city streets. It exudes an air of irresistible charm that fills the viewer with a desire to own and drive one. Once sitting in the driver's seat, all five senses immediately register the modern feel and rich feature set of the interior design. It aims to deliver Mazda's unique driving pleasure and a fresh sense of vitality to daily life. Overall, it represents a new level of car design inspired by thinking that goes beyond conventional notions of the class.

An advanced exterior design that expresses traction and speed

With "striking traction form" as its theme, the exterior design creates an expression of the car's inherent energy transforming into drive power, which is in turn transferred in sure and powerful fashion from the center of the body and accelerates out toward the tires.

Starting with the unique proportions of its large diameter tires and flowing profile of its compact cabin, the Mazda CX-4 achieves a form that conveys the powerful stance of having all four wheels firmly gripping the road and a low center of gravity, all while maintaining ample ground clearance. Body surfaces that express volume and flowing motion without relying on character lines create the appearance of fender highlights that flow towards the center of the tires. The end result is a look of great stability and powerful forward momentum that gives birth to a radical new look, including the sleek cabin that reminds the viewer of a sporty, stylish coupe.

Uncompromising effort was dedicated to crafting everything from the Signature Wing that runs from the front grille to the headlamps, the roof rails and aluminum wheels, to the smallest parts throughout. Each part has the lustrous look of machined metal and is highly detailed.

Front view

A trapezoidal shape with the tires positioned in the four corners as widely as possible gives the Mazda CX-4 a bold and firmly planted stance on the road. This combines with the chromed front signature wing that identifies the Mazda brand and the courageous gaze of the headlamps to create a front face with an expression of vitality and advanced design.

The signature wing runs along the upper edge of each headlamp, giving them the look of an untamed animal's eyes. The lighting signature uses thick guiding lenses that create crystal-like illumination and express vitality. Independent turn lamps positioned in the lower section of the bumper feature a clean, simple design. These elements combine to establish a distinctive presence that, day or night, is recognizable at a glance as that of the Mazda brand, and that heightens the impression of quality that is unique to the CX-4.

Side view

The Mazda CX-4's design aims to achieve striking proportions of an exotic coupe. It realizes an ideal physique that concentrates design tension between the front and rear wheels, all while minimizing the volume of the overhangs. The contrast between the sharp nose and hood design that suggests speed emphasizes the "traction form" message that originates with the fender design. The design of the front and rear bumpers also makes the overhang at the ends look lighter, giving the side view a tighter appearance and realizing a sense of lightness when viewed from the rear quarter.

The A-, B- and C-pillars are all blacked out, creating the appearance of a clean, continuous glass area that surrounds the cabin and gives it a tight appearance resembling that of a sleek, taut capsule. The rear quarter window features a lustrous molding that emphasizes the coupe-like profile. Introducing a new design for Mazda, the roof rails run flat along the roof to heighten the sensation that they are integrated into the cabin structure. Made of solid aluminum, they add a stylish touch of quality to the look of the exterior. Black cladding added to the lower part of the body expresses the CX-4's identity as an active crossover SUV that can be enjoyed in or out of town.

Rear view

The cabin tapers toward its rear and blends with the flare of the rear fenders to form a trapezoidal shape that expands outward toward the bottom to emphasize the ground-gripping stance of the tires. The design achieves the sharply angled rear window that tapers inward toward the bottom and wide shoulders that are symbolic of a premium coupe. To properly embody the beautiful flow from the sides of the roof to the rear that gives coupes their appeal, veteran clay modelers carefully repeated a series of surface adjustments in increments of tenths of a millimeter at a time as they toiled to create a form that is beautiful when viewed from any angle.

The rear corners are shaved as much as possible to minimize the volume of the rear overhang. This combines with the blacked out lower bumper design to make the rear overhang look even tighter.

The rear combination lamps adopt the same sleek design as the headlamps, and the Mazda CX-4 introduces a radical new design that has the rear signature wing running right across the upper part of the lid lamps. The rear fog lamps that create the impression of strong ground-gripping stance with their trapezoid bezels use a lens cut with a fine pitch to reflect light in a complex fashion. It realizes lighting with a detailed three-dimensional appearance and features a transparent finish reminiscent of crystal.

Wheels

The CX-4 offers a choice of 19-inch or 17-inch aluminum wheels. Spokes extend from the center to the rims in dynamic fashion. Their three-dimensional design and advanced looking surface finish create an exterior appearance that befits this whole new genre of car.

The large diameter 19-inch wheels create a sporty and tough, yet sophisticated look that suits a crossover SUV. A newly developed light gunmetal gray paint applied to the twisted face of the spokes and machining where they are joined to the rim give the wheels a quality look of solid metal. The 17-inch wheels feature a side view reminiscent of an elegant coupe. The spokes dip in deeply near the center of the wheel create three-dimensional depth and surface that catches light and shadow in a way that leaves a strong impression that belies their smaller size.

An interior design with true quality that will appeal to all five senses

The interior design aims to deliver a rich, modern environment that will create a solid bond between the driver and car throughout the various scenes the customer experiences in daily life. A unique atmosphere greets the customer the instant they open the door. Attention to the shape, material and feeling of every detail is aimed at creating forms that speak of high quality and elegance. The result is a relaxing cabin environment with a pleasing sense of tension that brings a burst of energy to the driver's spirit.

The interior environment is divided into a cockpit zone that wraps snugly around the driver to create an intimate bond with the car and a passenger zone that delivers a feeling of openness and relaxation. The cockpit zone employs Mazda's intelligent Human-Machine Interface (HMI) that enables the driver to concentrate on the road ahead at all times, and makes driving safer and more fun. Peaking at the meter hood, the cockpit wraps snugly around the driver with all major controls laid out in perfect symmetry to keep the driver's body straight and centered while driving. This helps the driver feel physically at one with the car. On the passenger side, the shape of the decorative panel and upper section of the instrument panel were carefully designed to spread out horizontally and express a feeling of breadth. This instills a sense of stability and reassurance that also gives the passenger a feeling of openness with a clear view out the windshield. On the whole, carefully selected materials and manufacturing processes for the interior provide occupants with a level of true quality that appeals to all five senses.

Instrument panel

With gentle transitions in its surface shapes, the instrument panel emphasizes the rich nature of the interior design, while the advanced look of the combination decorative panel and newly developed Deep Red color of the upper section contribute to the elegant charm and innovative image of the CX-4. In addition, flat wiper blades positioned where they are out of view realize a clean cowl line.

The combination decorative panel that extends from the center air-conditioning louvers toward the passenger zone uses real aluminum. Depending on the grade, the panel is finished with a satin sycamore wood grain, aluminum hairline, or glossy piano black paint treatment. This combination of materials realizes a design with a rich expression that changes continually and never gets boring. Fine craftsmanship dedicated to the final fit and finish gives birth to a highly detailed three-dimensional expression with a quality look and feel that surpasses the class. Contrasting with the horizontal orientation of this combination decorative panel is vertically oriented satin silver ornamentation that runs up each side of the center stack where the functional parts are concentrated. The strong presence of a vertical vector here expresses the rugged strength of a crossover SUV.

Floor console

The adoption of an Electrical Parking Brake (EPB) contributes to the floor console's clean, flowing design. The shifter knob, commander control, and EPB switch are laid out on the top where the driver can operate them with natural movements. A shutter-style lid covers a pair of large cup holders. Closing the lid creates a flat surface that extends from the controls to the rear section of the armrest. At the rear, the console is tucked inward below the air-conditioning louvers to increase the amount of space available for the rear seat occupants' feet, making it easier to move and providing greater comfort.

Trim

A line that runs in an arc from the instrument panel, across the upper part of the door trim and downward suggests sharp acceleration. This line combines with the bright metallic finish of the inner door handle and decorative panel to reflect the Mazda CX-4's sharp, cool expression of its unique modern feel. In contrast, subtle variations in the surface shape of the door trim's upper section where it picks up light work in concert with the design expression of the exterior surfaces to create a look of gently flowing motion. In both its look and feel, the design also aims to deliver a sense of richness and softness to the touch wherever the occupant's body makes contact. This includes the surfaces of the armrests and the fabrics used on the trim.

Seats

The smooth expression and richness of the light and shadow play produced by the overall interior design is complemented by the look of high quality and relaxing comfort achieved by the seat design. The seats for the CX-4 deliver a sense of speed, while also being shaped to wrap snugly around the occupant's body. It's a design that suits the CX-4's combination of SUV and coupe characteristics.

The leather seats incorporate a vertical double pleat design and bold stitching in the center section that are reminiscent of a vintage car. It creates an atmosphere of authenticity that takes advantage of the expression delivered by the use of leather, while at the same time suppressing the sticky feeling that typically comes with the occupants' bodies making contact with leather. The seats also adopt a different color for the side bolsters and parts around the shoulder area to heighten the three-dimensional look of the shape. The result is a radical new design that provides a sense of speed and comfort.

Color design

The lineup of exterior and interior colors prepared for the Mazda CX-4 supports its value proposition by instilling the customer with a sense of vitality whenever they touch it, and by changing their mood the minute they climb in and take a seat behind the wheel. Red is a color with special significance to Chinese customers, and the CX-4 adopts the color as part of its lineup of advanced and sophisticated color combinations.

Body colors

The lineup of seven colors available for the Mazda CX-4 aims to highlight its advanced styling. Focusing on Soul Red Metallic and Radiant Ebony as the variations of red theme colors, the lineup also includes the four chic monotone colors Ceramic Metallic, Sonic Silver Metallic, Crystal White Pearl Mica, and Jet Black Mica, as well as the fashionable Blue Reflex Mica color.

Interior colors

There are four choices of coordinated interior colors available. These include Pure White with black, Deep Red with black, Sand Beige with black, and black monotone. The newly developed Deep Red color is a brand new interior color with a calm and rich look, and a sophisticated tone that never gets boring, even after years of use. Regardless which combination the customer chooses, the inside of the pillars and ceiling use black material.

Front seat design that makes driving more fun and less tiring

A suspension mat used on the seatback combines with a design that wraps around the occupant's body for excellent fit that positively holds the body and creates a sense of being one with the car. The seat firmly supports the hips to prevent changes in posture when driving and provides well-balanced support from the shoulders down to the lumbar region, reducing the load on the body and muscles.

Mazda's human-centric HMI places top priority on driving safety

Mazda's new-generation HMI prioritizes safety above all else. In particular, the cockpit design is based on the Heads-up Cockpit concept, which aims to help drivers process large amounts of information while maintaining the correct driving position and concentrating on driving safely. It is designed to be simple and easy to use, while at the same time minimizing cognitive, visual and manual distractions. The cockpit is divided into two zones, one for information that is necessary for the safe operation of the vehicle, and the other for communication-related information. Information the driver requires and the devices for controlling its display are optimally positioned.

The driving information zone is home to the meters, and also the Active Driving Display, which projects information as a virtual image on the combiner mounted vertically atop the meter hood. Vehicle speed and other important driving information that changes by the moment are displayed in real time where the driver can quickly confirm it and take any necessary action. The communication zone includes an independent seven-inch center display mounted at the top of the dashboard that displays information from the MZD Connect car connectivity system, as well as the commander control mounted on top of the floor console, which the driver can operate by touch alone without taking their eyes off the road.

Mazda's advanced MZD Connect car connectivity system

This car connectivity system makes it easier to take advantage of services that today's customers consider essential, including internet connectivity and access to social networking, even when in transit. Customers can connect their iOS or Android devices to MZD Connect via Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi, or USB and use them to access a variety of web content. A menu of the various available functions is displayed on the seven-inch center display, and the customer accesses these by operating the commander control on the floor console, or by using voice commands.