Mazda Activehicle Concept

Original name: マツダアクティビークルコンセプト

ACTIVEHICLE CONCEPT

A new-generation urban SUV embodying the Mazda brand personality

1. The ACTIVEHICLE CONCEPT's powerful, refined design makes a stylish statement both in the city and off road.

2. It offers class-leading interior cabin comfort and load capacity in the compact SUV class.

3. A Mazda-designed lightweight body and 3.0-liter V6 engine provide superb dynamic performance.

4. Four-wheel independent suspension with front struts and rear multilinks provide responsive handling and a solid driving feel.

5. The highly rigid safety body featuring“Mazda Advanced Impact-energy Distribution and Absorption System”is coupled with SRS side airbags and other advanced safety features to provide a world-class level of safety for SUVs.

6. A multimedia station broadens the possible uses and enjoyment of this unique SUV.

The SUV boom, which first began in the North American market in the 1980s, has spread around the world. Today this truck-based vehicle class has become a mainstay in the North American and Japanese markets, and is showing signs of maturity. The SUV is not just a tool for people who enjoy outdoor sports, but has become an expression of an active lifestyle. More and more, people are choosing SUVs as their daily means of transportation.

After the mid-1990s, a new type of SUV began to appear, which emphasized daily convenience rather than off-road performance. Today this diversification of SUVs is expanding even more quickly. The “ACTIVEHICLE CONCEPT”was created to meet the expectations of this new and growing market for a new-generation SUV that embodies the Mazda brand personality in every facet of the vehicle. While reflecting the changing demands of the SUV market, the three key words for the ACTIVEHICLE define the primary product attributes of all Mazda vehicles: “ Distinctive Design,”“ Exceptional Functionality,”and“ Responsive Handling and Performance.”

Distinctive design

The fusion of power and urban refinement The exterior blends the power of traditional SUV design with clean, refined urban styling-based on Mazda’s design theme of“Contrast in Harmony”-to create a design rich in originality. The powerful fenders in front and rear convey unbridled energy together with the strong bumper design which incorporates round fog lamps. At the same time, clean window graphics, a body structure with excellent build quality and an exterior color unified by a light green mica express the refinement of this next - generation urban SUV.

The front end features the Mazda family face highlighted by the fivepoint grille. Mazda’s originality also shines through in the characteristic rear window design, the functional headlamps, and rear combination lamps with transparent lens cover.

Funtional interior with enhanced quality

The interior design uses highly efficient packaging to provide a spacious interior, with emphasis placed both on functionality and the highest level of quality. Mazda designers paid special attention to color coordination. A calming beige tone serves as the base interior color and the light green seats express a casual but refined sense of openness. The instrument panel is designed with a true SUV feeling of functionality, with the audio system and the air conditioning control panel set in the upper section of the center panel, enhancing operating ease. The center console, the area around the instrument panel and the meter cluster are finished in dark green. The two large diameter gauges are highly visible and extend the theme with the use of dark green on the gauge faces.

Exceptional functionality

Cabin comfort, load capacity and convenience lead the compact SUV class Innovative and highly efficient packaging The ACTIVEHICLE Concept began with identifying the optimum body size for easy driving. Then, through the thoughtful application of innovative design concepts, Mazda created a highly efficient package that provides excellent cabin comfort, load-carrying capacity and convenience. In a departure from the design of many current SUVs, the ACTIVEHICLE utilizes exclusively designed floor panels and suspension, which enables a lower overall height while retaining excellent ground clearance. This enables the cabin floor to be set lower, providing both easy ingress and egress from the vehicle, and a large interior space. The front seats are set high in a “command position,”providing both a high eyepoint and easy access, and superior front and rear visibility. Until now, the comfort provided by the rear seats of many SUVs in this class has been noticeably deficient compared to the front seats. But thanks to unique and highly efficient packaging, ACTIVEHICLE has plenty of space for four 180cm-tall adults and all the cargo they need for a long trip. The available leg space in both the front and back seats is the widest of any SUV under 4.5 meters in length, with big shoulder space as well. The front and rear seats have been designed with high-class sedan quality, easing the fatigue of long drives. The rear seats are equipped with reclining mechanisms, and the front seat can be reclined back (when slid full forward) to connect with the rear seats, creating a nearflat space.

Flexible luggage space

At 920 mm, the cargo space is the longest in its class, even when carrying five passengers. By separately folding the cushion and 60/40 split seatback, the“Flip - folding”mechanism creates over 1.5-meter long luggage space which is enough room to carry a 26-inch class mountain bike. The spare tire is stored under the cargo board instead of mounted on the rear-gate, making opening and closing the rear gate easier. The rear gate also opens from the cargo space at floor level and employs a convenient flip-up glass hatch for stowing smaller items like groceries or a briefcase.

Multimedia station

The ACTIVEHICLE is fitted with an on board personal computer system that provides Internet and E-mail access, combined with a multimedia station that includes a DVD player, navigation system and television. As informatioon network is getting progressed, even to personal level, global communication via internet or E-maill gets very popular among customers. The multimedia station is designed for easier operation than today’s system with cellular telephone and notebook personal computer. A personal computer, stored in the console box, is connected to a portable digital telephone integrated into the dashboard, providing 24-hour access to the Internet for worldwide communication. The personal computer display is a large 12-inch“Multimedia monitor,”with a wireless keyboard . Set in the center of the instrument panel is a 7-inch liquid crystal display for the navigation system. Other multimedia functions such as DVD and television are displayed on the large LCD screen of“ Multimedia monitor.”

Responsive handling and performance

A powerful V6 engine, strong monocoque body and outstanding suspension The ACTIVEHICLE is powered by a 3.0-liter V6 DOHC, 24-valve engine. This engine delivers class leading performance for a compact SUV, with a maximum output of 200PS. It incorporates a tumble port induction system, which provides high torque at low speeds for excellent performance characteristics across the entire operating range.

A monocoque body, which is exclusively developed for the model, contributes to lightweight body at 1,570kg, giving the ACTIVEHICLE excellent fuel economy as well as top - level handling performance in SUV category.

The body is the latest evolution of Mazda’s highly rigid and safety body, “Mazda Advanced Impact-energy Distribution and Absorption System.” It incorporates crushable zones in the front and rear, together with Mazda’s hallmark Triple-H construction that provides protection in the event of side collisions and rollovers. The adoption of an impact absorbing front frame also contributes to providing passengers with excellent protection in a frontal collision.

The four-wheel independent suspension utilizes struts in the front and a multi-link suspension in the rear. The multi-link design, with strong trailing arms which are positioned by two transvers links, is designed exclusively for ACTIVEHICLE. This new multi-link suspension provides high level of balance between sufficient wheel stroke for off-road, the lateral and camber rigidity required for spirited on-road driving and excellent front-rear compliance.

This one of the most important technology to realize“Responsive Handling and Performance”as well as lightweight, highly rigid body structure and powerful V6 engine.

For excellent braking performance, the ACTIVEHICLE has ventilated front disc brakes and solid rear disc brakes. The four-wheel drive system uses a Rotary Blade Coupling (RBC) torque-on-demand system. Torque distributed to the front wheels is transmitted to the rear wheels only when a difference in front and rear wheel rotation is sensed. This contributes to excellent fuel economy during normal driving. Locking the RBC system results in direct 4WD with superb running performance off-road and in inclement weather conditions, expanding the ACTIVEHICLE’s driving range.

Advanced safety and environment considerations

The safe, ecological SUV The ACTIVEHICLE embodies Mazda’s focus on improved safety and concern for the environment. Passive safety measures, developed through the“Mazda Advanced Impact-energy Distribution and Absorption System,”are designed to protect the cabin area with crushable zones in all directions. Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) front airbags are provided for the driver and front seat passenger together with SRS side airbags with head protection function. The front seatbelts are equipped with pretensioners and load-limiters, while the rear seats have ALR mechanisms that enable them to be used with child seats, including ISO-FIX child seats. In addition to these passive safety features, Mazda engineers paid a great deal of attention to active safety features, the ability to avoid accidents before they occur. It includes the advanced suspension system and brake system with ABS and EBD* help provide a high degree of stability and accident-avoiding performance.

The ACTIVEHICLE is also environmentally-friendly, with emission levels meeting Japanese LEV standards. The use of a lightweight monocoque body helps the ACTIVEHICLE achieve excellent fuel economy. In the interior, recycled materials are extensively used and all plastic parts are marked to enhance the ease of recycling.

*EBD: Electronic Brake-force Distribution

Major specifications

Overall length: 4,480mm

Overall width: 1,890mm

Overall height: 1,800mm

Wheelbase: 2,620mm

Track (front/rear): 1,630mm／1,620mm

Curb weight: 1,570kg

Passengers: 5

Engine: 3.0-liter V6 DOHC 24-valve

Transmission: 4EC-AT

Suspension(front/rear): MacPherson strut／Multilink