Jenkins told us the reason Nagare was phased out so quickly was that it didn’t fit the automaker’s new direction. For that new direction, Mazda wants to give its vehicles a more premium, upmarket feel. To do that for the Mazda6, the design had to have simpler and cleaner lines as well as the right proportions. With the new Skyactiv platforms, Jenkins and his team had the opportunity to be more focused on those proportions. Where Nagare was more cab-forward, Kodo is cab-rearward with a longer wheelbase and shorter overhangs.
“We’re spending a lot more time studying premium segments and more importantly what makes those cars so desirable,” Jenkins said. “It’s not that we want to compete with premium products; it’s more that we want to bring some of those values and those qualities into Mazda products at a good price.
“We’ve been studying this theme for the last three years, not just for this car, but for all of our future products. We started [Kodo] with the original Shinari concept car and it’s just been getting more and more refined…I think this is the best version of it so far. It works really well on the CX-5 and CX-9, but here it really kind of jelled and came together really well.”
The smiley face and sloped front end of previous models has been replaced with a new upright grille that visually lengthens the hood, while the grille’s chrome surround flows into the headlight giving it what Jenkins calls an “eagle eye” effect. A pronounced front diffuser visually plants the cars, making it look more stable according to Jenkins. These changes combine to give the 2014 Mazda6 a more aggressive look. The new Mazda6’s dash-to-axle ratio is longer than other midsize sedans, which gives it more of a rear-drive appearance.
Jenkins is pleased with the rear of the Mazda6. Where the current car is wide throughout, the new car has more of a taper at the top of the rear quarter-panel, which “really improves aerodynamics and, more importantly, gives the car [a] trapezoid stance; where it’s narrow at the top and wider at the bottom,” Jenkins tells us. Overall, the design gives the new 6 a fast cabin and short deck without giving up any cargo room.
Jenkins notes that the interior design is “somewhat conservative,” as the team focused on making the interior look slim and wide, while putting emphasis on the material quality and fit and finish rather than over-styling it. The interior detailing is a mix of soft-touch materials, brightwork, and piano-black finishes. Jenkins says stitching and perforation work were also major focuses. “Everything is done in a way that is very calm, simple, sophisticated and handsome.” When asked if there is a German influence on the interior, Jenkins acknowledged that the German brands have “set a standard for the industry and have had a profound influence on products at all price points
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