No show is more famed for the quantity and variety of its concept cars than Geneva, so Mazda will be very pleased to have won the ‘Concept Car of the Year’ award.
Particularly as the car that took the accolade, the Mazda Vision Coupé, was not actually making its debut at the show, having first been unveiled at the Tokyo event back in November 2017.
The Mazda Vision Coupé, which the company says represents the next phase for its ‘Kodo – Soul of Motion’ design language, was also awarded the title of ‘Most Beautiful Concept Car of the Year’ at the 2018 Festival Automobile International held in Paris in February.
Learned judging panel
Adding weight to the Geneva accolade is the fact that the panel of 18 judges included several individuals who currently serve as design directors at global automakers.
Mazda describes the styling of the Vision Coupé as pursuing an essentially Japanese aesthetic. “The concept’s flowing and deceptively simple “one motion” form speaks of elegance and quality,” a spokesman said. And while the car itself is unlikely to be seen in a showroom in its present form, many elements of it – in particular the exterior design – will progress to future Mazda production models.
Commenting on the award, Mazda design and brand styling head Ikuo Maeda said that Mazda is delighted to win it so soon after the Paris accolade. “It’s truly an honour to have this model, which aims to express the essence of Japanese aesthetics, applauded by some of the world’s top car designers,” he said.
“The essence of this design concept will be evident in the next generation of Mazda cars, the first of which is due to be launched in 2019,” Maeda added.
