At the Tokyo car show today, the Mazda Vision X-Compact concept car made its debut. The length of this Vision concept is only 150.6 inches, which is a lot shorter than the standard Mazda 3 hatchback. Mazda says this beautiful five-door model is a preview of a future where its cars will have artificial intelligence (AI) systems that can form deep emotional connections with their owners. Adorable. Cute. All of these words can describe small actions that can make people act aggressively, such as squeezing the object of interest repeatedly. Today, Mazda’s newest small concept car, called “cute aggression,” made its appearance at the Tokyo car show. We are very impressed with it. But we will be careful not to pinch, crush, or squeeze the so-called Vision X-Compact that is being shown. Before you get too excited and think that this cute little five-door car is a sneak peek at the next Mazda 3 hatchback, remember that it is just a design idea. But as we learn more about how it was made, we start to like it more. Mazda says the “X” should be spelled “Cross.” The Vision X-Compact has a stance that seems mean, a sleek body, and paint that resembles a variation of the brand’s famous Soul Red. Its aerodynamic shape is like the rollers on the Cadillac Celestiq, and its big wheels fill up the arcs around them. Mazda says the concept’s axle space is 99 inches, which is eight inches less than a Mazda 3 hatchback’s. Also, the Vision X-Compact is much shorter than the 3—by more than a foot from stem to stern (150.6 inches). The concept’s face doesn’t have a grille; instead, it has a full panel, which may be a nod to Tesla. The sharply cut headlight housings, on the other hand, feature unique daytime running lights that span where the outer edge of a grille would be, and the Mazda logo stays on the nose. Mazda’s interior designers didn’t use too many digital screens, which is a good thing. A delicate steering wheel surrounds a single unit. On two of its three spokes, there are interesting controls that look like a mix of a sliding and spinning knob. To the right of the circular center gauge, a smartphone resembling the Slate pickup truck can be placed. This will likely be the entertainment system. The Vision X-Compact design features a large glass roof that lets in a lot of light and panels inside that match the exterior color. Mazda didn’t show off the engine, but the presence of a standard shift lever in the center console is a good sign. Mazda has really thought outside the box with this idea, even though we know the Vision X-Compact will never be in our garage. The automaker says the automotive industry’s main goal is to create a future where drivers can connect more deeply with their cars. What does it plan to do to make this happen? Robotics and AI will be very important to most businesses in the future. Mazda, on the other hand, thinks that the technology will become personal, more like a digital friend than a computer. In addition to real conversations, it will be able to tell how someone is feeling and do things like play music to make them feel better. Some other skills are telling people where to go and knowing when to be quiet. Mazda says this isn’t science fiction but rather about the future.
