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Mazda "SASSOU" B-car Design Concept
to be Unveiled at 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show

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Mazda 'SASSOU' Concept Car



30th August, 2005


Mazda Motor Corporation will present an exciting Zoom-Zoom design concept at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show in September – the Mazda SASSOU (‘sa-so’) – a small, lightweight, three-door hatchback powered by a turbocharged, three-cylinder, 1.0-litre MZR DISI (Direct Injection Spark Ignition) petrol engine. Combined with evolved Zoom-Zoom design language and a unique interior concept, Mazda SASSOU is a look into the future at where Mazda might be heading with its B-car. It will share the stage with the Mazda MX-Crossport concept, Mazda 2 facelift, the high-performance Mazda 6 MPS and the recently launched Mazda 6 facelift.

Mazda SASSOU

Mazda’s latest show car is a lightweight, urban vehicle for young, first time car buyers that makes everyday city driving fun, highly practical, economical and aiming for clean emissions. A sleek, three-door hatchback, it employs evolved Zoom-Zoom exterior design language with youthful lightness and unique hidden features.

Designed at Mazda’s design centre in Frankfurt, Germany, Mazda SASSOU is the first design concept derived from a unique approach to show cars for Mazda Motor Corporation this year. Besides the Frankfurt Motor Show, the Tokyo Motor Show and the 2006 North American International Automobile Show will also feature a Mazda design concept created at each regional design centre.

The name “SASSOU” is a Japanese term that means having a positive state of mind, of looking ahead with optimism to the future. And with a lightweight, compact and stylish exterior, Mazda SASSOU certainly embodies this. It is an advanced interpretation of Mazda stylishness that employs the latest in aerodynamic techniques that visually hints at the agility and fun-to-drive attributes so typical of the brand. It mixes these with a unique use of exterior and interior materials and hidden features based on the “Shoji” principle. Shoji screens are thin Japanese doors made of ricepaper that allow you to see the outline of what is behind without seeing the details. The Mazda SASSOU concept has attributes that are hidden within the body and are suddenly revealed by an illumination system that makes the car seem to spring to life in a way that is appealing and surprising.

On the inside is a high-tech, interactive interior concept reflecting the lifestyle of young people. It uses a USB stick as a key and an interface port for programming the hard disc drive conceived for the concept. It also features a unique “morphing” back seating system that uses compressed air. This provides centre seating for one, side seating for two by changing the seat configuration. It also has "flat-fold” seating which offers storage practicality for carrying larger items.

Combined with aerodynamic techniques to lower drag, the Mazda SASSOU design concept indicates the potential of the Mazda B-car to meet strict European CO2 regulations in the future. Mounted with a three cylinder 1.0-litre DISI turbo petrol engine and idling stop feature that automatically shut down the engine to prevent idling, it is conceived as a lightweight, fuel-efficient, urban vehicle for young, first car buyers that can make city driving zoom-zoom, fun and highly practical.



Mazda 'SASSOU' Concept Car




Some previous Mazda articles:

2006 Mazda MX-5 RS

Mazda Starts Sales of All-New MX-5 in Japan
25th August, 2005
The embodiment of Mazda Motor Corporation's "Zoom-Zoom" brand message, the lightweight, two-seat, open-top Roadster sports car, went on sale today at Mazda dealers throughout Japan ..... more

2006 Mazda 6

Mazda 6: A Great Car Gets Even Better
11th August, 2005
Boasting a host of mechanical and cosmetic upgrades, including two new transmissions, the latest Mazda 6 builds on the class leading strengths ..... more

Mazda 6 MPS

Another Zoom-Zoom Month For Mazda
3rd August, 2005
Mazda Australia’s glowing sales records continued for yet another month as the company clocked up 5,325 retails, the most ever sold in a July ..... more

2005 Mazda 3 SP23

Mazda To Increase Production Of The 3
29th June, 2005
Mazda 3’s steady sales in overseas markets has prompted Mazda Motor Corporation to begin production of its award-winning compact at the Ujina Plant No.2 (U2) this week ..... more

2006 Mazda CX-7

The new Mazda CX-7
26th May, 2005
Mazda announced, overnight, that the vehicle shown as the MX-Crossport at January’s Detroit Motor Show, will formally move from concept to production vehicle. The new model will be named CX-7 ..... more

2006 Mazda MX-5

Mazda Starts Production of All-New MX-5
18th May, 2005
Production of the all-new Mazda MX-5 began yesterday in Japan ..... more



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