Mazda3 is a special model that represents Mazda brand and it has deepened the bond with customers for a long time. While having various changes in the recent automotive industry that requires structural reforms, we have introduced this special model, Mazda3 to provide surprise and pleasure to all customers around the world as a model that marks a start of new generation products.

Goal of the new Mazda3 is to become "A car which is the envy of all the people". Instead of doing something special, we took on a challenge to raise the normal points as a car such as driving performance, quietness, craftsmanship, environmental performance, and design to the level that provides customers with deep emotion based on the intensive human study.

Natural driving sensation just like walking. Quietness created by controlling sound change that human ears detect and the way of the sound to be delivered. Audio system that allows people to fully enjoy every sound range clearly according to their taste. Exterior design that draws out strong individuality of each body type in hatchback and sedan.

We feel assured that the new Mazda3 filled with these attractive elements will be acknowledged as the car that makes everyday life of customers more colorful.

Mazda's design philosophy "KODO -Soul of Motion" introduced in 2010 has been manifested on all previous generation models, and now it opens a new chapter starting from the All-New Mazda3. For the next generation, "minimalism (less is more)", a Japan's unique aesthetic, is pursued. Based on the concept, extensive design expressions are applied as a next generation strategy. Mazda defines the characteristic of self-restrained dignity in Japanese as RIN for sedans, while alluring sensuality as EN and sportiness for fastbacks, representing the beginning of the new generation.

For the exterior, the conventional sharp character-lines are eliminated in line with the minimalism concept. Instead, a delicately modulated use of light that glides over the body makes the car look alive.

For the interior, comfortable space is created, which delivers a sense of oneness between a car and a driver.

Skyactiv-X is a gasoline engine developed in the second step of Mazda's quest for the ideal internal combustion engine which started with Skyactiv-G. The focus of the second step was to improve specific heat ratio to achieve higher thermal efficiency. In particular, Mazda delved into lean combustion and adopted compression ignition (CI) to realize it. In our efforts to make the CI feasible under various environmental conditions, we had a number of challenges to overcome.

One of the major challenges was to expand the CI operating range while fully controlling switchover between CI and spark ignition. The enabler for this complete control of CI and spark ignition is SPCCI (Spark Controlled Compression Ignition). In its commercialization process, SPCCI combustion technology had to be made usable in as many situations as possible in everyday usage, and therefore a number of new technologies were adopted for combustion control, thermal management and NV reduction. As a result, Skyactiv-X has increased torque by more than 10% compared to the current Skyactiv-G gasoline engine in the entire operating range, and the vehicle equipped with Skyactiv-X has improved fuel economy in NEDC by around 30% compared to the previous model.

The Skyactiv-X has made extra-high compression ratio possible compared with conventional gasoline fueled engines. Under a part-load condition, highly diluted/lean mixture combustion was realized with the assistance of compression ignition combustion, resulting in a great improvement in vehicle fuel economy. In the meantime, under a full-load condition, strong auto-ignition tends to occur with the employment of a higher compression ratio. The Skyactiv-X attained sufficient output torque, even with a high compression ratio, with the help of mild and stable auto-ignition combustion under a full-load condition.

The compression ignition combustion triggered by flame propagation, which occurred under both part-load and full-load conditions, has been named SPCCI (Spark Controlled Compression Ignition). In this article, we describe in detail how the SPCCI combustion has been realized.

We have been working on the thermal management technologies in the entire vehicle to realize the SPCCI (Spark Controlled Compression Ignition) combustion in Skyactiv-X mounted on the new Mazda3. With these thermal management technologies, we aim to realize the newly developed SPCCI combustion under any environmental conditions in which customers encounter. Drastic improvements in combustion efficiency of the engine itself decrease the thermal energy that can be used for warming up compared to the conventional engine. For this reason, we try to develop the technology to achieve the cylinder state quantity of the engine which is required for SPCCI combustion by using limited thermal energy efficiently.

We clarified the mechanism of thermal energy by conducting the analysis on a desk and the basic experiment to establish the above mentioned technology. As a result, we managed to realize the thermal management technologies which also contribute to improvements in NVH performance, aerodynamic performance and comfortableness in the cabin. This technology has increased frequency of SPCCI combustion under practical conditions and improved actual fuel efficiency.

In pursuit of an ideal internal combustion engine capable of significant reduction in CO₂ emission, Mazda developed the next generation gasoline engine, Skyactiv-X with improved thermal efficiency, thanks to the lean compression ignition.

To reduce combustion noise caused by the compression ignition, "combustion force", "piston-to-engine surface vibration transmission characteristics", "acoustic absorption and insulation characteristic of air vibration at the engine surface" were controlled optimally based on our understanding of the combustion noise mechanism and reduced the noise in the engine room to Skyactiv-G level, the flame propagation combustion engine with low heat release rate.

In pursuit of an ideal internal combustion engine capable of significantly reducing CO₂ emission, Mazda developed the next gasoline engine Skyactiv-X with lean compression ignition that improves thermal efficiency. Skyactiv-X needs to fully control auto ignition phenomena caused by chemical reactions of air-fuel mixture such as compression ignitions and knocking, and to realize the control, model-based developments using simulation technology is essential. Accordingly, Mazda improved the precision of the Mazda-developed-flow and spray simulation technology through phenomena elucidations by fundamental researches, and established a new combustion simulation technology considering elementary reactions. This simulation technology was also used to analyze knocking phenomena occurred at high loads and speeds to confirm the direction of the phenomena control.

Mazda announced its long-term vision for technology development "Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030" and launched a new initiative in helping solve a variety of issues facing the earth, society and people through driving pleasure. Under the vision, Mazda aims to reduce corporate average "well-to-wheel" carbon dioxide emissions to 50 percent of 2010 levels by 2030, and achieve a 90-percent reduction by 2050. To fulfill the vision, Mazda has developed a next generation engine "SKYACTIV-X", the world's first commercial gasoline engine to employ compression ignition. This engine, which was developed in the second step of Mazda's quest for the ideal internal combustion engine which started with SKYACTIV-G, has further increased compression ratio, improved specific heat ratio by means of lean burn, and realized spark controlled compression ignition (SPCCI). As a result, the SKYACTIV-X engine has increased the torque up to 10% overall and reduced fuel consumption over the current SKYACTIV-G, achieving the world's high-level fuel economy rate as the gasoline engine. This article introduces the engine's hardware aspects and others.

The SPCCI (Spark Controlled Compression Ignition) of Skyactiv-X poses a new challenge to the control system of the engine. To use the SPCCI combustion in the real world environment, we have developed a new control strategy and various devices. Here we introduce a basic control scheme of the SPCCI, hardware system and main control functions including the world's first mass-produced cylinder pressure sensor for automobiles and the application of the control.

Based on its long-term vision for technology development "Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030", Mazda has been promoting the "Building-Block Strategy". With the aim of cutting gross CO₂ emissions, we are working on a comprehensive improvement of base technologies, in a phased manner, to enhance powertrain efficiency and reduce vehicle weight in combination with the use of efficient electric technologies. As the electric technologies following Mazda's "i-stop" and "i-ELOOP", we adopted the regenerative braking system and M Hybrid battery anew to develop a new regenerative braking system "M Hybrid" with enhanced regenerative capability. We also adopted a belt-driven, Integrated Starter-Generator (hereinafter referred to as ISG), resulting in reducing fuel consumption and enhancing drivability. This article introduces the "M Hybrid" technology which has been introduced to the All-New Mazda3.

Mazda is driving its "Building-Block Strategy" to reduce CO₂ emissions and to enhance fuel economy. Based on the prediction that the internal combustion engine will remain the key power technology in the global car market, we will propel the strategy to balance optimal control technologies and efficient electrification technologies, as pursuing the ideal internal combustion engine.

In order to realize a human-centered electric technology while offering excellent environmental performance to all customers, All-New Mazda3 has introduced the newly developed "M Hybrid" technology. Regeneration of deceleration energy and motor assist contribute to elevate fuel efficiency. Quick restart and shift assist improve drivability as well. Furthermore, we have achieved the packaging contributing ideal weight distribution and low gravity center without sacrificing roominess. In this article, we introduce the core technology "M Hybrid"; M Hybrid battery, Integrated Starter-Generator (hereafter abbr. ISG), and DC/DC converter.

The All-New Mazda3 is Mazda's first production model to adopt next-generation structural technology called Skyactiv-Vehicle Architecture produced by pursuing Mazda's human-centered design philosophy. Advancing concepts of the basic structures such as 1) "Straight structure", 2) "Continuous structure", and 3) "multi load path" which had been adopted in previous models, Mazda developed a new body structure by introducing higher rigidity, and a new perspective on damping, which is to accumulate vibration energy.

This article introduces development activities for a light-weight and high-rigidity body structure, to achieve good handling and stability, ride comfort, and quietness based on human-centered design philosophy.

For the development of the All-New Mazda3's door system, we regarded "Quietness" as central performance and developed it. We realized the performance of the aim by three technical concept. We improved a step and the shape of a sash and the pillar garnish to control an air vortex to occur around a cabin. Furthermore, we developed outer handle of the new structure to zero air leak. We reduced a sound to come in from around door by losing a hole and the gap of the inner panel and sealpart. In the inner panel area, efforts to eliminate the "direct hole" and "transmission loss hole" have reduced transmission loss to less than half of the conventional level and improved sound insulation performance without increasing the total mass. Due to thorough efforts to eliminate the entire vehicle gap, compatibility with contradictory door closing performance is becoming a problem. By applying a door checker with improved performance, the door can be opened and closed smoothly and comfortably without sacrificing quietness.

In the process of developing the All-New Mazda3, we analyzed human behavioral principle to further enhance Jinba-Ittai driving pleasure (the sense that a driver and a vehicle become one just as the horse becomes a natural extension of the rider) and focused on human ability to maintain balance while walking in a normal way. We considered being able to maintain body balance while driving to be the way a vehicle was supposed to be if we were to provide a sense of oneness between the driver and the vehicle. With an eye toward replicating the body balance in walking, we fundamentally reviewed functions of tire, suspension, car body and seat, and eventually developed a new technology for vehicle structure called Skyactiv-Vehicle Architecture. As a result, the All-New Mazda3 has achieved a driving dynamics which allows a driver to handle the vehicle without having a feeling of discomfort and also drive long hours without a feeling of fatigue, thereby leading to enhanced Jinba-Ittai driving performance and quality.

We would like occupants to enjoy relieved and fulfilling drive with recognition of exterior noise even when they are in a quite space. In the new Mazda3, we explored the mechanism how human beings sense sound, and realized the NV performance that is appropriate to the next generation vehicles by pursuing not only just "quietness", but also "high-quality quietness".

Based on the concept that sound direction and settlement as well as loudness are important elements for sound recognition, we set a new development index and target regarding temporal alteration in addition to the current loudness and sound direction. We established concepts of sound source, vibration transmission and air transmission to control them and using of New Construction and material to achieve the target, and realized "high-quality quietness" in cooperation with the related departments.

Development of the All-New Mazda3 was carried out aiming at performing air flow energy management for the vehicle as a whole in a state close to the actual driving environment and achieving both Aerodynamic drag reduction and thermal management at efficiency, as part of the technologies for cutting CO₂ emissions. To achieve this, an air guiding structure was set up to cool the radiator efficiently using the wind passing through the front grill, which eventually reduced the amount of leaking wind to the utmost limit. Then, an Active Air Shutter was placed over the entire surface of the radiator, and the shutter opening degree was controlled in six steps so as to control temperatures of the parts in the engine room as well as the loss of air flow energy, with a minimum amount of air flow for each driving scene. In addition, an elaborately crafted structure designed to discharge the wind used for cooling with the least amount of energy loss was applied, which contributed to reducing the air resistance coefficient and CO₂ emissions at the class top level.

Mazda released New Mazda3 as a first one of the new generation products. Mazda intends to brighten people's lives through car ownership. In order to do this, Mazda has planned Jimba-Ittai and coexistence with the environmental performance by reconsidering a vehicle dynamics based on human function. In the brake system, the performance target had been established so that physical value are conformed to human feeling like a deceleration or a pedal force. And then, parts properties were reexamined to achieve the performance target. The brake system of New Mazda3 had been realized that it makes easy to apply and/or release to desired deceleration smoothly in every situations, easy to control in traffic jam or at a parking lot, and gentle to passengers. The Regenerative-Friction Brake Coordination System has been adopted to M Hybrid model in order to achieve the same performance and natural feeing as normal model.

Aiming at safe and secure cars and society, Mazda is striving to realize "excellent environmental and safety vehicle performance" and "driving pleasure". For crash safety, Mazda uses MBD (Model Based Development) in vehicle structure development to achieve the two conflicting properties that are light weight and safety performance at a high level. In vehicle body development featured by Skyactiv-Vehicle Architecture, a new body structure was developed by using high-accuracy CAE Technology, which is an evolution of a multi-load path structure that efficiently disperses collision loads.

All-New Mazda3 aims to achieve higher level crash safety performance while meeting each market's safety regulations. The car aims to get the world-top rating in the New Car Assessment Program(NCAP) and securely protect vehicle occupants and pedestrians at an accident based on human studies and analyses on various accidents/injuries occurred in the markets.

With a definition of an ideal acoustic performance for Mazda, the speaker unit and its layout are redesigned for the All-New Mazda3 by allocating functions with a consideration on productivity. We visualized the sound field characteristics in the car by CAE technology and found the optimal placement of the speaker units to pursue the ideal acoustic performance. The All-New Mazda3 has achieves the appropriate sound as the leading model of new generation products with the sound system based on the placement of a 3 liters bass reflex type woofer in the cowl side and the placement of squawker and tweeter on the top of the door. This paper introduces the main features of the All-New Mazda3's sound system and its technology.

According to the evolution of radio communication technology, "connect" to outside of car is as basic function as "run", "turn" and "stop". Broadcast reception system like AM/FM radio and DTV will be indispensable equipment to the occupant in the car for getting entertainment and traffic information in the future. Many sedan cars are equipped rear glass antenna for broadcast reception. But many of hatchback cars are equipped roof antenna like shark fin antenna because of difficulties of showing reception performance and noise suppression. It limits designing appearance. We have tackled to develop glass antenna for hatchback car to maximize appearance design that is Mazda's strong point. As a result, we have successfully developed new generation rear glass antenna which is applicable to hatchback car's antenna and which supports FM diversity reception and DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) reception by finding new pattern technique and lay-out requirements and introduced it to All-New Mazda3.

"Mazda Proactive Safety" is Mazda's safety philosophy to support the driver's perception, judgment and operation, and minimize the risk of an accident. Mazda aims to make a driver be able to avoid potential hazards instead of taking an action after being in a critical condition. Based on this philosophy, "i-Activsense", an advanced safety technology, which supports the driver's safety by alerting him/her and minimizes damage from the accident was introduced to the market in 2012, and has been continuing to evolve.

To support the driver's perception, judgment and operation, we need the safety technology to help the driver to avoid the risk by detecting the driver's dangerous condition/behavior. We adopted a new technology, "Driver Monitoring" to the All-New Mazda3, which detects the driver's condition and the driver's behavior by the adoption of new camera technology which can capture the driver's face expression and gaze direction. This article describes this new technology.

With the ever-increasing speed of mobile data communications and the advancement of communications technologies, the demand for "Connected Car", a vehicle that is connected to the network and creates new services and functions, has been increasing. Under such circumstances, Mazda is taking a human-centered approach aiming at developing connectivity technologies that will create Mazda-unique values to offer "joy of life" to all customers. The Mazda Connect, the core system of such connectivity technologies, is continuously creating customer values through evolution of human-machine interface, introduction of In-Vehicle Digital Owner's Manual, improvements in navigation functions, support in Connected Service, and the like. This article describes in detail the points of evolution in the new Mazda Connect.

The new generation vehicles beginning in all-new Mazda3 have evolved "driving pleasure" in all fields. Our mission in the development of the new Mazda3 is to pursue better "jinba-ittai" (Oneness between horse and rider) based on an idea of "Human Oriented" as a new generation lead-off batter. To realize a car that provides predictable and responsive handling under any environments, the visibility performance to allow the driver to see what should be seen when he/she wants to see without stress is very important. What is required for wiper development, we believe, is that the same level of safety and ease as the one under the fine weather is provided. Therefore we reconsidered the basic functions of the wiper, and re-set a target based on principles. We worked on functional evolution mainly for wiper motor control and solved many problems of the wiper by controlling speed and position in the new Mazda3. This report introduces a concept of functional evolution, an adopted technologies, and activities we engaged in to realize the ideal car.

We continue to evolve to further enhance customer relief, safety and comfort. To support this evolution, realization of complicated processing to connect the entire vehicle is required as well as substantial addition of functionalities for vehicle control.

We developed a new vehicle control system integrating information/processing required for vehicle control into ECU (Electric Control Unit) for further vehicle evolution in All-New Mazda3. We will report on this integration of the vehicle functions and vehicle electronic control system.

Car companies are required to execute extensive technology development with non-automotive industries such as IT companies, to meet drastic change of customers use and demand value, as typified by Autonomous driving and Car-sharing service. In this situation, to sustain as small-scale car company, Mazda is required high-added value and niche product based on brand building strategy. In the production engineering area, we, to improve "Business Efficiency = Value / Cost" (E=V/C), are addressing to achieve "Mass Craftsmanship" production system pursuing concurrent evolution of functional & emotional value. We would like to introduce "Mass Craftsmanship" concept and approach in this report.

Under the universal theme of "Provide a life to a vehicle, "KODO" design which makes the vitality and dynamics a form pursues the simple form which scraped off the elements by the "Aesthetics of deduction" in the next generation design and further seeking for the expression of the well-honed sensitive light. The deepening of that design cannot be achieved without an advancement of the production engineering to realize mass production with "KODO" design. Stamping die machining needs to improve the machining accuracy more in order to form that sensitive next generation design form. This article introduces the efforts to achieve the improvement of the die machining accuracy under the temperature environment around the die press machines which largely influences the die machining accuracy by using the air current simulation with minimum energy.

Mazda is committed to developing and manufacturing vehicles with its whole heart. Mazda designers' aspiration appears everywhere throughout the "KODO Design - Breathing Life into the Car". We believe that even reproducing such aspiration is important for establishing Mazda brand. Mazda's Tool & Die Production Department is aggressively proceeding with "Mass Craftsmanship" which is essential in realizing the "KODO Design". By measuring the motions of craftsmen, which had been cultivated over the years, with a motion capture system and analyzing them along with their eye movements and musculoskeletal motions, we worked on visualization of the know-how of craftsmen. Furthermore, we implemented quantitative comparisons with skill medical record and proceed to develop craftsmen early. This article introduces new efforts to pass down the skills and techniques to sustain the "KODO Design" by Tool & Die Production Department.

Aiming to give a life to vehicles with the simple form and the sensitive light expression, Mazda is deepening the "Kodo – Soul of Motion" design. We, in charge of production engineering, have worked on the realization of the "continuous look" of adjacent parts in the vehicle exterior as if they are one-piece surface part, to achieve "Kodo" that we can feel from the smoothly connected surface flow in the mass production vehicles. In this paper, we introduce a production process design which accurately realizes the design intention, and a new process in the bumper resin molding.

Under its consistent "Human-centered Monotsukuri" philosophy, Mazda pursues a sense of oneness between the driver's intention and the vehicle's behavior, the sense that a driver and a vehicle become one as if the vehicle were a natural extension of the driver. Driving performance that ensures safety, a sense of comfort and handling just as wanted, which is realized by this sense of oneness, is what Mazda aims at "Jinba-Ittai". In order to realize this, we worked on a project in which we defined vehicle motion characteristics matched with human characteristics and then designed vehicle structures and production processes so that these vehicle motion characteristics could be realized accurately in the form of a product in the final assembly phase. In the current status we guarantee the wheel alignment in the empty condition by the All-Wheel Dynamic Alignment Tester. Additionally, in order to control the movement of rolling tires, as intended, which is directly linked to the vehicle motion characteristics, we focused on the variation of wheel alignment with respect to the change in vehicle height (hereinafter referred to as Dynamic Wheel Alignment). This article introduces the efforts made in the process of building the quality in Dynamic Wheel Alignment in preparation for mass production of the All-New Mazda3.

For All-New Mazda3, tire position is designed wider to express "Sense of unity" and "Strong holdout feeling" to evolve "Kodo design", by changing structure of rear tire arch from L-shape flange that are angled at 90 degree to hemming that are angled at 180 degree.

For hemming structure, it is necessary to secure both anti-rust performance for the area unable to confirm visually, and clearance to tire. In this report, we would like to introduce the development of accurate sealer application and all units inspection system of hemming sealer introduced to Japan, Mexico, Thailand, and China plants.

In order to realize the vehicle which balances driving feeling with "Jinba Ittai" as if driving the car is part of driver's hand and foot, we have challenged to realize weight saving and high strength of the body. There is material replacing method in CFRP and aluminum etc. to realize body weight saving. However, we have stuck to technology development of cold-stamping with high-strength steel to realize both lighter body and high strength at same time for customers to purchase the vehicles easily. We have worked on development of press method, shape fixability, and an adjustment of shearing workability to response to changes of material characteristics by formability, dimensional accuracy, and shearing workability according to realize high tensile of sheet metal. As a result of this, mass production of cold-pressed parts with 1310MPa class high-strength steel (hereinafter called 1310MPa sheet metal) for body structure was the first successful in the world. For weldability of body assembly, we used to secure optimal current range by optimizing the patterns of welding conditions before. In addition to this, the target welding strength was feasible by an adjustment of welding pressure and heat amount control base on this for 1310MPa sheet metal. This article introduces vehicle body manufacturing development to realize "Jinba Ittai".

Mazda is pursuing "Kodo design" which expresses the dynamic beauty with full of vitality. In order to deliver this beautiful design to customers, it is required to improve fitting accuracy of closure panel assembly such as a door or a bonnet and secure their long-time stability. In vehicle assembly area, the closure panel assembly processes are consisted of automatic assembly by the robot and fitting adjustment by the operator. As efforts for automatic technology, "Mass Craftsmanship" which balances the manufacturing ("Rarity/Deep emotion") by skills and high productivity ("High speed/High accuracy"), we have challenged to improve fitting accuracy of the door in the automatic assembly process drastically. For improvements of the assembly/fitting accuracy, we needed to clarify the mechanisms of occurrence of variations and took countermeasures to address structural issues. After introduction of the countermeasures, the automatic assembly operation has been kept same fitting accuracy as provided by the operator. This article introduces the factors that caused occurrence of variations and their countermeasures.

Machining time for the engine parts tends to increase by realizing high functionality of the products in next generation. In order to implement machining with higher efficiency while assuring machining quality, it is necessary to confirm the cutting condition during machining and control cutting conditions properly according to cutting force.

In order to realize this, the following technologies are necessary. 1. "Cutting force sensing technology" to measure net cutting force with high accuracy, 2. "Cutting force determination method" by ensuring consistency between actual cutting force with #1 technology and CAE, and expect the target value of cutting force as the maximum cutting efficiency by CAE. 3. Based on these technologies, for the changes by wear of cutting tool and hardness of work material, we developed "Adaptive control technology" to control cutting conditions to realize the maximum cutting efficiency. This article introduces the efforts of these technologies.

In order to realize the brand essence "Celebrate Driving", we are engaged in "Weight Reduction" as a critical theme in cylinder head casting area. However, if we easily pursue to reduce thickness for the weight reduction, the limit of the product function will be reached. Thus, the verification technology of function limit at each part with high accuracy is necessary. For that, we assumed that, in addition to several stresses which occur in driving, the residual stress distribution which remains in the product at manufacturing is the crucial factor. So, we developed the residual stress verification technology and structured the product development process that the residual stress distribution is coupled to the function verification at R&D Division.

This time, the cylinder head of All-New Mazda3 has been model-base-developed by this technology and we realized to reduce thickness and weight as the industry top level while keeping product functions. This article introduces the approach of the technology.

For the procedure of the NA Roadster Restore Service, the customer makes an application through the website, and we pre-check the vehicle at the nearest dealership of the customer, and work on the vehicle at the workshop of Mazda E&T located in the Ujina Plant, Hiroshima. The entire process starts with the reception inspection, and we disassemble, paint and assemble the vehicle, conduct the completion inspection and finally obtain the TUV (TUV Rheinland) certification. We not only restore the vehicle, but also present the customer a photo book which consists of the inspection records before and after disassembly, some photos as well as the customer's memory with Roadster and information on the birth of Roadster. We have also studied the supply of some reproduction parts together with the restoration service, and so far reproduced 170 types of parts. By providing the restoration and parts supply services, we establish the environment where the customers can continue driving their Roadster that they love for a long period of time, and contribute to the automotive culture in which old vehicles are cherished and respected.

The previously developed bioengineering plastic achieved high "environmental performance", "marketability" and "economic efficiency", which has been applied to the interior/exterior design parts of all Mazda vehicles on the Japanese market. This time, a new technology focusing on the "marketability" was developed: two-layered surface-molding composed of bio-engineering transparent plastic placed on the top and pattern-engraved resin at the base generates a rich color, delicate shades/shadows and exquisite appearance, realizing a novel design unachievable by conventional technologies.

The new technology controls the resin part performance utilizing three factors including "material", "structure" and "method", and succeeds in a balance-taking between "surface design", "surface durability", "mechanical property" and "productivity" required for car interior design parts.

The new technology is applied to the shift panel and cup-holder lid panel of the All-New Mazda3. We will continue to work on new technology development to further enhance all the "environmental performance", "marketability" and "economic efficiency".

When driving a car, if vehicle's responses /behaviors match driver's vehicle motion image, the driver feels a sense of achievement and exaltation, which activates the driver's brain and vitalizes him/her. Mazda's human-centered vehicle development focuses on slowing down the aging of human body including the brain. The status that driver's intended vehicle motion matches vehicle responses and behaviors is defined as an ideal status that gives a sense of achievement to the driver. MBD is used as a means to achieve design specifications to realize the ideal status with the highest production efficiency.

For the human-centered vehicle development, a causal relationship between the design specifications and driving operations needs to be clarified. For example, to open/close a vehicle door and operate switches, the driver uses not only his/her upper arm but also upper body or even full body. Therefore, the exhaustive quantifications of human's motor behaviors are necessary. As a preliminary step, we developed measuring and analysis technologies to exhaustively quantify the changes in driving position. This paper introduces the result of the observations of the nature of human's motor behaviors, which obtained by using the technologies.

G-Vectoring Control Plus developed for mass production integrates longitudinal acceleration control and direct yaw moment control based on lateral jerk information. The integrated-control-system uses engine torque control and brake unit, improving smoothness in transition between yaw, roll and pitch attitudes of a vehicle at turning. This stabilizes driver's steering operations and enhances vehicle's limit handling performance.

With a combustion concept realized by super-low compression ratios and high-efficiency boosting, the Skyactiv-D 2.2 and Skyactiv-D 1.5 delivered powerful and extensive acceleration and class-top level fuel economy to a wide range of users, as well as clean emissions that meet the latest emission regulations without using NOx after-treatment systems. Aiming to enhance this value in everyday usages, Mazda newly developed Skyactiv-D 1.8 that achieved both driving pleasure and environmental performance at a higher level, and installed it in the All-New Mazda CX-3. This paper introduces the development concept of the new engine and newly adopted technologies.

Mazda's development of vehicle dynamic performance has been consistently performed with "Jimba Ittai" concept, defined as "oneness feel between car and driver" and "vehicle moves as driver intends". Mazda accumulated researches for the realization of the concept, and the outcomes have been incorporated in production vehicles.

For Mazda's next generation cars starting with All-New Mazda3, aiming to achieve a vehicle that moves as a part of the driver's body, linear vehicle behaviors matching human basic behavioral characteristics without delay and noise is targeted, so that vehicle dynamic behaviors are synchronized with human's natural behaviors. This paper introduces the new driving force control system for the realization of the "Jimba Ittai" concept.

We established a seamless development process (from system design to harness design without the division of the department) and the electric circuit model for one vehicle with an eye to putting it into practical applications for the electric system. This article introduces the efforts we made in applying this development process to the mass-produced models, which started with new generation vehicles, and future prospects.

Information transmission sounds, which include the sounds for urging attention from vehicle to user and users' operations for the vehicle functions, represent one of a cognitive interface of Cockpit Human-Machine Interface (HMI).

The drivers perceive and recognize a great deal of information through their five senses while driving, and perform the tasks linking to driving operations repeatedly while making judgments in a comprehensive manner. Mazda has been undertaking the development of Cockpit HMI under the philosophy of "Driving safety is the top priority". With the evolution of Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) and infotainment system, the amount of information conveyed to the drivers goes on increasing. Under such circumstances, we are engaged in human characteristics study and technology development while keeping this philosophy. In cooperation with the visual information such as warning wording displayed on the meter, information transmission sounds of the All-New Mazda3 have contributed to the evolution of cockpit HMI by creating a sound that specifies the control factor that effectively performs the function of auditory stimulation.

Knocking occurred by auto-ignition is the major issue of high compression ratio engines, and water addition has been proposed for its suppression. In this report, the effects of water addition on auto-ignition and combustion compared with EGR gas addition which is a general method for the suppression of knocking were investigated using a computer-aided engineering method based on detailed chemical kinetics. As the results, "water addition has smaller inhibiting effect on low temperature oxidization than EGR gas addition." and "water addition has an activating effect on high temperature oxidization unlike EGR gas addition" are cleared. These differences were caused by the difference in the OH radical production and consumption process.

Aiming at a lightweight and high-performance vehicle body structure, Mazda uses Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) technology. However, as the MDO handles only quantitatively analyzable performances in simulations, designers are unable to make decisions on vehicle body specifications only by result of MDO. As a countermeasure, a contribution and visualization analysis method was developed, which expresses the relation between vehicle performance and design variables by polynomial regression models, and quantifies the contribution of design variables to the vehicle performance as a mass efficiency. The "visualization analysis", a feature of this method, prompts designers to conceive structural ideas, supporting their making judgments/decisions. Application of this method to product development allowed the quantitative visualization of the trade-off relations between vehicle performances, and contributed to the efficiency of the development process, weight reduction and improvement of the vehicle performance.

Advancement of automobile technologies is essential to support customers' enriched car life. To bring this into reality, it is necessary to develop more reliable and high-performance materials which make up each of the car components and are backcasted from car functions. If innovative materials are to be created both continuously and efficiently, it is required to unravel the mechanism of functional expression based on atomic- and molecular-level behavior and implement model-based research, which goes as far as taking into account material and component properties, by combining the unraveled mechanism with model representation. As the atomic- and molecular-level unraveling of behavior requires powerful analysis methods that cannot be viable with existing laboratory equipment, we developed an analysis technique using synchrotron radiation so as to cope with a wide range of materials. In this article, we introduce the three synchrotron radiation experiments conducted to boost the function of materials: nanoparticle dispersion resin composite material by SAXS (Small Angle X-ray Scattering) method; rubber material by XAS (X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy) method; and laminated thin films by HAXPES (Hard X-ray Photoemission Spectroscopy) method.

Aiming at weight reduction, ride comfort and less road noise, damping control structures (damping stiffener and damping weld-bonding) and structural adhesive with high damping property applied for body frames have been newly developed. From the result of basic verification of test frame using this structure, it has confirmed that vibration of test frame decreased in effect of improvement of not only stiffness but damping. In addition, from the result of verification using car body and test car, it has confirmed that vibration of body decreased, and that road noise decreased up to 5 dB at driver position during driving at 100 km/h.