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Responding to the Diversity of our Customers
Mazda is committed, through its development work, to seeing that many more people are able to use and enjoy
automobiles. We work at incorporating the viewpoints of women, people with special needs and other customers into
our development, in order to create products that meet the diverse needs of drivers.
Reflecting the views of women in development
Currently around half of all car users are women, and women's
opinions and instincts carry a significant amount of weight in
purchasing decisions. In order to respond to the diverse needs of our
customers, Mazda incorporates the views of women both in
development and product planning. This began with specific measures
in 2002.
In August of that year, the MPV Sports F was released. A minivan
developed from a woman point of view with the aim of being enjoyed
by every member of the family, the MPV Sports F came into being
with the assistance of the five-member Women's Development Project
Team, who worked on every stage right through from planning to
mass production. The Verisa, which was released for sale in June
2004, was another of the projects for which a Women's Development
Project Team was formed, and included as a result several new
developments such as a makeup mirror, and various other new
aspects that make the car easier to use.
Recognizing that the mini-van is most commonly used on a daily
basis by women, the Premacy (Mazda5), released in February 2005,
was planned, designed and test-driven by teams including women.
The opinions of these women were taken into consideration
throughout the entire process, from concept design to final evaluation.
These efforts resulted in a range of thoughtful details that make the
Premacy a truly easy-to-use car, such as a low step height, a wide
sliding door that allows a mother carrying a baby to easily get in and
out, a center walkthrough some 420 mm wide and free of projections
to catch on skirts or stockings, and a seat design that flexes to make it
easy even for short women to get in and out.
Premacy (Mazda5)
Agreement signed with Hiroshima University Graduate School of Engineering
for cooperative research into advanced automotive technologies
Verisa makeup mirror
Verisa
MPV Sports
Mazda has engaged in cooperative research with Hiroshima University for
many years in a variety of individual projects, including engine combustion
ergonomics. Now that Hiroshima University has been established as an
independent legal entity, marking a major change from its prior status as a
national university, Mazda signed a formal comprehensive research
agreement with it to advance the industry-academia cooperative project
more effectively and strategically, and make it possible to more fully
contribute to the development of local industry and progress in science
and technology.
Seven concrete research sectors have been defined for the first 3-year
term of the new agreement: chassis structural technology, control
technology, materials technology, new-generation energy, powertrains,
information technology, and ergonomics. In April 2005 the Cooperative
Research Committee was formed with members drawn from both
organizations, handling information exchange, formulation and
implementation of concrete measures, management and evaluation of
research progress, promotion of personnel exchange between industry
and academia, and management of intellectual property.
Social & Environmental Report 2005