Mazda Vision X-Coupe and X-Compact -- Future Preview?

Mazda has hauled the wraps off two concept cars, called the Vision X-Coupe Concept and Vision X-Compact Concept. Appearing at the Japan Mobility Show, they are a pair of studies which could point the company compass to a future design direction.

Eager and fresh-faced marketing folk at Mazda are keen to note the ‘X’ in these names is pronounced as ‘cross’, though history tells us the general public will end up calling it whatever it wishes. Vision Ex, Vision Cross, or maybe even Vision Ten? We shall see.

Mystifying naming conventions aside, these Vision concepts have a style whose face is broadly familiar but at the same time slightly futuristic. It’s as if Mazda has dropped us into the not-too-distant future for a preview of what’s in its product hopper - which is probably a bit more accurate than the company would care to admit.

Unusually for a concept car, Mazda is listing exact dimensions for both the Coupe and Compact. The former stretches just a hair under 200 inches from bumper to bumper, putting it a good foot longer than the slinky Lexus LC 500 and in league with cars like the Bentley Continental GT, though the latter would not be a direct competitor no matter how much Mazda would like to think it the case.

Meanwhile, the Compact truly lives up to its name with a 150.6-inch length or about the same as a Mini Cooper. For reasons this author cannot comprehensively convey, the Compact concept puts him in mind of a Mazda 323 hatchback from the early ‘90s, with an enormous glass greenhouse and funky hatchback shape.

Also unexpected are some powertrain details. Mazda says the Vision X-Coupe concept is powered by a plug-in hybrid system which integrates a two-rotor rotary turbo engine (yes!) with a motor and battery. Horsepower is estimated at around 500 ponies. All-electric range of about 100 miles, on to an estimated 500-mile total range when using both the batteries and internal combustion engine.