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Mazda

Seita Kanai, R&D director

"We’re going to aim at best tuning for the base suspension. In steering, electronic power steering will contribute more and will include active steering. Electric power assisted steering (EPAS) was a starting point and as time goes on, there will be more evolution towards active steering. Using EPAS you can achieve the same results as electronic torque vectoring.

"Mazda looked at four-wheel steering technology around 20 years ago, but the control technology was not sufficient then. It is a lower priority now. Our view is that more passive rear suspension toe control could work – the mechanical force adjusts the toe.

"We invented such a system back in the 1980s that used a linkage on the suspension. We’ve been refining it so it doesn’t just adjust to longitudinal load changes, but also vertical movements and lateral forces, but ideally toe change should be zero."

Mazda Motors Europe statement:

"Mazda aims to develop vehicles that look inviting, are fun to drive, and make you want to drive them again. Customers have various requirements for cars. If we try to pack them all into our products, the cost will simply escalate. We must understand exactly what they expect of our brand, so we can select the most efficient way to implement our resources.

"The structures and mechanisms of basic suspension systems are already quite advanced. We’ll keep reducing weight, friction and cost, but with the emergence of electric vehicles, we expect to see some new suspension mechanisms that include things like in-wheel motors.

"Apart from our sportscars, most of our range already uses electric power steering and we expect its use to spread. We plan to introduce various active control technologies to aid hazard avoidance. Torque vectoring will be among the technologies in future Mazda vehicles."

Seita Kanai,
R&D director,
Mazda