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Mazda CX-5 in auto-brake accident on Japanese test drive

As we slowly march towards a world where our cars will drive for us, there will be mishaps. Systems will act up, not behave has intended or we'll simply forget to turn them on. We all remember when Volvo tested the S60's City Safety system. Now Mazda has had an issue of its own.
During a test of a Mazda CX-5's Smart City Brake Support on a dealership lot in Japan, a prospective customer and a dealership employee were injured when they hit a urethane barrier used for testing the system. According to Bloomberg, which spoke with the Saitama Prefectural Police, the impact with the barrier left the customer with an injured neck while the dealership employee suffered a fractured arm. Considering the injuries, we imagine this wasn't a small barrier.
"For any safety function, it's impossible to be 100-percent free of accidents. These technical functions aren't always the easiest to understand," IHS Automotive auto parts analyst, Hiroshi Ataka told Bloomberg.

Editors' Picks March 2024: Refreshed Acura TLX, the Mazda CX-90 and more

This month, a wide variety of body styles and powertrain propositions earn Editors' Picks status. The brand-new Mazda CX-90 has impressed us in many forms, but that comes as no surprise. The Tonale from Alfa may not be a super-hot performance SUV like the Stelvio Quadrifoglio, but it's still captured our love. And for those wishing to remain lower to the ground, the V60/V60 Cross Country bring style to the limited pie that is the wagon market. Lastly, Acura updates its TLX, and the package only gets better. In case you missed previous Editors' Picks posts, here’s a quick refresher on whatÂ’s going on here. We rate all the new cars we drive with a 1-10 score. Cars that are exemplary in their respective segments get an EditorsÂ’ Pick designation. Those are the ones weÂ’d recommend to our friends, family and anybody whoÂ’s curious and asks the question. You'll find the entire list of Editors' Picks at this link here, which we keep updated as cars are either added or dropped from the list. The vehicles youÂ’ll find below consist of every car we rated in March that earned an EditorsÂ’ Pick. 2024 Mazda CX-90 2024 Mazda CX-90 PHEV Premium Plus View 70 Photos Quick take: The driver's three-row SUV. Enthusiasts who need space should seek out the CX-90. It translates Mazda's enthusiast DNA into a people hauler. Score: 8 What it competes with: Honda Pilot, Kia Telluride, Jeep Grand Cherokee L, Chevy Traverse, Subaru Ascent, Ford Explorer, Toyota Highlander, Mazda CX-9, Kia Sorento, Buick Enclave, Nissan Pathfinder, VW Atlas Pros: Lovely to drive inline-six; premium interior; will make you forget you're driving a family hauler Cons: Limited third-row and cargo space for the segment; PHEV is rough around the edges From the editors: News Editor Joel Stocksdale — "With excellent driving dynamics, classy interiors, strong powertrains and good value, the CX-90 should be high on anyone's shopping list, whether they're looking at mainstream or upscale brands. It's a strong competitor in a big field. The available interiors put it on par with some real upscale brands. It's not perfect, but it's very good, and it's a good sign for future Mazdas." Road Test Editor Zac Palmer — "There's little doubt that the CX-90 is the affordable three-row SUV for enthusiasts, and I think the inline-six is likely your best bet.

Mazda Vision Coupe | Tokyo Motor Show's big, sensuous 4-door

Mazda has been making a lot of noise recently about not giving up on the rotary engine. Enough that we started to think it might show a new epitrochoid-engined concept at this year's Tokyo Motor Show. But the brand is nothing if not surprising. Have you driven a CX-5 or a CX-9? Have you noted the real-world fuel economy in a Mazda3? Have you looked at a Miata RF? So instead of trotting out the latest in Wankel weirdness, today in its home market, the Mazda folks pulled the silk off of a stunning full-size four-door design concept, the somewhat inaptly named Vision Coupe. Known mainly for sporty and affordable small(ish) vehicles, Mazda hasn't really had an entry in this category since ... ever. Well, save for the staid and short-lived 929 of the '90s (and the rotary-powered, 7/8-scale Olds Cutlass, JDM-only Roadpacer of the '70s.) As customers flock to crossovers, it's not exactly a category brimming with vitality, at least in the American market — sales of the existing Mazda 6 are down in the States by nearly 25 percent this year, double the market average for cars. And this thing is bigger than that. But the decision is intentional and strategic in Mazda's mission to head upscale and focus on clean design — differentiators from its mass-market Japanese peers. "A big sedan has always been the symbol of a brand going premium. It's the icon of a brand," says Julien Montousse, Mazda North America's director of design. "It tells that Mazda is becoming serious in reaching that goal." Breaking even more conventions, while Mazdas generally are cohesive and well-rendered in their design, you would be hard-pressed to find one quite this sensuous. The Vision Coupe looks like an Aston Martin Rapide that has been placed in a sauna until its body-mass index has whittled down to marathoner levels, and then scalloped and stripped of any unnecessary ornamentation, save for a kind of fingerprinted whorl in its side cove. It is elemental, at once planar and burnished, with the lovely long-hood/short-deck proportions of a classic front-engine, rear-wheel-drive grand tourer. Its interior is similarly edited, doing away with the proliferating screens of other vehicles in the category, utilizing instead a digital analog instrument panel and a sophisticated heads-up display that keeps a driver focused on the road and shows just what is deemed necessary, and nothing else.