For years, the Japanese manufacturer used a cobalt blue hue as its flagship color. However, as part of its transformation towards a more premium brand, the company decided to change its color palette to reflect a more elegant and understated identity.
Emilio López, Product Manager at Mazda Motor de México, reveals in an interview that the choice of a new emblematic tone was not an easy task. In 2010, Mazda had developed a new design philosophy, dubbed ‘soul in motion’, and needed to create a selection of colors that would bring out the details of the cars in any light, so they appear to be moving even when parked.
The Japanese manufacturer then decided to start with the shade of red and to develop the “most beautiful red in the world” its designers studied for months how people perceive color and light, and translated this ideal red into numerical values to create the color “Soul Grid”. However, its application in the sheet presented challenges.
In response, Mazda developed the “takuminuri” process, which combines the expertise of human painters with paint simulation data to achieve a precise and consistent robotic application. The three-layer process, which includes a semi-transparent layer, a reflective layer with aluminum flakes and a clear layer, has resulted in the brand’s iconic colors: “Soul Red Metallic”, “Soul Red Crystal” and “Machine Gray Metallic”.
The success of this color strategy has not only been evident in the aesthetic appreciation of Mazda models, but also in the perception of color that today is perceived as “a stylish and modern color”, whereas previously it was perceived as a “ intense” associated with more sporty vehicles.
Mazda recently developed a new variant of its takuminuri red, dubbed artisan, for its new flagship CX-90 model, the most luxurious and expensive in its range.
“There are people who don’t buy you a car because they don’t like the color you have, or vice versa, they buy it because you have it in a different color. We might think not, but color is a decisive factor in choosing a car”, says López. According to the Axalta survey, 42% of Mexicans would change manufacturers if they could not find the color they are looking for, while for 86% of Mexicans the color of the bodywork is key when buying a vehicle.