Mazda unveils two visions of the future in Tokyo: the hybrid X-Coupe and the AI-powered X-Compact
At the Japan Mobility Show, Mazda presented two striking concept cars: the Vision X-Coupe and the Vision X-Compact. The first blends a sporty SUV silhouette with a hybrid powertrain and the brand’s legendary rotary engine. The second introduces a new era where the car doesn’t just respond, it converses.
Vision X-Coupe: the spirit of rotary reborn
The Vision X-Coupe pushes Mazda’s Kodo design philosophy into new territory. Its flowing surfaces, long bonnet, and muscular rear create a shape that feels both taut and effortless. There’s no rear window, giving the car a minimalist yet purposeful stance.
Inside, nostalgia meets experimentation. The driver faces circular, retro-inspired gauges framed by modern digital screens. Most controls are accessed through a single, wide touchscreen, replacing traditional buttons with sleek simplicity.
Under the sculpted bodywork lies a hybrid system pairing an electric motor with a rotary engine. The combination delivers 510 horsepower (around 375 kW). The electric-only range reaches 160 kilometres, with a total range of up to 800 kilometres in hybrid mode. Mazda hasn’t confirmed production plans, but the message is clear: this is a test bed for future hybrid technology and a statement that the rotary spirit still has a pulse.
Vision X-Compact: empathy meets electricity
Mazda’s second concept, the Vision X-Compact, represents the brand’s most radical idea yet. This fully electric hatchback is driven not only by motors but by empathy. At its core is an artificial intelligence designed to communicate with the driver as a human companion would.
The system uses voice and gestures to interact, suggest routes, execute commands, and even adjust the driving style to suit the driver’s mood. There’s no central screen or cluster of buttons. Everything happens through dialogue. The design is clean and compact, with a closed front and no exhaust outlets, a visual nod to its silent, emission-free powertrain.
Mazda’s paradox: progress through restraint
Together, these concepts reveal Mazda’s vision for its place in the evolving world of mobility. The X-Coupe carries the brand’s mechanical heritage and love of driving into the future, while the X-Compact opens the door to digital empathy, where a car becomes a companion rather than a tool.
Mazda remains true to its paradoxical nature: a technological conservative that reinvents itself just when the industry believes there’s nothing left to invent.
If these two concepts point towards the future, they suggest one thing above all. Mazda still believes that a car should be more than a machine. It should be a partner with a soul, even if that soul runs on electricity.
