Mazda is Taking a Calculated Approach to Autonomous Driving

05.25.17 - Mazda SkyActiv

05.25.17 - Mazda SkyActiv

We see several companies working toward the goal of bringing us a fully autonomous car to enjoy on the road and most of these companies are trying to do this in a way that allows them to race to the finish line and deliver what they want on the road. It’s as a step in the future of the automobile industry that’s going to happen, not something that’s questionable, but not every brand has embraced this the same way. For some brands, the need and desire are to find a balance that fits their brand personality.

Mazda is a brand that carries “zoom zoom” as its mantra and the six vehicles offered by Mazda offer us a dynamic way to drive no matter which one we drive. This dynamic personality is found in their SkyActiv engine technology and in the way these models offer us the steering and handling we want to have on the road. Taking the drive away from the driver would be counter to the personality of Mazda, but adding autonomous driving technology could make sense in some cases depending upon how it’s added to the lineup and used.

For most automakers, especially those of German luxury brands, every car adds some new technology each year and these companies do this even if the technology isn’t as useful as it should be or it doesn’t add much to the driving experience. This isn’t going to work for Mazda because they want you to continue to enjoy the ride and have an engaged driving experience on the road to make it better for you to travel in a Mazda brand vehicle. Because of this difference, the team at Mazda has stated they need to take calculated approaches to the self-driving that’s being developed.

If the technology could help you have a better steering function on the road or at the track, or it could give you a more dynamic drive from the suspension system this might be closer to what Mazda would consider adding to their models. The overall benefit to driving one of these cars with added systems could make it possible for you to have a better driving experience without removing you from the equation, which seems to be the goal of the rest of the automotive world and the autonomous vehicles they’re working to create for us.

Maybe because of this calculated challenge is the reason we haven’t heard anything about how Mazda will approach the autonomous driving they plan to do, but there may come a time they have to embrace this fully. Eventually, we may live in a world where we don’t drive at all, but Mazda doesn’t wish to consider that just yet. In fact, they’re more committed than ever to creating the right driving experience for you on the road so that you can continue to have the ride you want and the performance you’ve come to expect from the Mazda vehicle you love to drive. If you are interested in testing out a new Mazda, or a Mazda3 visit your local Indianapolis dealer.

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