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Mazda unveiled a subtly modified version of its mainstay M badge alongside a pair of new concept vehicles that are stylish in a way the brand has become famous for.
The new logo looks a lot like the one first introduced in 1997, and that’s because it is. Yet it somehow manages to look almost retro with its tasteful simplicity. An updated font for the Mazda wordmark was announced alongside it, both of which will be rolled out “gradually,” according to the automaker.
Alongside the updated branding, Mazda unveiled two concepts at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show, one cutting edge and the other cute. The Mazda Vision X-Coupe concept — with X pronounced as “cross” — is a strikingly stretched crossover-like machine that’s said to be powered by a twin-rotor plug-in hybrid (PHEV) system.
The turbocharged rotary engine and companion electric motor would produce big power and driving range, although as with most concepts, it’s all imaginary since the vehicle itself isn’t being built (at least not yet). Likewise, Mazda describes the Vision X-Coupe as boasting “mobile carbon capture” technology, which is undoubtedly cool but entirely untested.
The Vision X-Compact concept is equally out there, with “empathetic AI” integration that would allow it to act “like a close companion,” according to Mazda. That would mean the ability to engage in “natural conversation” and even suggest destinations along the route, which seems a little too Skynet for our liking.
Even so, it’s an adorable interpretation of the brand’s aesthetic, even if it’s a sort of future-forward take on the “soul of motion” design philosophy that’s been at its core since 2011. In fact, the size and shape of the Vision X-Compact is similar to the Minagi concept that kicked off the so-called Kodo design language all those years ago.
