What Is It?
Mazda Washu
What's Special About It?
No, it's not named after a Japanese delicacy; the moniker of this concept means "eagle's wing." The name was inspired by the front doors that, when opened up, supposedly resemble the outstretched wings of an eagle.
Powered by a 3.5-liter V6 (242 horsepower, 204 pound-feet of torque) that's mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox, the Washu features steering wheel-mounted gearshift controls. Suspension is via double wishbones up front and a multilink setup in the rear.
The chief goal of the Washu project was to provide an easily accessed, spacious cabin for six passengers wrapped in a low, sleek body. The seats (captain's chairs for everyone) are arranged in a 2-by-2-by-2 layout, giving plenty of elbow room. The middle seats can move fore and aft 25 inches, allowing even b-ball players enough space for their long legs. The clamshell-style seats fold dead flat and allow an object nearly 10 feet long to be carried inside the Washu.
Two types of door designs were employed, the fronts are mostly conventional, except they open up nearly 90 degrees. The rear portals, which also open into the roof, slide rearward. Aiding ingress for the driver is a tilt-away feature for the futuristic drive-by-wire steering wheel that does away with the conventional column. With rearview cameras in lieu of mirrors and an instrument panel that adjusts over a vertical range of nearly a foot, we wonder if George Jetson headed up the design team.
Why Should You Care?
This is one of many crossovers we've seen that uses three rows of captain's chairs to seat six adult passengers efficiently and comfortably. We hope this is a foreshadowing of the future. — John DiPietro
Mazda Washu
What's Special About It?
No, it's not named after a Japanese delicacy; the moniker of this concept means "eagle's wing." The name was inspired by the front doors that, when opened up, supposedly resemble the outstretched wings of an eagle.
Powered by a 3.5-liter V6 (242 horsepower, 204 pound-feet of torque) that's mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox, the Washu features steering wheel-mounted gearshift controls. Suspension is via double wishbones up front and a multilink setup in the rear.
The chief goal of the Washu project was to provide an easily accessed, spacious cabin for six passengers wrapped in a low, sleek body. The seats (captain's chairs for everyone) are arranged in a 2-by-2-by-2 layout, giving plenty of elbow room. The middle seats can move fore and aft 25 inches, allowing even b-ball players enough space for their long legs. The clamshell-style seats fold dead flat and allow an object nearly 10 feet long to be carried inside the Washu.
Two types of door designs were employed, the fronts are mostly conventional, except they open up nearly 90 degrees. The rear portals, which also open into the roof, slide rearward. Aiding ingress for the driver is a tilt-away feature for the futuristic drive-by-wire steering wheel that does away with the conventional column. With rearview cameras in lieu of mirrors and an instrument panel that adjusts over a vertical range of nearly a foot, we wonder if George Jetson headed up the design team.
Why Should You Care?
This is one of many crossovers we've seen that uses three rows of captain's chairs to seat six adult passengers efficiently and comfortably. We hope this is a foreshadowing of the future. — John DiPietro
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