Every company is doing it. Instead of logos with texture, personality, and pizzazz, brands are flattening their look for the modern age. Mazda might be the latest victim; A recent trademark filing in Japan shows a steamrolled, lifeless Mazda logo. Sad.
The good news is that the new logo doesn’t stray far from Mazda’s current look. It maintains the same shape as the current one—which the company has used since 1997—with a downward "M" at the center of a circular emblem.
It’s unclear if this new logo will officially make its way to future Mazda models in the US, but we wouldn’t be surprised. Many of its competitors have updated their looks in the last few years. BMW flattened and simplified its logo, as did Audi, Buick, Cadillac, and many others. With Mazda continuing its upmarket trajectory, the new look would make sense.
The other option is that Mazda uses its new logo excessively for EVs or the brand’s joint venture in China. Mazda may have already used a version of this look on a concept car back in April. The Arata SUV debuted at Auto China 2024 in Beijing with a simplified logo illuminated on the front of the vehicle.
We’ll have to wait and see if this new look actually makes its way Stateside.
