A vehicle's weight affects its performance in many ways. Lighter vehicles not only perform better on the basic functions of driving, turning and stopping, but also in terms of economic efficiency and environmental performance, as represented by fuel economy. Mazda is moving forward with a range of approaches to reduce the weight of its vehicles.

New models from 2011 onward achieve weight reductions of 100 kg or more through incorporation of SKYACTIV-CHASSIS and SKYACTIV-BODY technology. Mazda is continuing its development efforts with the aim to decrease vehicle weight by a further 100 kg or more for models released in 2016 and later.