HIROSHIMA, Japan—Mazda Motor Corporation will exhibit its next-generation car connectivity system, Mazda Connect^*1 at the 2014 International CES.^*2 Also, offering a glimpse at how Mazda Connect will evolve in the future, the company will showcase an application platform created to encourage the development of applications for use in vehicles. This will be the first time Mazda has exhibited at CES, one of the largest consumer electronics and technology shows in the world. CES opens on January 7 in Las Vegas in Nevada, USA and runs through to January 10, 2014.

Mazda Connect is designed to offer the convenience and fun of your smart phone in a form that is safe and appropriate for in-vehicle use. It was introduced with the recently-launched all-new Mazda3 (known as Axela in Japan). At CES, Mazda will display its new-generation Human Machine Interface (HMI), developed with safety as its top priority to allow the driver to deal with a wide variety of information while behind the wheel. The HMI minimizes the amount of time the driver's eyes are off the road, and includes a 7-inch center display offering maximum legibility, a Commander Control designed to be operated entirely by feel, and an Active Driving Display which projects a virtual image of driving information above the meter hood.

Mazda Connect is one of the four key areas Mazda is focusing on in order to deliver customers a distinctive experience of driving pleasure. The others are SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY, the KODO - Soul of Motion design theme, and the company's safety philosophy, Mazda Proactive Safety.

Rendering of the Mazda stand at 2014 International CES

Also, Mazda will showcase an application platform designed to enable more App developers to create and offer applications for in-vehicle use that are premised on a safe driving environment. Safety and HMI requirements can vary between brands and models, and the application platform allows automakers to incorporate such information beforehand. This provides App developers with an environment that enables them to meet such requirements despite having no specialist knowledge in the field of automotive safety.

Through this application platform, Mazda aims to offer customers new dimensions of driving pleasure by letting them enjoy their favorite applications in the car.

• *1 The name Mazda Connect is used in Japan, USA, Canada and Mexico. In other markets, the system is referred to as MZD Connect.
• *2 The International CES is organized by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA^®).