Much of the Washu's sporty nature is due to an extremely wide 1,560 mm front 1,600 mm rear (61.0 - 63.1 in) track and overall low 1,570 mm (62.0 in) height and lengthy 4,830 mm (190.2 in) stretch from front to rear combined with an elongated 3,200 mm (126.1 in) wheelbase, giving the concept a long and low profile. What are the hard numbers produced by Mazda's time and attention spent on aerodynamically sound proportions? An amazing 0.25 coefficient of drag (Cd) - very impressive. Contributing to its wind-cheating design is a fully covered undercarriage, in the same spirit of Formula 1 and Champ racing cars but different, of course, in execution. To further reduce drag its side mirrors were sliced from the design to be replaced with side and rear mounted video cameras, benefiting rearward visibility.
While not as tall as a minivan or traditional SUV the Washu offers a slightly higher plane of reference than the majority of cars, also enhancing outward vision. Its clamshell seats are chair-like thin and set on pedestals. They don't look particularly robust, making me wonder how they would hold up in a multiple rollover, but nonetheless are attractively detailed and offer extreme flexibility. The shoulder belts are integrated into the seatbacks, the latter of which fold flat to make room for large cargo items.
The Washu brakes from tradition in structural design too. The B-pillars are exposed and separate from what would normally be the body, forming an internal skeleton that flies in the face of convention. While visually intriguing it would be difficult to create a business case on a design that reduces interior space just for the purposes of aesthetics.