Koichiro Yamaguchi

Lengthen the back, balance it at the front

What Yamaguchi, the program manager, found hardest on the third generation was reconciling packaging with design. The rear seat and cargo space absolutely had to grow, and the cabin was extended 115mm at the rear. But the dimensions around the front stayed almost the same, so designers said that with the rear stretched this far the proportions would not work, and it became a major debate inside the company. Yamaguchi still refused to compromise on packaging. The answer was a single character line rising diagonally from the base of the fender below the front door, which emphasizes the bulge at the front to balance the cabin stretched toward the rear.